donetsk people’s republic
How Ukraine's War Became Big Business For the Underworld
VICE News went undercover to investigate how smugglers are profiting from the war in eastern Ukraine as a blockade of separatist territories spawns a black market trade in fuel, food, and medicine.
Fraud Accusations and Chewbacca's Arrest Have Marred Ukraine's Tense Elections
Ukraine's gulf has deepened after local elections appeared to consolidate President Poroshenko’s rule in the west and pro-Russia factions in the east of the country. And some "Star Wars" characters turned up.
Billionaires and Bogus Ballots: Welcome to the Elections in Eastern Ukraine
Sunday's local elections are the first chance for Ukraine's powerful oligarchs to regain political power after the regime shift in 2014. So VICE News checked out the atmosphere in conflict-riven Mariupol.
'We Want Orders to Attack': Celebrating Ukrainian Independence Day on the Eastern Frontlines
VICE News visited Ukrainian army positions to gauge the mood among fighters and the temperature of the frontline, 24 years after independence and more than a year into a conflict with pro-Russia rebels.
Ukraine's Mystery Battle: Hunting for Truths Across an Elastic Border
VICE News went to investigate what really happened in Starohnativka last week. Ukraine claims to have captured new ground while rebels say "nothing happened" — and many people don't believe either version.
Ukraine's First Separatist Soccer Derby
Professional soccer had not been played in Donetsk since the start of Ukraine's civil war. That changed on Saturday.
Holding the Line for Another DNR Assault: Ukraine's Failed Ceasefire (Part 2)
VICE News traveled across the de facto Ukrainian border to visit a number of Ukrainian positions near the Donetsk international airport, which was seized by pro-Russia separatists in January.
The Holdouts: We Witnessed a Battalion's Final Days on Shyrokyne's Frontline
VICE News was in the village of Shyrokyne, eastern Ukraine, just before it came a "demilitarized zone" and found an atmosphere charged with distrust, doubt, and defiance.
What Life Is Like in a Prison Camp in the Donetsk People’s Republic
An interview with an inmate who says that when the pro-Russian separatists took over his prison camp, they brutalized and shot inmates while forcing them to work longer hours.
Textbooks and Assault Rifles: The Student Soldiers in Rebel-Held Ukraine
VICE News visited the Donbass region of Ukraine to meet the student soldiers trying to combine their studies with fighting on the frontlines for pro-Russia forces.
Checkpoints Block Civilians, Aid Traffic in Eastern Ukraine
Humanitarian aid workers say the checkpoints are not only slow and inconvenient for Ukrainians, but that guards sometimes forbid badly needed food and medical supplies from passing.