UKRAINE-CRISIS/EAST-CHECKPOINTS Rebel checkpoints maintain divide in eastern Ukraine as fragile ceasefire holds

Record ID: 147328

  • Title: UKRAINE-CRISIS/EAST-CHECKPOINTS Rebel checkpoints maintain divide in eastern Ukraine as fragile ceasefire holds
  • Date: 13th July 2015
  • Summary: NEAR SHCHASTYA, LUHANSK REGION, UKRAINE (JULY 12, 2015) (REUTERS) ROAD DESTROYED PETROL STATION AND ROAD SIGN READING (Ukrainian) 'METALIST' VARIOUS OF CAR BEING CHECKED AT REBEL CHECKPOINT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) REBEL, ARTYOM, SAYING: "To be honest I wish we would live with Russia rather than be a part of Ukraine. There will be no Ukraine anymore. There will either be Novo
  • Embargoed: 28th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA4X42K1EP2EV0FRE9ZPL6DO6CX
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Residents of Ukraine's rebel-held regions in the country's east struggle to move around as separatist checkpoints maintain the divide in the area.
    Rebels check the documents and cars of those driving through the checkpoints on a daily basis. And although in many cases it does not take much time, the situation remains tense.
    The conflict in Luhansk and Donetsk regions erupted in April 2014. A ceasefire deal was reached in February 2015 by the representatives of Kiev and self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics backed by Kremlin. But shoot-outs and shellings are still reported by both sides accusing each other of violating the ceasefire agreement conditions.
    "To be honest I wish we would live with Russia rather than be a part of Ukraine. There will be no Ukraine anymore. There will either be Novorossiya or we will be with Russia. There is no other way," a rebel Artyom told Reuters.
    Novorossiya, or New Russia, is the term coined by the rebels to describe the territories controlled by them.
    Artyom is manning one of the checkpoints near the town of Shchastya in Luhansk region, where people cross from rebel-controlled areas to the territories under Ukrainian army's control.
    "We have to drive. We have planted tomatoes and cucumbers. We have to water them and to take care of them. One cannot avoid it. To be honest we are used to driving like this," Luhansk resident Georgy Rassoshenko told Reuters after his documents were checked.
    "What does it mean, scary? In case they are shooting the guys tell us we cannot go, it has happened once. We just turn and drive back home. And when they are not shooting we just drive past. I think that tomorrow or the day after tomorrow there will be peace and everything will be fine," he added.
    But in some areas crossing the line of conflict is not that easy. Dozens of cars were seen standing in line along the road near the town on Artemivsk in Donetsk region.
    "People stay for hours. Some - for 29 hours, some longer than one day. And it is unclear what causes this situation," Viktoria Shtogrina said.
    When asked about how long had she been waiting, Viktoria said, "For about 20 hours already. There are conflicts already. My car is still up there. We will not cross today, we cannot even hope for it."
    Other people had also been waiting for many hours.
    "We are driving back home after work. (We are driving) home. And we have been staying here for five hours already and will spend the night here," a man told Reuters without identifying himself.
    The talks on the future of self-proclaimed rebel republics are underway in Belarus, where the representative of Ukraine and the separatists as well as the diplomats from Russia and Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) discuss political, humanitarian and other issues. Although the meetings happen weekly, there have been no major breakthroughs lately.
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