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VICE News brings you on-the-ground, up-to-date coverage of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
2014
Meet Yuri Kasyanov, a Ukrainian activist who raises money from ordinary people to buy supplies for the Ukrainian army, and every day risks his life to deliver them to the front lines. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky met up with Kasyanov in eastern Ukraine and traveled with him to checkpoints as he supplied soldiers with flak jackets and food. As the crisis in Ukraine continues, it has become more apparent that the government isn't efficiently taking care of its own forces. But as Petro Poroshenko's presidency begins, the prospect of change is appearing to be possible.
Ukraine put an end to months of political chaos by swearing in a new president who vowed to restore the country's territorial integrity. Petro Poroshenko, a powerful oligarch before his election, will now have to prove to Ukrainians that he will be able to change the system that made him wealthy while fighting a war against pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine.
On Sunday, recently elected President Petro Poroshenko vowed he would end two months of fighting with rebels in eastern Ukraine by the end of the week. Last week, however, the Ukrainian army suffered a series of setbacks in the Luhansk region and lost control of several checkpoints along the Russian border. Separatist groups now say they have occupied up to 125 miles of the frontier, allowing for fighters, weapons and other goods to move across from the east. VICE News headed to a checkpoint in Luhansk to talk with a Cossack commander about his group's operations there and find out how he is "preparing for war." In the towns of Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, shelling is on the rise. Some civilians in the area were able to pack their belongings and flee, yet many more local residents are unable to leave. From housewives, to students, to local farmers, all are feeling the effects of the continuing crisis.
The conflict in eastern Ukraine has not yet entered into all-out war, but every day and every week the situation is becoming more fraught. Despite Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko's call for a ceasefire, shelling has persisted in the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk. VICE News visited a section of Sloviansk that was recently struck by an attack, and spoke with the residents about the chaos of the attack and its aftermath. We also visited a local hospital and spoke with medical workers who have stayed behind to treat the increasing number of wounded. Caught up in the standoff, and facing gas and water shortages, residents across eastern Ukraine have been fleeing for safety. According to Kiev, some 120,000 people have been internally displaced from the region and are currently seeking refuge in Russia and elsewhere across the country as the area's humanitarian crisis worsens.
Last Saturday, pro-Russia separatists shot down a Ukrainian military transport plane in the eastern city of Luhansk, killing 49. It was the deadliest incident since the conflict in eastern Ukraine broke out in April. The country's military has been struggling to regain control over the porous border with Russia as separatists continue to set up checkpoints and engage in sporadic fighting. Meanwhile, civilians are fleeing from towns in the area to avoid being caught in the crossfire. VICE News is in Luhansk to meet some of the separatist men and women who are determined to keep battling the government at any cost.
While the leaders of Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France are discussing the fate of eastern Ukraine during the country's weeklong ceasefire, the eastern city of Slovyansk — which is occupied by the rebel forces and surrounded by the Ukrainian army — remains under siege. Amid consistent clashes, residents are gathering to mourn civilian deaths and pray for a quick end to the conflict. For the rebel fighters defending their positions in the outskirts of the small town, the ceasefire is something happening elsewhere. They don't trust it, and say the Ukrainian army is only using the opportunity to bring in more heavy weaponry and refill stocks of ammunition. Early on June 21, VICE News embedded with a small group of rebel fighters as they walked quietly through a field of high grass to an abandoned chemical plant controlled by the pro-government troops. Their mission was to stage an attack and collect intelligence about the enemy's sniper positions.
2014
Ukraine's ultra-nationalist Right Sector movement has been extremely active during the Euromaidan protests, but Kiev is now moving to disarm the group. On Monday, one Right Sector member instigated a shootout outside a restaurant. Three people were injured, including a city official. In response, riot police surrounded the Dnipro Hotel, which the group was using as their headquarters. The group was forced to vacate the building without their weapons and move to a base outside Kiev. Simon Ostrovsky of VICE News was there as events unfolded.
2014
Russia has invaded the Crimean peninsula of Ukraine and taken over its civilian and military infrastructure. Not a shot has been fired so far, but Russia is using its superior force to intimidate Ukrainian troops in an attempt to get them to surrender. Russia claims it wants to stabilize the situation on the peninsula, which has a large Russian population, but Ukraine's new government regards the move as an occupation of its sovereign territory.
On April 7, the people of Donetsk declared themselves an independent republic and called for a Crimea-style referendum by May 11th. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky was there as people stormed the regional administration building and demanded to join Russia.
On the second day of the self-styled People's Republic of Donetsk's existence, people gathered in the Regional Administration Building to discuss their new government and make plans for the future. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky attended the meeting where things got a bit heated, and later interviewed Serhiy Taruta, the current governor of the Donetsk region. Taruta argued that those who declared independence from Ukraine have no authority to do so and are not supported by most residents of Donetsk. There's still about a month left before their supposed referendum, and the future of Donetsk is uncertain.
Pro-Russian protestors in Luhansk, the most Eastern city in Ukraine, took over the headquarters of the state security services on April 9. Armed with guns they found in the building, the demonstrators were determined not to leave. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visited the occupied building, which despite the occupation, was surprisingly calm. But not everyone in Luhansk wants to join Russia -- and some who express that sentiment are suffering dire consequences. We spoke to one resident who said he was severely beaten for siding with Ukraine, and another who is determined to leave the area if Luhansk becomes Russian. Amid calls for parts of Ukraine to join Russia, the tension and unrest across the country is spreading — and it is becoming increasingly difficult to predict what will happen next.
Last week, pro-Russia forces took over the police headquarters in Slovyansk, a city in Eastern Ukraine, marking the latest expansion of the self-proclaimed "People's Republic of Donetsk." VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky rushed to the scene to verify whether or not Russian Special Forces had taken over the building, as was rumored, but found that it appeared to be the work of locals. As the situation escalates in Eastern Ukraine, a pattern has emerged in which buildings are stormed and occupied at night, while crowds gather outside during the day to prevent anyone from getting through. The situation in Slovyansk is different because the whole city seems to be guarded by pro-Russia forces. Which city will be next?
On Monday, pro-Russia protesters stormed a police station in the eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky was there as they seized the building. Inside, the demonstrators attacked a police officer accused of pushing someone out of a window while the person was trying to display a Russian flag. Later that day, a video emerged on the internet showing a man purporting to be a Russian army colonel giving orders to troops in eastern Ukraine. This is the first bit of evidence that there might already be Russian boots on the ground in the country.
This week, the Ukrainian military launched an anti-terrorist operation to quell the pro-Russia violence and unrest that has swept eastern Ukraine. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky interviewed troops deployed in the operation at the border between Kharkiv and Donetsk, and then traveled to Kramatorsk, where pro-Russia protesters were attempting to take over an airfield. When Simon arrived, it seemed that the airfield was still under Ukrainian control, but the pro-Russia protesters were outside preparing to seize it. Once the head of the anti-terror operation appeared outside the base, the commander was accosted by the protesters until he retreated back inside — so much for his anti-terror operation.
Last week, Ukraine launched an anti-terror campaign to recapture the cities being occupied by pro-Russia protesters. So far, the campaign hasn't been going so well. On April 16, the second day of the campaign, Ukrainian military moving into Sloviansk — the focal point of the pro-Russia forces — and gave up their equipment. The armory was brought to the center of town where it has become a local amusement. Elsewhere, crowds of pro-Russia protesters stopped a column of Ukrainian troops in Kramatorsk and made them disarm. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky was on the scene as Ukrainian forces disarmed their weapons and vehicles.
Before VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky was detained on April 21 and held by pro-Russia separatists in Sloviansk, he filed this dispatch featuring an interview with his future captor, the city's self-appointed "people's mayor," Vyacheslav Ponomarev. Simon was released on Thursday. Simon went to Sloviansk to investigate reports of a shooting at a checkpoint outside of the city on Easter Sunday. At least three people were reportedly killed in the incident. Pro-Russia forces and Russian media outlets quickly blamed the Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector for the assault. After interviewing local Ukrainian police, who couldn't confirm the number of deaths, Simon attended a briefing where he questioned Ponomarev directly about the alleged shooting.
Just an hour before he was kidnapped by pro-Russia forces, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky interviewed two Russian Cossacks in Kramatorsk. One of the men showed Simon his Russian passport, which was the first confirmation VICE News has seen of Russians working with the separatists in Eastern Ukraine.
VICE News reporter Simon Ostrovsky tells the full story of his abduction and captivity in eastern Ukraine by pro-Russia forces. On Monday April 21st, VICE News reporters Simon Ostrovsky and Freddie Paxton were stopped at a checkpoint by armed pro-Russia forces loyal to the self-proclaimed mayor of Sloviansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev. They were pulled from their car, along with three other journalists they were traveling with. After a thorough search and questioning, Paxton and the three other journalists were released. Ostrovsky was held in a basement cell where he was blindfolded, beaten, and accused of being a spy. For days, his whereabouts were unknown, which sparked a furor among journalists in the region and people from around the world who have been following his work. On Thursday, April 24 Simon was suddenly released onto the streets of Sloviansk with little explanation.
Angry crowds of Russia supporters as well as Russian military units surrounded and entered Ukraine's Naval High Command in Sevastopol blocking all exits and demanded that its officers switch allegiance to Crimea's new Kremlin-aligned government. Naval Command has so far remained mostly loyal to Kiev, but its fall would represent a significant psychological victory for Russian forces.
The blockade by Russia of Ukrainian military installations in Crimea continues. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky spoke with families of personnel barricaded inside, who complained about the difficulty of getting food past the pro-Russian protesters outside. Russia's supporters explained why they want Crimea to separate from Ukraine, and Simon negotiated his way through a Russian checkpoint to interview an officer on the Slavutych, a Ukrainian battleship stuck in the harbor of Sevastopol.
With Crimea's parliament voting to secede from Ukraine, Russia's blockade of Ukrainian military installations in the peninsula has moved seaside. The Russian Black Sea Fleet prepared a special operation: the sinking of a decommissioned ship in the middle of Donuzlav Bay in order to prevent traffic in and out of Crimea's port. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky noticed that the unidentified men in military fatigues had suddenly disappeared from the bases — locals said that they'd gone to obstruct a mission of observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) from entering the region.
As Russians stream into Crimea to help wrestle it away from Ukraine, an unlikely group of Serbian war veterans, who have experience fighting in Bosnia, Croatia and Kosovo, are turning up at the checkpoints too. VICE News reporter Simon Ostrovsky follows Russian troops as they continue their occupation of Ukrainian military bases, and learns about unidentified men in masks attacking journalists reporting on the situation in the peninsula.
In dispatch six, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels to the Kherson region of mainland Ukraine to both the Ukrainian and Russian checkpoints. At the Ukrainian checkpoint, Simon goes inside one of their tanks, and speaks to the commander, who says that despite his Russian blood he will defend all invaders. But at the Russian checkpoint, the exchange isn't quite as cordial.
In dispatch 7, Simon is back in the Crimean capital of Simferopol, where both pro and anti-Russia demonstrations are dividing the region. Pro-Russia protesters believe that the country's strong economy will help Crimea, while anti-Russia protesters feel that their land has been taken over by bandits.
As Russia moves 10,000 troops to the Ukrainian border and Crimea prepares for a secession referendum, tension remains high all over Ukraine, especially in the East. On the night of Thursday, March 13 VICE News reporter Robert King captured this scene on the streets of Donetsk, where a large group of pro-Russian activists attacked a group of pro-Ukrainian demonstrators calling for unity.
With Crimea's referendum quickly approaching, tension has spread across Ukraine, especially in the east. Before Thursday's protests in Donetsk escalated into violence, VICE News correspondent Robert King interviewed pro-Russia and pro-Ukraine demonstrators about their opinions on the standoff.
As the whole world waits to see what impact the referendum has on Crimea, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky spends time with new recruits of the Crimean Self Defense Army.
Russian commandos stormed the Moskva Hotel in Simferopol, and nobody really knows why. It was the eve of the referendum and the hotel is where many of the international journalists covering the situation in Crimea are staying. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky tries to figure out if the troops were sent on a manhunt, or on a mission to intimidate members of the press.
On March 13, two people were killed during clashes between pro-Russian & pro-Ukraine groups in the eastern Ukrainian town of Donetsk. Two days later, friends and family gathered for the funeral of Dmytro Cherniavsky — a former press secretary for the Ukrainian Nationalist party, Svoboda.
Some people might say that two weeks isn't enough time to prepare for referendum to separating from the country that you've been a part of for the last 70 years. But that's not what a reported 95.5 percent of Crimeans think, according to the official vote count. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visits the polling stations in Simferopol, including predominantly Tartar areas where the pro-Russian fervor is seemingly absent.
The day after Crimea's referendum, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky tried to figure out what country he's in, and what - if anything - has changed.
Just a few days after Crimeans overwhelmingly voted in a referendum to join Russia, the crisis across the peninsula has taken its first life. In dispatch 15, VICE News' Simon Ostrovsky attends the funeral of the young Tatar man whose body was found this week after he was beaten by Cossacks. Despite this death, residents across Crimea are hopeful that joining Russia will bring them a brighter future.
The day after Crimea's controversial referendum, in which 97 percent of the peninsula's population supposedly voted to join the Russian Federation, Ukraine's newly-formed National Guard began training in anticipation of further Russian aggression. Against the backdrop of exploding RPGs, the crackling of heavy machine guns, and the rumbling cannons of the BTRs, Ukrainian officials and the international media got a first look at the ragtag civilian force that could be on the front lines of the new cold war.
In the aftermath of the referendum in which 97% percent of the Crimean population supposedly voted to join the Russian federation, VICE News' Simon Ostrovsky returns to the Ukrainian Naval headquarters in Sevastopol, after self defense forces stormed the premises and took over the base.
Despite overwhelming support within Crimea to join the Russian Federation, Ukrainian forces refused to give up their naval and airbases to the Russians last week. In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visits the Belbek airbase, which was being overrun by Cossacks and members of Russian forces, who believe they had liberated Crimea — though local forces don't seem to agree.
Earlier this week, Ukraine's government finally grasped reality and ordered its troops out of Crimea. But by the time of the evacuation order, Russia's military had already started booting Ukrainian troops from their bases or getting them to switch sides. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky met with Ukrainian Marines in Feodosia as they decided whether to remain loyal to their country or break their oath of allegiance to stay with their families in Crimea.
As Crimea becomes part of Russia, tensions continue to rise in Ukraine and demonstrators attempt to break into parliament in Kiev. VICE News' Simon Ostrovsky joins the protesters in Independence Square as they fight for a change in their government.
2014
On International Workers Day, pro-Russia protesters marched through central Donetsk in eastern Ukraine calling for a referendum on the region's future. Some want to join Russia, while others to become a federal republic inside Ukraine — all want to separate from the interim government installed after the Euromaidan revolution. Around 3,000 protesters first gathered on Lenin Square before marching on to lay flowers at a WW1 memorial. The protesters chanted in support of the planned May 11th referendum and denounced the government in Kiev as a "fascist junta" while waving Stalin flags. The crowd wasn't entirely friendly, with one journalist, who was accused of being a "provocateur," was bundled into a car and driven away by protesters in body armor, his destination unknown.
On the morning of May 1, a pro-Russia militia guard post on the outskirts of Krasnoarmeysk was attacked by Ukrainian forces (reportedly Right Sector members) — taking 11 local militia men with them. Soon after, a crowd from Krasnoarmeysk gathered in front of a Right Sector base, where they tried to find out about their friends' fate. Having no luck, the crowd decided to return to Krasnoarmeysk, and storm the local police building, to show their protest towards police negligence. No shots were fired and no injuries were reported.
As the Ukrainian military launches an offensive on the rebel-held town of Sloviansk, members of the self-proclaimed state of Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) are continuing a campaign of government building takeovers. On Sunday, DPR protesters were able to take the military prosecutor's office and a local council building. VICE News followed the group as members burned the Ukrainian flag and arrested a suspected provocateur. The man was seen being bundled into a car while covered in blood, his destination unknown. DPR protesters headed to a government debt collection office on Monday and delivered an ultimatum to freeze the discovery of listed debts by PrivatBank — Ukraine's largest bank — in Donetsk. The bank has stopped operating in the Donetsk region, citing alleged intimidation of its staff. This has led to long lines outside branches as people desperately try to withdraw money.
On Tuesday morning the Ukrainian government announced it had ordered the halting of flights at Donetsk airport and the closure of the airspace across the region. The airport was almost completely empty, except for a few stranded travelers. Later in the day, VICE News visited a Ukrainian regional military college where pro-Russia rebels had set up a perimeter surrounding the entrance to the building, blocking the road of any traffic. A Donetsk People's Republic spokesperson said they heard that the Ukrainian ultra-nationalist group Right Sector was going to seize the academy and use it as a base. In a sign of increased escalation, the militia in Donetsk was well equipped with AK-47s, RPGs, and even anti-tank missile launchers.
In an effort to curb further unrest, the Ukrainian government canceled the majority of the victory day parades across the country. Commemorating the victory over Nazi Germany during WWII, victory day came at a convenient time for the pro-Russia rebels. Claiming they're fighting a fascist junta in Kiev, the Donetsk Peoples Republic used the symbolism of victory day to boost support for their independence referendum on Sunday. As the Donetsk city council organized an official celebration, a thousand few people gathered in the square listening to speeches with a heavy amount of soviet nostalgia. Halfway through, it was announced that there had been deadly clashes in Mariupol, a port city to the south. VICE News headed down there to investigate the clashes that proved to be another major escalation in the Ukrainian crisis.
On Friday, May 9, President Vladimir Putin of Russia visited Crimea for the first time after its annexation. He arrived at the Crimean port city Sevastopol during the Victory Day celebrations commemorating the triumph over Nazi Germany in World War II with a massive parade of Russian troops and veterans. The annual festivities quickly turned into a festival of Russian rule and a show of military power.
VICE News correspondent Henry Langston visited Donetsk to witness the ballot and ask people what they were voting for, but he and his crew quickly ran afoul of masked gunmen who were patrolling the station. They forced the crew inside the occupied administration building, where they were detained, searched, and interrogated for three hours before being allowed to leave. The experience offered some indication of what press freedom in the DPR would look like should it ever become independent.
With the Ukrainian army struggling to contain the grab for power by the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Donetsk Oblast, armed pro-Ukrainian militias have been quietly taking matters into their own hands. One of these groups, the Donbas Battalion, has been attacking DPR checkpoints and occupied buildings. After two weeks of careful negotiations they finally agreed for VICE News to visit their clandestine base in what used to be a children's summer camp in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region. They were cautious about revealing their location as their last HQ was discovered and attacked by pro-Russia forces, forcing them to find an alternative.
Earlier this month, a number of pro-Russia checkpoints around the Donetsk region were taken by Ukrainian forces, in an attempt to encircle the city of Sloviansk, a stronghold for the pro-Russia insurgents. Here, VICE News reporter Simon Ostrovsky embeds at one of the checkpoints with the Ukrainian National Guard, a volunteer militia made up of people who were protesting at the Kiev Maidan just a few short, but eventful, months ago. Simon spent the night in the dark basement of a police station with some of the men, as heavy fire and fighting rumbled above them. Ukraine's presidential elections are scheduled for Sunday, but with this volatile situation in the east of the country, it's starting to look a lot more like a war.
The Ukrainian elections are Sunday, and there's still uncertainty that they will actually take place in eastern Ukraine. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels around the eastern part of the country to gauge the vibe before election day. He interviews Ukraine's Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov about plans to make sure everything goes smoothly in Donetsk and Luhansk — areas which have a heavy presence of pro-Russia forces. He then visits a polling station in Donetsk where nearby a Ukrainian checkpoint was attacked a few hours earlier resulting in at least 11 deaths, and meets up with the Donbas Battalion, who are working to ensure that everyone will be able to participate in the elections. Despite the measures that are being taken by Ukrainian troops and officials, it's still unclear what tomorrow will bring.
Almost 6 months after the Euromaidan revolution that toppled former president Viktor Yanukovych, Ukrainians went to the polls to elect a new president in the midst of an anti-terror operation to wrestle Donetsk and Lugansk oblasts back under Kiev's control. On Sunday morning as voting started across the country, Donetsk itself saw no voting take place so VICE News headed out to Krasnoarmiisk where voting was able to take place, under the watchful eye of local loyal-to-Kiev police and another paramilitary force, the Dinipro Battalion. Back in Donetsk, supporters of the DPR held a rally in the square, denouncing the election and the other DPR bugbears, NATO, the Kiev 'junta' and the US. Despite the threats, the election did take place in a few towns across the region and the fact that it took place at all seemingly threatens the advertised control of the region by the DPR.
Ukraine went to the polls this weekend to choose a new president, but pro-Russia separatists in the east did everything they could to stop voters from taking part. The stakes are especially high because while the rebels deem the interim government illegal, the Ukrainian authorities are desperate to see a strong people's mandate bestowed on a new leader who is able to quell the rebellion. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visited a polling station in Donetsk that was actually running, as people cast their votes and the fate of the country was decided. Pro-European businessman and "chocolate king" Petro Poroshenko was later declared the election winner. Poroshenko said that his first goal in office would be to resolve the crisis in eastern Ukraine, which so far is not showing any sign of ending.
Early Monday morning, gunmen of the Donetsk Peoples Republic arrived at the airport and took over the terminal building, prompting the Ukrainian military based there to issue an ultimatum to the rebels to lay down their weapons and leave. A massive firefight broke out which both fighter jets and attack helicopters were used by the Ukrainian military. The sound of gunfire and explosions filled the air as rebels and journalists ducked for cover along the access road to the airport terminal. VICE News found a small unit of DPR gunmen among the trees along the access road who had pulled back from their earlier positions closer to the airport. Gunfire seemed to follow them as shots hit the wall on the other side of the road and one of their wounded fighters, who had been shot in the upper thigh was evacuated in a civilian car. The gunfire intensified and the unit was forced to withdraw.
The standoff between pro-Russia forces and Ukrainian troops continues on the outskirts of the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine. But with heavier fighting escalating over the last few days, many residents are braving checkpoints and gunfire to flee the area for safer parts of the country. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to a checkpoint bordering Sloviansk and spoke to people leaving their homes behind as shots rang out in the background. None of these residents knows when they'll be able to return.
2014
On Sunday, rebels in eastern Ukraine held their first ever elections, voting for the incumbent leader Alexander Zakharchenko to continue to run the territory under separatist control. With few observers present to verify the fairness of the voting, which itself was hastily organized, the election wasn't widely recognized. Russia was the only major power to recognize the vote as legitimate, while Ukraine and its allies in the West declared the poll to be a violation of a negotiated agreement reached in Minsk. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky spoke with the rebel leader Zakharchenko as he cast his vote in Donetsk, and visited polling stations across the country’s war-torn east to find out what elections look like in a breakaway republic.
On November 3, the citizens of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic elected Alexander Zakharchenko as their prime minister, marking a supposed turning point in the ongoing conflict in eastern Ukraine. In the days after the election, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky interviewed civilians in Donetsk about their lives over the past few months — visiting locals working in a market that sits dangerously close to the ongoing battle for Donetsk’s airport, as well as others who have been living in a bomb shelter for months following the destruction of their homes.
For the past six months, Donetsk has been a war zone. Firefighters in the area have not only had to cope with their stations being understaffed, but with putting out fires from shelling and mortars, a task they've never previously had to do, and now perform as many as 12 times a day. In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visited the firefighters of Fire Station 4, located near the Donetsk International Airport that is the site of an ongoing battle between the pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian military.
During the war, various areas of eastern Ukraine under separatist control have been under the jurisdiction of field commanders, who run these areas under their own laws. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to Alchevsk in the Luhansk region to interview Alexei Mozgovoi, who's been running a "people's court" in which people are tried for various crimes, from rape to theft, with residents acting as the jury.
On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing 298 innocent people. While investigations continue into exactly what happened, representatives from the Dutch Safety Board are still recovering pieces of the plane that have been lying in fields for four months. In the absence of an official determination, pro-Russia separatists and the Ukrainian government are putting out their own theories. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to the site of the MH17 crash, where Dutch investigators continue their work, and spoke with a Cossack commander as well as a representative from the Ukrainian Security Services about the blame game between the two camps that will likely persist for months to come.
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2015
In this dispatch, VICE News travels to Debaltseve to meet civilians hoping to evacuate the war-ravaged town and others who have been forced to stay. We also visit a hospital in Artemivsk to see how the staff is coping with the influx of wounded civilians and soldiers.
The Russian-backed offensive by the separatist Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) against the Ukrainian military has now entered its third week, and has claimed the lives of at least 341 soldiers and civilians in the region since the start of the year. While the strategically important town of Debaltseve remains the focus of the DNR's assault, heavy and unrelenting clashes are still taking place in the village of Pisky, located just a few miles west of Donetsk airport. The village lies in ruins after months of constant shelling, which has forced almost all of the civilians to flee. VICE News traveled to Pisky to meet the soldiers and volunteers defending the village from daily DNR attacks.
Thousands of foreign nationals have flocked to join the fighting in eastern Ukraine since the conflict began last April. Though both sides have benefited from foreign fighters, many are Russian soldiers who traveled to Ukraine voluntarily or followed orders from their superiors, and most have fought with the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic. Their presence has helped tip the scales of the battle in favor of the separatists.
In this dispatch, VICE News travels to the village of Chermalyk, located 20 miles north of Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces are preparing the defense of the city and using volunteer-made drones to gather intelligence on separatist positions.
Despite the recent Minsk peace agreement, fighting is continuing in eastern Ukraine, with pro-Russia separatists (DNR) and Ukrainian forces engaging in combat around the town of Debaltseve, which was encircled by the DNR. The nearby town of Uglegorsk, which was captured by the rebels during their push towards Debaltseve last week, has been battered by artillery shelling, with the nearly deserted streets bearing the scars of fierce fighting. VICE News crossed into the DNR-held territory of Uglegorsk on the eve of the February 15 ceasefire to speak with soldiers and residents about the prospect of a truce.
The battle between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russia separatists (DNR) for Donetsk Airport has raged for months, bringing significant losses on both sides. In late January, the airport fell to the DNR, ending Ukrainian forces’ hold on the site. The now unrecognizable airport lies in ruins. VICE News travelled to Donetsk Airport, a once modern facility now reduced to rubble after months of fighting, to discuss with DNR fighters the battle for, and the future of, the strategically important site.
After a month of heavy fighting, the pro-Russia separatists of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) finally took the strategically important rail hub town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine. In early January, the DNR had launched a winter offensive on Ukrainian positions, seizing the Donetsk airport and attacking Ukrainian checkpoints across the line of control separating the two sides. Once the airport had fallen, the DNR focused its attention on Debaltseve, surrounding the town on three sides and pounding it with artillery for four straight weeks. The attack killed dozens and forced thousands of residents to flee. VICE News travelled to Debaltseve a few days after it fell to the DNR to speak to some of the civilians who were slowly returning to their town, which now lies in ruins.
2014
The ceasefire in Ukraine between pro-Russia forces and the Ukrainian military technically ended on Monday, but the ceasefire never lived up to its name. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to several checkpoints around the eastern city of Sloviansk and spoke to soldiers who had been attacked by pro-Russia forces in recent days — attacks that resulted in dozens of deaths.
Not long after a so-called ceasefire ended in eastern Ukraine Monday night, the Ukrainian military sent a column of artillery into Sloviansk and officially began its offensive. The Russian and Ukrainian governments, along with representatives from the OSCE, called for a new effort to establish another ceasefire, setting a deadline of Saturday for the resumption of talks. For now, however, the war continues. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled around the outskirts of the city and visited several checkpoints where soldiers were preparing for what's to come.
On July 5, the eastern Ukrainian town of Sloviansk was recaptured by the Ukrainian military, driving out pro-Russia rebels and ending their three-month occupation. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels back to Sloviansk and visits the cell in which he was held for days by those rebels in April. The city is in shambles and residents are struggling to find food and water despite a considerable humanitarian effort. The pro-Russia rebels have retreated to Donetsk, but the Ukrainian government is determined to pursue its anti-terror operation until there are no rebels left.
On July 5, the pro-Russia rebels who had been occupying the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk for the past three months retreated to Donetsk, marking a pivotal shift in the conflict. After Ukraine's military recaptured Sloviansk, VICE News visited some of the former rebel checkpoints surrounding the city, interviewed a pro-Russia rebel in Donetsk, and went to a "peace rally" where Pavel Gubarev, the pro-Russia governor of The People's Republic of Donetsk, proclaimed that the rebels would not be defeated. Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko plans to continue his government's anti-terror operation until Ukraine is rid of the rebels.
Although Pro-Russia separatists have been largely driven out of Donetsk and Luhansk, they still control significant parts of eastern Ukraine. In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky goes hunting for separatists with Oleh Lyashko, a Ukrainian politician who placed third in the most recent presidential election. Ostrovsky embeds with Lyashko's personal security forces as they successfully track down Viktor Rybalko, a pro-Russia separatist who organized the referendum in Luhansk calling for independence and allegiance with Russia. What Lyashko does is technically illegal, but he believes that the police are not doing their job and has taken it upon himself to bring order back to eastern Ukraine.
Two weeks after the separatist rebels of the Donetsk People's Republic fled their stronghold of Sloviansk, Ukraine's anti-terror operation continues. In the neighboring region of Luhansk, the Ukrainian military has been battling with separatists for control of Luhansk city and its strategically important airport — but with both sides using artillery, homes are being destroyed and people are being killed. Meanwhile near Donetsk, fighting has reached outlying villages as the military looks to encircle separatist forces inside the city, who vow to make their last stand among its 1 million inhabitants. VICE News speaks to the civilians in Luhansk and Donetsk who find themselves in the middle of the bloody campaign — and who are dying as a result.
Today, a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 295 people was shot down — allegedly by pro-Russia separatists — in eastern Ukraine, dramatically changing the scope of Ukraine's months-long conflict. On Wednesday, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky spoke to US Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt, who said he has no doubt Russia is arming the separatists, effectively encouraging the escalation of the fighting.
Weeks into the separatists' siege of Luhansk airport, the Ukrainian military attempts a risky plan to lift the siege and resupply their stranded comrades. Although the bid to break through rebel lines is successful, it comes at a heavy price; the following morning, rebel forces celebrate their kills. And just three days before Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 is shot down over eastern Ukraine, rebel forces shoot down a Ukrainian military transport plane. VICE News arrives at the still-smoldering crash site as locals pick through wreckage looking for souvenirs to keep and scrap metal to sell.
On Thursday, July 17, 2014, a Malaysia Airlines passenger jet carrying 298 people was shot down over eastern Ukraine — allegedly by pro-Russia separatists. Residents in the area described bodies falling from the sky and landing in their own backyards. VICE News travels to the still-gruesome scene of the crash and speaks to residents who witnessed firsthand a tragedy that promises to dramatically alter the terms of the conflict.
Last week, a Malaysian passenger jet was shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board. It has yet to be confirmed who shot it down, but US and Ukrainian officials have blamed the pro-Russia rebels. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky is in the Luhansk region with the Ukrainian military to see what, if anything, has changed in the conflict after the plane disaster.
One week after Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people onboard, authorities have yet to determine for certain who was responsible for launching the missile that destroyed the plane. Many Ukrainians, however, are convinced it was the pro-Russia rebels who committed the act of “terrorism;” Russia continues to deny involvement. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky is in Kharkiv as the investigation continues. He attends a pro-Ukrainian rally, then travels to the Kharkiv airport, where the bodies of many of the passengers arrive to be sent back to the Netherlands for identification and burial.
On July 24, 14 bodies were exhumed from a burial site in Sloviansk. The victims were civilians, all of whom are believed to have been killed by pro-Russia separatists when they were occupying the area. According to Ukrainian officials, there are roughly 300 people missing in Sloviansk, and mass and individual graves are consistently being found. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky investigated what may have been behind these murders, traveling to the mass grave site near Sloviansk as the bodies were being unearthed. He also met up with journalist Chris Miller, who found signed death warrants and proof that the separatists were operating under their own form of martial law while controlling Sloviansk.
2014
After the Ukrainian military recaptured various cities across eastern Ukraine this week, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visited Debaltseve, a town at a strategic crossroads between Donetsk and Luhansk. The army appeared to be using the victory in Debaltseve to isolate those two rebel-held cities while it prepared to retake the MH17 crash site. Its successful campaign has come at a high cost of civilian deaths and troop casualties, however, forcing refugees to flee the fighting as the army works its way south.
Over the past week, the Ukrainian military has recaptured a number of cities across eastern Ukraine. In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky heads towards the MH17 crash site, as the Ukrainian military has successfully recaptured the cities surrounding it. On his way there, he visits a former separatist checkpoint and dugout, where he finds artillery the separatists used — some of which dates as far back as World War II.
In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky interviews an American volunteer in the Donbas Battalion to find out why he joined the unit, and what he thinks about the crisis in Ukraine.
In our latest dispatch from Ukraine, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky arrives at a scene in Kiev where a group of Euromaidan activists are being detained by a group of men from the Kiev 1 Battalion — a volunteer policing unit made up largely of former Euromaidan activists. The activists have held their camp at Kiev’s Independence Square since this past winter, and were apparently also occupying a restaurant near the square — until the Kiev 1 Battalion was called upon to remove them. Amid differing versions of the story, it becomes clear that a twist in the Ukraine conflict is emerging, as players in the revolution are showing signs of turning against each other.
Clashes in Kiev have escalated between the Kiev Battalions and activists still occupying the city's Maidan Square. With the Kiev Battalions being comprised largely of former Maidan activists, the clashes are further evidence that the revolution that took place last winter is showing signs of splintering and turning against itself. In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky speaks with both the leader of the Kiev 2 Battalion and Maidan activists on the square.
In VICE News’ latest dispatch from eastern Ukraine, we visit the rebel-held town of Donetsk to speak with locals about the damage done to their homes and property. The locals refer to the indiscriminate nature of the Ukrainian army's shelling, as well as the separatists seeming inability to protect them.
Last week, a VICE News crew traveled to the Rostov Region in Russia, which is on the border of Ukraine, to investigate Moscow's involvement in the conflict. We visit a hospital where injured rebel fighters were brought by Russian forces to be treated for their injuries, and speak to them about their take on the current crises in Eastern Ukraine. Recently, Russia has engaged in a campaign of sending over humanitarian convoys over to Ukraine by day. But under the darkness of night, it is rumored that Russia has been sending weaponized columns over the border to aid the rebels.
On August 23, German Chancellor Angela Merkel met with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko to discuss Ukraine's place in the context of Europe. She also offered 500 million euros for the reconstruction of the Donbas region. The following day, a military parade was held in Kiev, in which high profile armor and artillery was displayed to crowds. Meanwhile, rebels in Donetsk held a counter march in Donetsk where they paraded their prisoners of war, as onlookers threw trash at the captives. Despite the high spirits at the Kiev parade, the display of equipment and artillery was perceived as a slap in the face to those fighting for Ukraine on the frontline — many of who are dying because they don't have the artillery and military equipment they need to put up a fight. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky attended the parade and interviewed members of volunteer battalions, who recounted their experiences on the frontline.
2015
In September, Crimea's ethnic Muslim minority, the Crimean Tatars, and the radical right-wing organization known as Right Sector set up a blockade on several highways leading into Crimea to stop food and other supplies from entering the Russia-occupied peninsula of Ukraine. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to the roadblocks near Crimea and spoke with the organizers to find out why they had taken these controversial measures, which could potentially have humanitarian consequences for residents of Crimea, including the Crimean Tatars themselves.
2015
On February 15, 2015, a ceasefire took effect in eastern Ukraine between pro-Russia separatists fighting for the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) and forces loyal to the government in Kiev. Under the agreement, both sides would be ordered to pull back heavy weaponry from their front lines, and to respect a buffer zone between each other’s territory. In the following days, however, there were still reports of shelling and sporadic fighting. With DNR troops holding a position on the outskirts of the Ukrainian-held port of Mariupol, many now fear the city may be the target of a new rebel offensive. VICE News traveled to a rebel-held front line outside the village of Shirokino, 20 miles from Mariupol, to speak with DNR troops about what may lie in store for the city, and to find out whether the ceasefire would hold.
To celebrate International Women's Day on March 8, the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) in eastern Ukraine held a unique beauty pageant — where the contestants were all female rebel fighters. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky attended the pageant and spoke with the contestants who, in the midst of ongoing fighting, said they are proud to be battling for independence in the region.
The eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, and was previously controlled by the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian military has done its best to fortify the city after winning it back, but many believe that the pro-Russia separatists plan to seize control of it once again. In this dispatch from Ukraine, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky embeds with the Azov battalion as it prepares to defend Mariupol.
The eastern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol is just 30 kilometers from the Russian border, and was previously controlled by the Donetsk People’s Republic. The Ukrainian military has done its best to fortify the industrial hub after winning it back, but many believe that the pro-Russia separatists plan to seize control of it once again. In this dispatch from Ukraine, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky discovers the strategic significance of Mariupol in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, and learns how the city is preparing for the possibility of falling under siege from pro-Russia separatist forces.
In dispatch 101 of "Russian Roulette," VICE News travels to the bomb-ridden remnants of Donetsk Airport in eastern Ukraine, where under the command of pro-Russia separatists, Ukrainian prisoners of war are being ordered to dig out the bodies of their fallen comrades.
As the conflict in eastern Ukraine continues, thousands of foreign soldiers are joining the fight alongside the pro-Russia separatists of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). While the majority of these soldiers are from Russia, a growing number of volunteers from western Europe, and even as far as Brazil, are joining the ranks of the separatist forces. VICE News traveled to eastern Ukraine to meet volunteer fighters from Spain, Brazil, Serbia, and France, to find out what inspired them to take up arms and risk their lives on front lines with the DNR.
The war in eastern Ukraine hasn't just been about territory — religion has deepened the divide. In Donetsk, Protestants are being forced to conduct their services in apartments, persecuted by pro-Russia separatists who believe there’s only room for one religion in the region: Russian Orthodoxy. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to Donetsk to attend secret Protestant churches, and spoke with members of the Donetsk People’s Republic as well as the Orthodox Church to find out whether the DPR’s vision for the rebel-controlled region includes the coexistence of religious beliefs.
2015
Though it's within Ukraine, the area separating government-held territory and the region controlled by pro-Russia separatists has started to resemble an international border. There, at checkpoints, Ukrainian soldiers stamp passports, and stop and inspect trucks carrying goods to the rebel-controlled east. According to drivers prevented from crossing into separatist territory, the soldiers are purposefully preventing food from getting through. In the east, food is becoming increasingly scarce. But instead of inspiring unrest and anger at pro-Russia forces, the shortages seem to inspire locals to blame the Ukrainian government. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky traveled to the front lines in the Donbas to cross the de facto border, then headed into separatist-controlled territory to gauge the seriousness of the growing food crisis.
Despite assurances from Ukraine’s foreign minister that a ceasefire would be remain in effect over the Easter holiday, shelling has continued in Donetsk. In fact, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine reported a sharp increase in the number of ceasefire violations, particularly near the Donetsk airport and the western village of Shyrokyne. In the latest dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels to the sites of recent shelling during this so-called halt of military operations and to an unusual press conference for the pro-Russia Vostok Battalion who made it clear the ceasefire is anything but.
The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s (OCSE) Special Monitoring Mission to Ukraine has been in Shyrokyne, in the Donetsk region, observing the state of the current ceasefire between the government in Kiev and eastern separatists. The fighting in Shyrokyne, located between pro-Russia and Ukrainian forces, is ongoing, despite the signing of the Minsk ceasefire agreement by both sides in February. In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky follows the OCSE as it monitors the ceasefire in the contested area.
In the latest dispatch, Simon Ostrovsky interviews Aleksandr Zakharchenko, the leader of the breakaway Donetsk People’s Republic, discussing the ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and the leader's plans for the future of the separatist-controlled region.
Among the thousands of foreign soldiers who are fighting alongside the pro-Russia separatists of the Donetsk People’s Republic is an American fighter known simply as “Texas.” In this dispatch, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky speaks with Texas about the reasons behind his involvement in Ukraine's ongoing conflict.
Three hundred American soldiers have arrived in western Ukraine. In the latest dispatch, Simon Ostrovsky traveled there to find out what their mission is.
2014
For three weeks, the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the capital of the so-called Donetsk Peoples Republic, has faced a near-constant barrage of deadly shellfire. Hundreds of civilians have been killed as the Ukrainian army slowly encircled Donetsk and pro-Russia forces fought for control of what is strategically the most important city. VICE News headed to Novoazovsk to investigate claims of Russian involvement, and found terrified civilians trapped in the shelling, along with desperate Ukrainian forces angry at their lack of reinforcement from their leaders in Kiev.
As the conflict between pro-Russia rebels and the Ukrainian military intensifies, civilians continue to suffer across eastern Ukraine. Amid the fighting, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky visited the cities of Mariupol, Komsomolsk, and Novoazovsk to gauge the situation on the ground. In Mariupol, residents are protesting against pro-Russia militias, while in Komsomolsk, citizens reported they were robbed by the Ukrainian National Guard, and are now waiting with open arms for pro-Russia forces to infiltrate. And in Novoazovsk, an abandoned armored personnel carrier and destroyed column led us to a string of charred bodies — with few answers as to what transpired.
As the Donetsk People's Republic opened up a new front to the south of Donetsk, Ukrainian forces continued their artillery bombardment of the city. With the pro-Russia rebels also using artillery to push back the military, civilians are often caught in the deadly crossfire. VICE News headed to the Donetsk train station to see the destructive aftermath of the shelling, and later spoke with the chief coroner of the city's central morgue to hear how he and his staff are struggling to manage the influx of bodies.
As pro-Russian separatists opened up a new front along Ukraine’s southern coast, threatening the city of Mariupol, they also surrounded a mixture of regular Ukrainian army and pro-government militias in the town of Ilovaisk. To the southeast of Donetsk, Ilovaisk had been the scene of heavy fighting that eventually tipped in favor of the separatists. With Ukrainian forces having little choice, they surrendered and were assured they could leave the city through a safe “green corridor.” However, the separatists seemed to have reneged on the promise of safe passage, and several Ukrainian columns were caught in devastatingly brutal ambushes, leaving hundreds dead and dozens taken prisoner. VICE News stumbled upon one of the many Ukrainian ambulance convoys sent to retrieve the dead and wounded from an ambush site at Novokaterynivka, finding a scene of absolute horror and panic.
The Azov Battalion is a volunteer militia based in Mariupol, Ukraine that is allegedly linked to neo-Nazism. The fighters have been very active during the crisis in eastern Ukraine, carrying out nightly patrols around the city and manning checkpoints. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky embeds with the battalion while they train and conduct a patrol, then watches as they retreat from their outposts when pro-Russia separatists began firing artillery toward the city.
On September 6, a day-long ceasefire in eastern Ukraine was broken when pro-Russia forces shelled Ukrainian tanks driving into Mariupol. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky was in the city before, during, and after the ceasefire, and traveled to Mariupol's Eastern checkpoint as it endured the attacks.
On September 5, the Ukrainian government and the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) came to a ceasefire agreement after talks were held in Minsk, Belarus. But before the ceasefire went into effect that evening, both sides launched attacks on each other. The DNR assaulted Ukrainian positions in the city of Mariupol, while the Ukrainians attacked DNR checkpoints on the road leading from Mariupol to Donetsk. VICE News headed north of Donetsk to the town of Yasynuvata to check on reports that the town had come under fresh artillery fire that left residents living in their basements and without basic amenities. As the ceasefire held the next day, civilians in the village of Telmenovo were picking through the ruins of their homes, which were hit by shelling in the hours before the ceasefire began. We also traveled to Novoazovsk to speak with a local DNR commander who had little faith the ceasefire would hold for long.
On Monday, September 8, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko visited Mariupol — where the ceasefire was broken just a few days earlier — to boost morale and hand out medals to Ukrainian soldiers. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky was there, and asked President Poroshenko at the press conference whether he thought he had lost the war in Eastern Ukraine. President Poroshenko adamantly repeated that the war had not been lost, despite the fact that a great deal of territory in the East was still not under Ukrainian control. He also emphasized that he is optimistic this territory will be gained back, because the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is not a matter of negotiation.
With the ceasefire in eastern Ukraine holding, the city of Donetsk is slowly beginning to fill with people. As the fear of sudden death from shelling begins to fade — for now — a few thousand people gathered this week at the city’s World War II memorial for Donbas Liberation Day. The event, which commemorates when Soviet armies forced the Nazis from the region in 1943, featured veterans speaking about that conflict, as well as those fighting in the current struggle.
On September 16, Ukraine passed a controversial law under an unusual secret voting procedure that granted greater autonomy to the separatist regions in eastern Ukraine, as well as amnesty for most of the pro-Russia forces in the region. This is a significant development in the conflict, and might signal an end to the war that has ravaged the country for months. VICE News spoke to Donetsk Governor Taruta Deems on his private jet as the legislation was passed. We also interviewed members of the Azov Battalion at their base right outside the coastal town of Mariupol.
2014
On October 26, parliamentary elections were held in much of Ukraine — including long-embattled areas in the east. Wary of interference from separatists, armed guards manned polling stations and escorted completed ballots to ensure their safety. Turnout in the region was low, however, as residents appeared reluctant to vote. And in the rebel-held Donetsk People's Republic, elections weren't held at all — on November 2, pro-Russia separatists there will hold their own elections in hopes of legitimizing their self-proclaimed republic. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky spent Election Day visiting candidates, polling stations, and an electoral commission to find out how the political process was progressing amid the heightened levels of tension.
2015
It’s been a few months since VICE News has been in eastern Ukraine, and violence in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions has died down — suggesting that the Minsk ceasefire deal is finally sticking. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels from what was once the front line in Luhansk to surrounding towns that were once under constant bombardment to speak with soldiers, government officials, and residents about their hopes for the future.
2015
It's been five months since the second ceasefire was agreed between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatists of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). But this truce, much like the first, has not brought an end to the fighting. Only a few days after this ceasefire was agreed, the DNR took the strategically important rail town of Debaltseve, trashing any hopes for a lasting ceasefire in the process. Since then, fighting has been constant. Dozens, possibly hundreds of civilians and soldiers have been killed, and serious efforts to get the peace agreement back on track have failed. In late June, VICE News traveled back to eastern Ukraine to get a firsthand look at how it's business as usual for soldiers and civilians on both sides of the frontline.
After seeing the realities of the "ceasefire" in eastern Ukraine from the perspective of so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) separatists, VICE News traveled across the defacto border to visit a number of Ukrainian positions near Donetsk international airport. The site was finally seized by DNR fighters in January after months of heavy fighting. Along this stretch of the frontline, to the northwest of Donetsk, fighting has been almost continuous throughout two ceasefire agreements, whole villages lie in ruins, and few civilians dare to stay. With its heavy industry and proximity to other major population centers in the Donetsk region, this area has long been speculated as a possible location for another DNR thrust. Yet so far the Ukrainian soldiers are holding the line.
2015
After a lull in fighting between the Ukrainian military and the Russian-backed rebels of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics (DNR) in eastern Ukraine, violence escalated again in mid-January. A ceasefire agreed in September seemed barely worth the paper it was written on. A battle continued to rage around the strategically important Donetsk airport, as the Ukrainian soldiers — dubbed “cyborgs” for their resilience — fought to keep the airport from the DNR. They were unsuccessful. The DNR claimed the airport on January 21, and subsequently launched an offensive on Ukrainian positions along the line of control that separates the two sides. Civilian areas have come under heavy shelling, leaving dozens killed and wounded. In this dispatch, VICE News headed back to eastern Ukraine to see the effect this new escalation in the conflict is having on the innocent civilians, trapped between opposing barrages of deadly artillery fire with nowhere to go.
Since mid-January, fighting between the Ukrainian military and Russian-backed rebels in Eastern Ukraine has escalated. Dozens of civilians have died due to the heavy shelling. The rebels of the Donetsk People's Republic (DNR) have been attacking Ukrainian Army positions in an effort to reach the city of Sloviansk. In this dispatch, VICE News travels to the Ukrainian Army's front lines in the village of Kodema to see how soldiers there, clad in German and British gear that has been donated to them, are preparing for the much talked-about DNR offensive. We also visit the Ukrainian-controlled mining town of Dzerzhynsk to see firsthand what effects the fighting between the two sides has had on the local population.
2015
Caught between Ukrainian government forces and the pro-Russia separatists of the Donetsk People's Republic, the village of Shyrokyne in the Donetsk region has seen on and off fighting for several months. Despite a ceasefire being declared in mid-February, shelling and sniper fire continue to rain down from both sides. Locals are left behind to watch helplessly as food supplies run low. VICE News follows the 8th Separate Mobile Brigade, a group of pro-Russia rebel soldiers, as they hold their positions at the buffer zones in Shyrokyne. During an intense exchange of fighting, one of their fighters does not make it back alive.