DPR: Saur Mogila Kurgan
Saur Mogila is an elevated hill near the town of Snezhne and a strategic high point from the military point of you – controlling it, you can pound pretty much all around with mortar fire. During WWII in 1943, one of the war’s most intense battles happened here for the control of this high point. In 1963, a massive memorial complex was opened to commemorate the battle and the fallen – with a big statue of a Soviet Soldier and four smaller monuments depicting infantry, tankmen, artillerists, and air force pilots. Fast forward to 2014 and the fierce war between Ukraine and pro-Russian DPR forces saw the most intense battles happen over who controls the Saur Mogila hill. The hill changed hands 8 times, and pretty much everything was destroyed in the process – all that’s left now are the remains of monuments with bullet holes and blown up cement blocks.
