I’ve been the Alchevsk three times, in ‘05 to get married, ‘06, and again in ‘09. My wife was born and raised there to a Russian mother and a Ukrainian father. Her sentiments lean decidedly towards Russia though she wishes the war would end and worries of friends and family who remain (though her parents have passed away and her siblings moved to Russia some time ago). I was in Luhansk in ‘05 and ‘06 and flew in and out of Kiev all three times, necessitating overnight stays. I visited Sevastopol, Crimea in ‘13 and found it to be strongly pro-Russian.
Relatively few visit Sevastopol because much of it is in the Russian Navy protective zone. We had family on the other side of the Crimea near Yalta but they left after the green suits came.
We still have one relative and a few friends in Alchevsk but it is a factory town and the factories are just on maintenance and have been since early in the “People’s Republic” era. Tap water is available only two afternoons per week in our cousin’s part of town.