Season April 2015
6 episodes · 2015
1Food Crisis in Eastern Ukraine
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.
2Easter Artillery Fire
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.
3Inspecting the Ceasefire in Shyrokyne
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.
4An Interview with the Leader of the DPR
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.
5Meet the Texan Fighting for the DPR
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.
6Why Are American Troops in Ukraine?
Three hundred American soldiers have arrived in western Ukraine. In the latest dispatch, Simon Ostrovsky traveled there to find out what their mission is.