Season July 2015

2015-07-28 · 9m

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.

2015-07-29 · 14m

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.