In Eastern Ukraine, A Struggle For Survival In The Crossfire Of A Little-Seen War

The 3-year-old war in eastern Ukraine, fought between government forces and Russian-backed separatists, has reached a stalemate with world leaders trying but failing to bring the conflict to an end.

Nowadays, fighting is concentrated in five hot spots, where Ukrainian-held territory ends and the areas seized by rebels begin. The battles there aren't as much about moving those lines as they are about wearing the enemy down.

But it's the thousands of Ukrainian civilians caught in the middle who are suffering, international monitors say.

Many residents who could afford to move have gone to other parts of the country or beyond. Those who remain are at mortal risk, said Alexander Hug, deputy chief monitor in Ukraine for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He added