From the second half of December, almost every story of central TV-channels of RF about Donbas situation made hints about possible chill-out before the New Year festivities. However they used every opportunity to accuse Kyiv of the intention to spoil the festivities.

We have already reported that since November TV-channels have been broadcasting stories about ‘blockade’ of Donbas and about attempts of ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’ ‘authorities’ to overcome it. The main message of the campaign was that Ukraine ceased all transport connections between the controlled and occupied territories.

For example, the story of 5 December by Russia TV-channel told by Aleksandr Zakharchenko accused Kyiv of ‘partial transport blockade’ that was weakened from time to time by natives of Donbas fighting for Ukraine.

Russia, Vesti, 05.12.2014

‘DPR (Donetsk People’s Republic ) Head: The blockade holds off trucks with medicines and food from the region

Kyiv’s attempts to block the territory of declared Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) increasingly repulse the locals from Ukraine, believes Aleksandr Zakharchenko, head of DPR.

 ‘Luckily, people at Ukrainian road blocks are clever, the majority of them happen to have friends and relatives in this territory so they let the transport pass,” Zakharchenko said.

However, the trucks with products sometimes are not allowed to go to the republic. “They hold off fuel, oil and lubricants, medicines, food,” mentioned the head of republic.

The controversial nature of this information mismatching with the description of ‘Kyiv junta’ was balanced with allegation that the supply of food and medications are blocked primarily. Thus, ‘partial blockade’ became an example or sophisticated anti-humane policy of central authority looking to destroy ‘Novorossiya’ in any way. Whereas Russia does its best to save common people in Donbass.

That is why when a convoy of vehicles with humanitarian aid from Akhmetov Fund was stopped by Ukrainian servicemen at the approach to Donetsk, Russian TV-channels already knew how to present the situation.

Firstly, one of parties to the conflict is traditionally marked as ‘evil’. All you need is just to mention the names of Kolomoiskyi, Semenchenko, Right Sector and voluntary battalions in any context.

Secondly, the Ukrainian authorities are accused of obstructing the dispatch of humanitarian aid from its territory. Not a word that insurgents abandon it themselves. On the other hand, the major role of Russian humanitarian convoys to support Donbas population keeps being underlined all the way.

Thirdly, they never tell what the number of Akhemetov’s convoys it was and how many cargos have been delivered already to the occupied territory. The attention is drawn to the case that ‘volunteers’ decided to exchange this Akhmetov’s aid for the captured.

Channel One, News, 15.12.2014, 21:00

“’Dnepr-1’ battalion blocked the dispatch of aid collected by Ukrainians for compatriots

The uniformed men did not like the name of the person whose fund collected this cargo.

Sacks and boxes are packed with food for Donbas residents but servicemen don’t bother. Moreover, it was their aim to stop the trucks. Having blocked the humanitarian convoy, ‘Dnepr’ battalion – one of the first military units formed in Ukraine by oligarch Kolomoiskyi – makes condition to the DPR authorities.

“Trucks with food go from Ukraine to Donbas every day so that separatists would not starve to death. We put an end to that, they stop coming and feeding you, Mr. Zakharchenko, until you give us our people,” Valentin Manko writes.

This is how the Dnepr gunmen decided to exchange captives – not by negotiations but with blackmail. And it seems that the military do not bother that actually they hold as a hostage thousands of Donbas locals who need the aid. Being totally astonished by the situation, Rinat Akhmetov’s Fund – it sent the humanitarian aid – made a statement, though it looks more like a desperate call for mercy.

But the call was not heard, quite the opposite, the blockade of humanitarian cargos was supported by other paramilitary units: Right Sector, ‘Krivbass’ and ‘Donbass’ battalions. And the chief of the latter Konstantin Grishin, aka Semen Semenchenko, makes statement calling enemies the whole population of Donetsk and Luhansk.

“Drive back your convoys with aid for terrorists, or give it to the population on site,” he said.

This demarche, whether planned or not, of battalions was unexpected for Kyiv as well. A confused representative of official authorities tried to present the case as if this had been an initiative of military at one road block only. Though it was before the action of one unit was supported by others.

Gunmen cannot stop Russian humanitarian convoys for obvious reasons so they decided to deal with cargo from the territory of Ukraine.

Channel One, News, 21.12.2014

“Trucks of Russian Emergencies Ministry brought food, medicines and New Year gifts to the east of Ukraine

Over 30 thousand children in Luhansk will receive gifts brought by the tenth humanitarian convoy from Russia as the LPR’s Luhansk administration communicates. Several hours ago trucks with Russian humanitarian aid arrived to Donetsk and Luhansk. 180 trucks brought food, medicines, building materials, toys and sweets for the youngest residents of Donbas.”

In addition to suppression of inconvenient information, Russian TV-men resorted to selective quoting of official representatives of UNO and OSCE, changing the context of their statements.

For example, Russian journalists took only the figures of killed children from the press-conference of Kristen Elsby, Regional Communication Chief of UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS. They ignored her words that staying in action area is dangerous for children and many parents take their children off to Ukraine. Anyway, readers may compare the source and its interpretation by NTV.

NTV, 20.12.2014

“Children pay the highest price in the Donbas conflict

The UNICEF reports that during the ongoing conflict in Ukraine 44 children were killed. Tens of thousands were injured.

UNICEF stated that as a result of Donbas conflict tens of thousands of children suffer. In particular, 130 000 of children had to leave their homes. And many of those who stayed have to live in bunkers and bomb-shelters.

Kristen Elsby, Regional Communication Chief of UNICEF Regional Office for CEE/CIS: “Children are paying the highest price in this ongoing crisis in Ukraine: damaged infrastructures, water shortages and hampered access to medical facilities in the areas of ongoing fighting are putting children's lives at risk and their well-being in danger."

She also noted that the conflict has disrupted the education of up to 50 000 children, as 147 schools remain closed. 187 educational institutions remain partially or completely damaged, as ‘Ukrainska Pravda’ communicates.”

UN News Centre, 19.12.2014

“… Answering questions of a journalist, Kristen Elsby said that UNICEF does not have access to areas controlled by insurgents but the Fund works with partner organizations and receives information from local supervisors.

Speaking of living conditions of children in regions cut from the governmental support the UNICEF representative said that the Fund knows that some children in Donetsk live in bunkers and bomb shelters but the Fund does not have any specific figures about them.

Having just returned from Kharkiv, Ms. Elsby described the scene on the ground, where she said some 500 people arrive daily from Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts. On certain days as many as 5 000 people arrive in the city. UNICEF along with its partners is helping prepare refugees and the displaced for cold winter months ahead. But the means of Fund are draining away.

UNICEF needs $32.4 million to address the urgent needs of some 600,000 children and their families. Specifically the money will provide 225,000 affected school-aged children with school supplies; 100,000 children with support to reduce heightened levels of stress; polio vaccines at the Government’s request; and 250,000 children and women with safe water and hygiene supplies.

Answering the question about the use of land mines, Kristen Elsby said that since July 16 000 units of ammunition were found and eliminated in areas controlled by the government”.

Vesti (news of Russia TV-channel) regularly manipulate figures and official data. For example, comment to the Vesti’s story about large New Year exchange of captives tells about the results of opinion poll by Ukrainian Institute of Social Researches. Journalists interpreted it as a sign of the increase of negative feelings of Ukrainians about the army’s activities in Donbas.

As a matter of fact, we could not find these results in open access. The only UISR’s data were published back in late August in “Zerkalo Nedeli”. And they were not as good for RF as the news service of Russia TV would like.

Russia, Vesti, 26.12.2014

“Meanwhile the majority of Ukrainians are for compromise in the conflict. This conclusion was made by Ukrainian Institute of Social Researches based on the opinion poll. According to experts, almost 73 % of Ukraine’s residents want the war to stop. And 19% are for continuation of combat actions ‘till final victory”, 8% respondents refused to answer such questions. To compare, just a few months ago only 17% of Ukrainians were against the so called anti-terrorist operation.”

In general, implanting of provable facts into artificial context is the most favorite trick of ‘Novorossiya’. Like, speaking of the Donetsk airport situation journalists never mention idle attempts to seize it for last six months. And, of course, nothing about the involvement of regular military units of RF in attacks on Ukrainian positions.

NTV’s coverage of the exchange of prisoners of war on 26 December is a striking example of the context manipulation. The attention is drawn to people allegedly having nothing to do with ‘insurgents’ and having suffered tortures of Security Service of Ukraine. Moreover, they used ‘eyewitness testimony’ that a Ukrainian captive ‘had changed his mind’ last moment and gave comment to journalists. He is the only captive from Ukrainian side who spoke on camera. The story is clearly skew: those captured by Ukraine are tortured and humiliated, while ‘insurgents’ strictly follow the Soviet officers’ code of honor.

Quite interesting that the theme of torturing of captured ‘insurgents’ was abandoned on 28 December when the Channel One, Russia and NTV gave stories about Viktor Medvedchuk  who was presented as a key person in the captives release. And this was said not by the ‘DPR’ representatives but by the very press-secretary of Putin, Dmitri Peskov. It is worth mentioning that Medvedchuk’s achievements were praised by different people purportedly. Thus, Russian TV has shown not only who actually writes statements of separatists but also the real attitude to lives both of ‘insurgents’ and ‘servicemen’. They are merely a theatre set to praise and promote the Kremlin’s master and his henchmen.

NTV – News, 27.12.2014

“Dark mines, hunger and battering with a bat: the released tell about horrors in captivity

Another five Ukrainian servicemen that did not manage to come from Luhansk to Donetsk will be handed-over to Kyiv today within the exchange of captives. This is the largest exchange during the conflict in the south-eastern Ukraine. The exchange was ‘222 for 150”. However 5 national guardians refused to come home. The DPR authorities have already promised them to help with accommodation and work.

According to NTV correspondent Evgeniy Golovanov, this is the largest exchange of prisoners of war for the time of the south-eastern conflict. Previously each of the sides exchanged dozens, and this time 222 insurgents are exchanged for 150 Ukrainian servicemen. Of course, the exchange is one-sided but after long negotiations the sides met half-way.

Insurgents were handed-over the first. Many of them are severely exhausted, others cannot walk. They were held in captivity for six months, their wrists still have the traces of plastic handcuffs or even metal bracelets that the escort forgot to remove in a rush.

Vadim Stepanenko, released captive: “They were beating with a bat, hands, feet, drowning with a bed-sheet.”

Several men were brought by an ambulance. They have gunshot wounds received back in fights, the others had severe injuries after communication with investigators of Security Service of Ukraine.

The majority of released captives have nothing to do with insurgents. Some of them were arrested just for participation in meetings and open criticism of Kyiv authorities. Evgeniy is a journalist of an opposition periodical in Odessa, he was accused of creation of terrorist group.

Evgeniy Aniukhin, a journalist: “All journalists out of favor and other people who want to express their position, use the freedom of speech, are suffering persecution as I do.”

Their families are left in the territory of Ukraine. They cannot come back to them soon otherwise they will be arrested again. There are national guardians of ‘Donbass’ battalion and professional soldiers among the Ukrainian captives. Some of them got to the battlefield as a result of mobilization. They did not have any choice: either the service or the prison.

Valentin Rayevskyi, prisoner of war: “They were humane to me. Did not beat, did not hurt, and gave food.”

Daria Morozova, ombudsperson of DPR: “We had a boy in Snizhne. A hand amputation was hanging over him. But our doctors managed to save his hand. Even his chiefs called us and thanked.”

Five captured Ukrainian soldiers decided not to come back to Ukraine. Aleksei is one of them. He surrendered because didn’t want to take part in the war.

Aleksei, prisoner of war: “I believe that the majority of captives do not want to be at war. The majority of my companions do not think of locals of the south-east as of enemies.”

This exchange left no captured Ukrainian soldiers in Donetsk republic’s territory. Several men will be handed over from Luhansk, and released insurgents will be fed, they will catch up on sleep in normal conditions after long months in captivity.”

Channel One, News, 28.12.2014, 12:-00

“This Friday had the largest operation. It was successful thanks largely to the leader of “Ukrainian Choice” movement Viktor Medvedchuk who once had been a head of Kuchma’s administration. He was in charge of the meeting on the Ukrainian part. According to the statement of DPR leaders, this is for the mediation of Medvedchuk’s organization that over two hundred Novorossiya supporters were released.

In its turn, Kyiv admitted that the ex-head of administration of president committed himself to the most difficult negotiations with Donetsk. By the way, Security Service of Ukraine decided to involve Viktor Medvedchuk in the discussion at the last second and this, as stated by a security service representative, ‘significantly increased the guarantee’ that people will be released.”

NTV-News, 28.12.2014, 13:58

“Kyiv and DPR appreciated the involvement of Medvedchuk in exchange of captives

There are new responses to the exchange of captives held this Friday evening in Donbas. It is the largest one since the beginning of combat actions. As communicated by the leaders of Donetsk republic, contacts with Viktor Medvedchuk helped to release over 200 insurgents and civilians from Ukrainian captivity. Previously Medvedchuk had been the head of Administration of President of Ukraine and nowadays he is the leader of “Ukrainian Choice” movement. His key role in the release of captives was noted in Kyiv as well. Moscow highly appreciates the participation of Medvedchuk in negotiations about the exchange of captives between the Ukrainian authorities and representatives of republics in the south-east. Dmitri Peskov, press-secretary of RF President, said this to TASS.”

 The monitoring is carried out by NGO “Тelekrytyka” supported by the USAID funding provided through the ‘Internews Network’ in the framework of U-Media Program.