Greetings from Novorossiya: Eyewitness to the War in Ukraine

Some “little green men” who came from Crimea. Initially, many residents welcomed them with great enthusiasm. Slovyansk, April 16, 2014

Near Slovyansk, April 2014

Burned cars that had supposedly been driven by activists from Right Sector. Bilbasivka, April 20, 2014

Slovyansk, April 2014

A Ukrainian armored personnel carrier is shielding a special forces unit during an attack on separatist checkpoints in Khrestishche. April 24, 2014

Ilovaisk, October 2014

A ballot box labelled Donetsk Republic during the so-called independence referendum that took place in the territories controlled by separatists. Donetsk, May 11, 2014

Donetsk, October 2014

Slovyansk, April 2014

The remains of a separatist barricade on Lenin Street. A few days before, Slovyansk returned to Kiev’s control. Under the Ukrainian flag you can see the colors of the Donetsk People’s Republic. Written on the barricade: “Stop,” “By our civic position we protect the land of Slovyansk,” and “In unity our strength.” July 10, 2014

During the fighting for Kramatorsk a shell landed in an apartment. July 10, 2014

Luhansk, October 2014

Donetsk, October 2014

Luhansk, October 2014

After the shelling, almost all residents left Marinka. Separatists are stationed in the city. July 13, 2014

In the bunker, Val with a grenade launcher poses for his picture. Marinka, July 13, 2014

The slogan on the billboard says “Peace to the world.” Behind it you can see the smoke from a burning factory. Donetsk, July 21, 2014

A truck belonging to the nationalist battalion Azov. Their symbol is the Wolfsangel used by neofascist groups. The sign in Ukrainian says “Between us and the terrorists—only the Army—Support the Army—Protect yourself.” Mariupol, September 4, 2014

Slovyansk, April 2014

The remains of the fuselage of the downed Malaysian passenger plane. Hrabove, July 18, 2014

Near Slovyansk, April 2014

Donetsk, October 2014

During a pro-Ukrainian demonstration, a young resident of Mariupol is holding a piece of paper: “I want to live in Ukraine.” August 28, 2014

Slovyansk, April 2014

Donetsk, October 2014

Near Luhansk, October 2014

Ilovaisk, October 2014

Near Luhansk, October 2014

Novoazovsk, October 2014

Donetsk, October 2014

Slovyansk, April 2014. Russian banner reads: “Donbas Republic”

INDEX

accreditation: civilian, 185; DPR, 156–57; press, 119-21

Akhmetov, Rinat, 13, 14

Alchevsk, 20, 86

antifascism, 27, 33, 131; Victory over Fascism Day, 32

armored personnel carriers (APCs), 76, 77, 137, 139, 147, 168; in Slovyansk, 7, 23, 59, 61, 84, 86, 109

Artemivsk, 86, 142, 143, 154

Banderites, 26-27, 46; “Benderites,” 27

battalion Donbas. See volunteer battalion Donbas

Berkut police unit, 25, 26, 161

Borodai, Alexander, 154, 160

Brotherhood, the, 134, 150

ceasefire, 168, 176, 178

Central Election Commission, 89, 95, 97

checkpoints: near Khrestishche, 84; in Marinka, 130; in Mariupol, 171, 175; in Slovyansk, 59, 67, 69, 71, 86

Cheerful. See Vesele (Cheerful)

Christian Battalion of Saint Mary. See Brotherhood, the

City Council buildings, 20, 37, 48, 81, 118; Ponomarev and, 73, 74, 76, 109; in Slovyansk, 57, 59, 61, 71, 73, 75-76, 105

Communist Party of Ukraine (CPU), 17, 32, 35, 73, 101

Crimea, 23, 26, 80, 91, 92, 146; annexed by Russia, 20, 32, 38, 123; Gorbik from, 74-75; referendum in, 91, 99; Russian Spring and, 72, 79

curfew, 64, 116, 185

Debaltseve, 154, 155

Defense Ministry, 40; forces, 84

Dnipropetrovsk region, 13, 20, 31, 37, 42, 160

Dnipropetrovsk residents: Iryna, 13; Maryna, 37; Oleksij, 32; Vitalij, 40; Vladimir, 48, 164

Donbas, 6, 7, 17, 23, 51, 90; Akhmetov and, 14; Mass Mobilization, 20; People’s Militia, 10; residents in, 45, 46, 119; Russian propaganda in, 23, 27

Donetsk, 10, 20, 23, 99, 100, 115; airport, 3, 136, 178; City Bank, 13; fighting in, 137, 139, 140; Petrovska suburb of, 127, 136; Pushkin Boulevard, 94, 95, 116; restaurants closing in, 118; Regional Administration building, 13, 43, 131, 185; Tochmash factory, 137, 140

Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), 10, 48, 49, 92, 94, 97, 134, 141; accreditation, 156-57; cities acting independently, 75; and Marinka residents, 126; and plane crash, 161-62; Press Service, 168, 185-86; referendum, 89, 90, 99; schools in, 189; and Slovyansk, 74, 110

Donetsk region, 11, 20, 31, 42, 80, 100, 119, 189; Akhmetov and, 14; and Right Sector, 55; and Yanukovych, 49-50

Donetsk residents, 90, 178, 180, 185; Andrij, 19; Artem, 3, 6; Ira and her boyfriend, 49; Irina, 103-4, 180; Ivan, 178; Klavdia (Press Bureau Secretary), 120, 121, 123, 127; Larisa (polling commission), 94, 97, 98; Maxim, 180; Nastia (killed), 6; Natalya, 51, 90; Oleksandr, 95; Oleksij, 137; Olha, 92, 112, 184; Pavlo (cab driver), 116, 118-19; Raya (landlady), 118; Sergey, 140-41; Serhiy, 25, 184; Vadim, 25; Valentina, 50, 92; Vasil, 23; Volodymyr, 14, 27, 101, 180, 182

DPR. See Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR)

Druzhkivka, 20, 86

elections, 49, 94, 98, 100-101, 144-45, 176; presidential, 43, 136, 176. See also Central Election Commission

electricity, lack of, 105, 107, 130, 180

Euromaidan, 38, 144

European Union, the, 35, 49

Facebook: American journalist on, 63; Avakov on, 79; Defense Ministry’s page on, 81; Khorosheva on, 72; Russian equivalent of (Vkontakte), 121

fascists: in Donetsk region, 55; in Donbas, 59; separatist name for nationalists, 26, 27, 37, 64, 92, 95

federalists, so-called, 51; Federal Security Service (FSB), 75, 150

Filatov, Boris, 40, 42

flags, 32, 37, 40, 59, 109; Russian in Slovyansk, 23, 59, 61. See also Ukrainian flags

gas, lack of, 105, 180

Girkin, Igor “Strelkov,” 75, 109, 161, 162

Gorbik, Evgeny, 74, 176

Grad rocket launch system, 126, 182

greens (little green men), 20, 23, 176; in Slovyansk, 59, 61, 72-74, 76-77, 86

Gubarev, Pavel, 10, 11, 14, 27, 91, 160; detained, 66

Horlivka, 20, 64, 98

Hrabove, site of plane debris, 154, 158, 160, 161

Ilovaisk, battle of, 149, 176

Internet: Levyj Bereg (Left Bank) magazine, 149; Russian Spring website, 162, 189; websites, 150, 154. See also Facebook; Twitter

journalists, 26, 59, 74, 84, 107, 129, 135; detained, 62, 63; international, 56, 63, 64, 119, 120; and Ponomarev, 75-76; at press conferences, 69, 71, 72, 75; and referendum, 94, 97; residents and, 57, 119; Russian, 67, 85, 110, 121; Ukrainian, 52, 83; Western, 48, 64, 121, 125, 139, 154. See also media; photographers