The workers of White Burger restaurant wait to take orders, in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. The restaurant was reopened in September of the previous year following the successful counteroffensive of Ukrainian army in the Kharkiv region. The workers of White Burger restaurant prepare an order in Kramatorsk, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2023. Russia’s deadly attack on a beloved pizzeria in eastern Ukraine in June was painful for residents.
“We understand that this is a risk, and we are taking it because this is our life,” said Olena Ziabina, chief administrator of the White Burger restaurant in Kramatorsk. “Wherever we are, we need to work. We work here. This is our conscious choice.” After the attack on RIA Pizza, White Burger’s operators didn’t consider closing the Kramatorsk restaurant, Ziabina said. “I cried a lot,” she said, recalling the day she heard about the attack.
The city streets are mostly empty except for military cars. The residents who stayed avoid big gatherings and crowded places. He is a co-founder of one of the numerous military shops in Kramatorsk serving soldiers. Oleksandr said he marks up prices by only 1 hryvnia above the manufacturer’s price. He said the aim isn’t to earn money but to provide the military with the necessary equipment.But there are fewer options for older people, said Tetiana Podosionova, 54. She worked at the Kramatorsk Machinebuilding Plant for 32 years, but the plant closed due to security risks when the war started.