STORY: Russian bombs and drones struck the frontline town of Druzhkivka in Ukraine's eastern Donetsk region on Wednesday (September 15), Ukraine's military said.

Reuters footage taken during a reporting trip to the town showed burned-out vehicles, destroyed ground robots and heavily damaged residential buildings lining the streets of the town.

Residents continued to move around the town despite the danger, while the buzz of drones could be heard overhead.

As of August 10, 3,630 people remained in Druzhkivka, according to regional governor Vadym Filashkin, compared with a pre-war population of more than 50,000 before Russia launched its full-scale invasion.

The city lies about 15 km (9 miles) from the frontline, according to the DeepState monitoring map.

Kostyantyn Melnykov, press officer of Ukraine's 24th Separate Mechanised Brigade, said the security situation had deteriorated in recent weeks, with daily Russian strikes damaging buildings across the city.

To the north of the 'fortress belt' in Ukrainian-held Donetsk region, Kyiv’s forces launched an offensive operation, a senior military commander said on Tuesday (September 15).

The Donetsk region, which Russia wants to control entirely, has seen most of the war's fiercest battles.

Negotiations to end the conflict have so far stalled, although the U.S. wants a restart, with envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff visiting Moscow and Kyiv this month.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

Russian bombs, drones hit Ukraine's frontline town of Druzhkivka

VIDEO SHOWS: UKRAINIAN MILITARY MEMBERS / VEHICLES ON ROAD / DESTROYED VEHICLES ON ROAD / LOCAL RESIDENTS WALKING DURING SHELLING / DESTROYED BUILDINGS / UKRAINIAN MILITARY AND LOCAL RESIDENTS COMMENTING

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: Reuters footage was reviewed by Ukrainian military as part of a reporting trip. No footage was removed.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: CONTAINS PROFANE LANGUAGE AT SHOTS 8 AND 37

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: DRUZHKIVKA, DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE (SEPTEMBER 15, 2026) (REUTERS - Access all)

1. TRAVELLING SHOT FROM CAR OF UKRAINIAN MILITARY OPENING RAZOR WIRE ROAD BLOCK

2. LOCAL RESIDENT WALKING / AUDIO OF MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS

3. STREET WITH DESTROYED VEHICLES ON ROAD / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION

4. DESTROYED UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE ON ROAD / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION

5. 79-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, ARTUR ROZHKOV, WALKING

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) 79-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, ARTUR ROZHKOV, SAYING:

"I live just fine at the moment. It's just the explosions, of course. Oh, that... (AUDIO OF EXPOLOSION) And then there are the drones as well."

7. ROZHKOV PASSING BY DESTROYED UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE ON ROAD

8. UKRAINIAN SERVICEMAN WITH RIFLE LOOKING AT SKY / AUDIO OF DRONE BUZZING

9. TREES LINING STREET / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION

10. SERVICEMEN WALKING / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION

11. STRAY DOG WALKING

12. VARIOUS OF ARMOURED VEHICLE ON ROAD

13. DRONE AND DESTROYED RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

14. DESTROYED RESIDENTIAL BUILDING / AUDIO OF EXPLOSION

15. DESTROYED RESIDENTIAL BUILDING

16. PRESS OFFICER OF 24TH SEPARATE MECHANISED BRIGADE, KOSTYANTYN MELNYKOV, FIRING AT EXPLOSIVES DROPPED BY RUSSIAN DRONE

17. DAMAGED EXPLOSIVES, DROPPED BY RUSSIAN DRONE ACCORDING TO UKRAINIAN MILITARY

18. DESTROYED VEHICLE ON ROAD

19. FIBRE OPTIC CABLES LYING ON BUSH

20. 65-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, SERHII LYTVYNOV, WALKING WITH BICYCLE

21. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) 65-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, SERHII LYTVYNOV, SAYING:

"I went to buy some goods."

(REPORTER OFF-CAMERA: "Are you bringing them from Kramatorsk (city in Donetsk region)?")

LYTVYNOV NODDING. AND LOOKING AT SKY / AUDIO OF DRONE FLYING AND GUN FIRING

22. LYTVYNOV LOOKING AT SKY

23. (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) 65-YEAR-OLD LOCAL RESIDENT, SERHII LYTVYNOV, SAYING:

"That's just how things have been lately. It's not so bad, though. They (drones) are flying, one after the other."

24. GOODS ON BICYCLE

25. DESTROYED UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE ON ROAD

26. MONUMENT

27. UKRAINIAN DRONE CARRYING SUPPLIES IN THE SKY

28. ROAD WITH NETTING HANGING ABOVE

29. MAN RIDING BICYCLE

30. UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE ON ROAD

31. UKRAINIAN SERVICEMEN RUNNING

32. DESTROYED BUILDINGS, TRAFFIC PASSING

33. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) PRESS OFFICER OF 24TH SEPARATE MECHANISED BRIGADE, KOSTYANTYN MELNYKOV, SAYING:

"The enemy (Russia) is unable to achieve its desired outcome on the battlefield and, as a result we have such terror attacks on towns near the front line, such as Druzhkivka. Dozens of guided bombs are dropped here every day. The town's streets have already become a flight path for FPV drones."

34. VARIOUS OF MONUMENT TO LOVERS IN FRONT OF DESTROYED BUILDING, WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG

35. (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) PRESS OFFICER OF 24TH SEPARATE MECHANISED BRIGADE KOSTYANTYN MELNYKOV, SAYING:

"Three weeks ago, the situation in the city was much better. And, in fact, the square where we are right now looked completely different. This strike behind us hadn't yet happened. And, basically, these buildings were in much better condition. Now we can see that everything here is in ruins. And the soldiers stationed here say that the Russians are targeting this area with guided bombs every day."

36. VARIOUS OF WOMAN PASSING BY DESTROYED BUILDING AND RAZOR WIRE

37. UKRAINIAN SERVICEMAN FIRING AT DRONE

38. STREET / AUDIO OF GUN FIRING

39. VARIOUS OF GRAVE ON STREET

40. DRIVING SHOT AS VEHICLE PASSES BURNED VEHICLES ON ROAD