Anarchy
Fighting has now intensified all over the Donetsk and Lugansk regions with multiple air strikes, artillery attacks and shelling from the sea. Both sides seem to be shooting at anything that moves. Donetsk is slowly turning into a battlefield with both sides preparing for a final showdown some time soon, some rebels have begun abandoning their posts on the outskirts in order to reinforce the central bases in the city.
Two Ukrainian military jets have been shot down in a similar area to the MH17 crash site, so the rebels obviously haven't learnt anything at all from the tragedy that occurred. We have made contact with a girl who is returning to Donetsk to get her things and has agreed that we can go with her and stay in her appartemnt for a few days to get an idea of the situation. She has some contacts in the area so hopefully this will make moving around a bit easier.
The situation is very tense at the moment as both sides seem to be deciding how the next phase of these offensives are going to play out. Emotions are running high with both sides more paranoid and irrational than usual. The Ukrainian national guard have seized a Russia Today stringer, Graham Phillips and 4 other journalists for no reason and have released no information about their whereabouts. Strangely Russia has demanded Phillips' return despite him being a British Citizen.
In some positive news, the bodies of the victims of the MH17 crash have finally been flown Einhoven, Netherlands to begin identification and repatriation, hopefully the families will get the resolution they need as soon as possible.
All in all a day of escalation and with Putin holding an emergency Duma meeting this evening it seems there may be more answers on the future of this conflict tomorrow.
Two Ukrainian military jets have been shot down in a similar area to the MH17 crash site, so the rebels obviously haven't learnt anything at all from the tragedy that occurred. We have made contact with a girl who is returning to Donetsk to get her things and has agreed that we can go with her and stay in her appartemnt for a few days to get an idea of the situation. She has some contacts in the area so hopefully this will make moving around a bit easier.
The situation is very tense at the moment as both sides seem to be deciding how the next phase of these offensives are going to play out. Emotions are running high with both sides more paranoid and irrational than usual. The Ukrainian national guard have seized a Russia Today stringer, Graham Phillips and 4 other journalists for no reason and have released no information about their whereabouts. Strangely Russia has demanded Phillips' return despite him being a British Citizen.
In some positive news, the bodies of the victims of the MH17 crash have finally been flown Einhoven, Netherlands to begin identification and repatriation, hopefully the families will get the resolution they need as soon as possible.
All in all a day of escalation and with Putin holding an emergency Duma meeting this evening it seems there may be more answers on the future of this conflict tomorrow.
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