REPORT – In the Ukrainian region of Donbass, on the Russian border, fighting has been a daily occurrence for 8 years. Our reporter Michel Scott went to meet the soldiers on the front line.
Léa Tintillier | Report Michel Scott, G. Parrot, E. Dabback –
To join the advanced positions of the Ukrainian brigade, our reporter Michel Scott must first go into a maze of trenches. Long circulation hoses dug two meters deep allow you to reach the first line safe from fire. Ditches reminiscent of a war from another era and all that in the heart of Europe.
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Most men are at rest on this day. The day is rather calm, while the exchanges of fire are actually quite frequent. Heavy artillery fights take place regularly with losses on both sides: 60 dead this year on the Ukrainian side alone. “The front line is in front of us. The enemy is over there at about the level of the utility pole you see over there.”, shows the first Lieutenant Micha in the report of the 20H of TF1 at the head of this article.
The enemy are the pro-Russian separatists who seceded from the rest of Ukraine. Since 2014, they have made the law at home and rely on Moscow to support them. Therefore, it is impossible for the Ukrainians to reclaim this territory. Especially since recently, the Kremlin has amassed troops just behind, on the outskirts of the border.
It’s the Russian army that we have in front of us
To better understand, the soldiers take our reporter to another sector of the front, in an industrial zone on the outskirts of Donetsk, the separatist capital. “You must not make noise. They are very close, 50 meters”, warns Lieutenant Alexander. The danger comes from the snipers from the opposite part located behind large walls. “If we see them, it’s because they see us too”, he continues.
The know-how and professionalism of opposing shooters goes beyond the skills of ordinary Ukrainian rebels. “It’s the Russian army that we have in front of us. They are disguised as local militiamen”, says a soldier. Impossible for our journalists to cross this dividing line. The team therefore sent another camera via Russia in order to collect the feelings of the separatists occupying Donetsk.
These are the Ukrainians who threaten us with heavy weapons
On the other side, the front line and the armed forces are not accessible. Only the destruction suffered by the civilian population can be seen with the inhabitants who above all express their weariness at seeing this conflict continue. As for the movement of Russian troops in the region, one of the rebel leaders replied: “These are the Ukrainians who threaten us with heavy weapons very close to here. They hide them, they camouflage them in defiance of international agreements. They are the ones who do forbidden things.”, says Edouard Boroussine, Deputy Military Commander of the Donetsk People’s Republic.
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Back in the Ukrainian trench, the point of view is obviously different. We admit wanting to fight against Moscow to regain lost territory, but with the hope of one day joining the bloc of Western forces. “Of course we want to join NATO and we are grateful for all the support our western allies give us”, concludes Lieutenant Tania.
After 8 years of war, this conflict in Ukraine is completely frozen. Paradoxically, it is a massive Russian military intervention, which everyone fears here, which could upset this show of strength which is extremely dangerous for international peace.
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