Vice News: Russian Roulette - The Invasion of Ukraine – Season February 2015
Episodes
Trying to Flee Debaltseve
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.
Defending the Ruined Village of Pisky
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.
Running Supplies with the Dudayev Battalion
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.
Flying Drones with the Dnipro Battalion
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.
Inside Rebel-Held Uglegorsk
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 Ruins of Donetsk Airport
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.
Civilians Return to Debaltseve
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.