UFC fighter Nikita Krylov tours devastation in war-torn Ukrainian hometown

For over a year, Ukraine has been ravaged with war and bloodshed that began with the 2014 revolution, which led to the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, and continued through the rising tension during protests by pro-Russian and anti-government groups across major cities in the south-eastern regions of the country.

While much has changed since the initial struggle back in February 2014, the country remains in shambles, particularly the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, which morphed into armed separatist movements. Eventually, a counterattack from the Ukrainian government lead to the War in Donbass, which has destroyed thousands of homes and left even more citizens without homes or supplies.

UFC fighter Nikita Krylov recently took to VKontakte, the Russian equivalent of Facebook, where he posted various pictures and videos from the destroyed regions in towns like Uglegorsk and Nikishov. While the videos will not be posted within this article, here are several screenshots to give you a sense of what the deserted towns look like after 13 months of war.

Last August, MMAFighting.com's Shaun Al Shatti delved into the conflict in his poignant piece on Krylov and the Ukrainian conflict:

"I worry what is going to happen next, but the only thing I fear about is what is going to happen to my relatives. They are precious to me," he told MMAFighting.com while still in Ireland. "People are dying. People are having to basically leave their lives they used to have and I don't know when it's going to end."

The videos can be viewed here.

Related reading: The real roots of the war in eastern Ukraine