Season September 2014
10 episodes · 2014
1The New Rebel Offensive
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.
2Allegiances Shift as Conflict Intensifies
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.
3Donetsk Morgue Overrun with Civilian Casualties
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.
4Aftermath of Ambush on Ukrainian Forces
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.
5Under Fire with the Azov Battalion
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.
6Ceasefire Ends as Pro-Russia Forces Shell Ukrainian Tanks
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.
7Residents at Risk as Ceasefire Crumbles
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.
8Ukraine's President Insists The War Hasn't Been Lost
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.
9WW2 Memorial Day and the Threat of Unexploded Ordnance
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.
10Greater Autonomy for Separatists Might Signal War's End
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.