Main news of Donbas: What is happening at “Hnutove” and “Novotroitske” checkponts; 2 years since the beginning of “Russian spring”

Reports from the front

There were 54 attacks of illegal armed formations on ATO positions on February 29.  ATO press service reports that there were 35 attacks in the direction of Donetsk and 19 in the direction of Mariupol. Two Ukrainian servicemen were wounded in action and one tripped a mine. 

The Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that more than 2600 Ukrainian servicemen have perished and more than 9000 have been wounded since the beginning of the Russian Federation aggression in February 2014.

“Hnutove” checkpoint is 30 kilometres away from Mariupol. According to the locals’ reports, it takes a vehicle about ten minutes to go through it and normally there are no queues here.  As the border guards say, the only thing that can disrupt the work of the checkpoint is shellings but they usually happen at night.



This is how Novotroitske checkpoint looks:

Donetsk cinemas show films which were officially distributed last year, this is the conclusion which can be made after watching the Donbas Public TV report. Hollywood films which were on in 2014, before the city got occupied by the militants were shown in one of the cinemas in the afternoon.



Yuriy Tandit, the Security Service of Ukraine head adviser, informed that 52 civilians are held captive on the occupied territories of the Donbas. “131 people are hostages, according to our information. 5 people from volunteer battalions, 64 servicemen, 1 border guard, 5 officers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 4 National Guard servicemen. In total, there are 79 guys who were defending Ukraine with arms in their hands. The rest are civilians.”

Reports from the occupied territory

Two years ago, on March 1, one of the first massive rallies with Russian flags took place in the centre of Donetsk. The Ukrainian government officially recognized Russia as an aggressor only in January 2015. People who gathered on the central square of Donetsk were demanding “Russian world” and federalization. “News of Donbas” correspondent shown how Donetsk streets look two years later. 

The “DPR” faction agrees to conduct another captives’ exchange in return for the bill which will grant amnesty to its militants. The illegal organization has submitted  an offer to exchange captives’ (“25 to 50 format”) to the Ukrainian party. Later, Darya Morozova, a member of the “DPR” organization, siad that there were people on that list submitted by the “DPR” who had been convicted according to Ukrainian legislation.

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