Even the fine-tune propaganda machine of Kremlin fails in critical situations pursuing different and often contradictory objectives. For example, on the one hand, they have to convince their fellow citizens that a venture of ‘Novorossiya’ support is just about to be crowned with the success of ‘militants’. On the other hand, they have to disassociate themselves from terrorist attacks of ‘DPR/LPR’ gunmen and make up new accusations of Ukraine.

At first, Russian television did not even give any importance to shelling of the bus and 13 casualties at Volnovakha road-block on 13 January. The 13^th and 14^th days of the month had nothing but typical ‘unsubstantiated statements’ supported by ‘anonymous authorities’.

However, 15 January the situation changes drastically. Despite the particular impenetrable TV-reality made in Russia, the TV-channels responded sharply to direct accusations against Kremlin voiced by Kyiv, Europe and America. On the one hand, this may be explained by a trite desire to kowtow to the heads by denying and disclaiming Western slander. For example, this is the manner of Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Affairs Minister.

Russia, Vesti, 18.01.2015, 20:00

‘Keeping blowing-up the new war in the Eastern Ukraine, Kyiv plants new information bombs into world’s mediasphere. These are real provocations multiplied by Western agencies and politicians in so overwhelming and vigorous way that people do not care about investigations and real facts any longer.

The riddled shuttle bus stopped dead on its way from Mariupol to Donetsk on 13 January has become a symbol of such provocations. 12 dead.

“We insist on thorough and unbiased investigation. We expect that the OSCE mission on site will have necessary activities fairly. There are already some evaluations, I am not going into details giving several versions of what happened but they must be sorted out carefully before pointing fingers as our Western and Ukrainian colleagues like doing. We will do our best to ensure that this investigation would not have the fate of investigations concerning other incidents. None of resonant crimes has been investigated so far. This is also true for sniper firing, Maidan shooting. And for Odessa tragedy of 2 May, and for Mariupol tragedy. As well as for missile strike of Luhansk oblast administration’s building. And the tragedy of Malaysia Airlines plane.

The same action scheme of some of our partners comes out: just after an incident they thrust their finger at militants, Russian Federation, and adopt, on the sly, some sanctions, toughen their position in the crisis settlement, and after me, the deluge,’ said Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Affairs Minister.

On the other hand, even a negative newsmaker can be turned inside out and used to manipulate people especially in media blackout.

We believe that activation of accusations of ‘Kyiv junta’ is related not only to the world’s negative response to shooting in Volnovakha. At the same time main TV-channels of the country actively cover ‘seizure of Donetsk airport” by ‘militants’. And promotion of Volnovakha slaughter laying the blame on, without doubt, National Guard and ‘special operation of Security Service of Ukraine’ is just a component of glorifying of ‘DPR fighters” and justification of their actions.

At first, the Volnovakha tragedy is put into the context of another event: shelling of workers of Dokuchayevsk dolomite industrial complex allegedly by the Ukrainian army. Thus, the viewer is made to suggest that the Ukrainian army killed people in Volnovakha as well. It is telling that ‘DPR’ does not demand the OSCE to have investigation of Dokuchayevsk shelling. The reason why ‘militants’ do not do that is not explained to the viewer making believe that the fault of Ukrainian servicemen is unquestionable in this case.

NTV adds ‘bombing’ of children’s infectious diseases hospital to the Dokuchayevsk targets. And Vesti tells about 50 people killed in Donetsk as a result of shelling by Ukrainian army.

Channel One, News, 16.01.2015, 21:00

“… Another bus fell victim to Ukrainian servicemen the night before. A missile launched from ‘GRAD’ system exploded near it. It was a service bus carrying workers of one of industrial complexes of Dokuchayevsk. They were going home after shift. 7 persons are severely injured and one is dead.

Dokuchayevsk, where a bus with workers was shelled, is situated in the Volnovakha direction where 13 passengers of shuttle bus died several days ago. The Ukrainian side has accused the militants of shelling a part of inter-city road with rocket systems. Representatives of self-proclaimed republic gave their counter plea.

“The bus was destroyed directly at the road-block of Ukrainian army with the use of roadside bomb and standard weapon. Incorrect actions of bus driver who did not stop at request of servicemen or a civilian that for some reason stepped out to the mined roadside are the most likely reasons of the deliberate explosion of bomb and further shooting of the bus by Ukrainian servicemen,” Eduard Basurin says.

A commission initiated by the OSCE works already in Volnovakha. Its members are collecting the evidence. In addition to Ukrainian servicemen and the OSCE mission representatives, investigators of self-proclaimed republic were also invited on site.”

NTV, News, 16.01.2015, 20:02

“A correspondent of NTV Aleksei Ivliyev reports that the direct hit of missile launched by Ukrainian army to the service bus with workers of dolomite industrial complex resulted in one woman dead and 7 workers severely injured. Donetsk doctors are fighting for their lives, and we have to note that unfortunately these are not the last victims of Ukrainian army.

Petrovskyi district of Donetsk has suffered a lot today as well. It was bombed. For example, one of shells exploded near the children’s infectious disease hospital. It is a miraculous coincidence that neither children, nor their parents, nor medics suffered. The shelling intensity in Donetsk is currently so high that it reminds the activity peak of last August.”

And they promote several propaganda lines:

1. Ukrainian army shells ‘DPR’ in revenge for losing the Donetsk airport;
2. the OSCE’s investigation does not prove the fault of ‘DPR’ so Ukraine is responsible;
3. Volnovakha slaughter is a result of operation of secret services of Ukraine aimed to discredit ‘militants’ and Russia.

From the very beginning the Russian TV spreads statements of ‘DPR’ representatives (Eduard Basurin, Aleksandr Zakharchenko, Denis Pushylin) that Volnovakha bus was blown up by Ukrainian mine. They show videos supposedly from the site and ‘eye-witnesses’ account’ as additional evidence.

The results of the OSCE’s preliminary investigation are turned around deliberately. They underline that the Ukrainian side was talking about shelling from the east whereas the commission established the shelling direction from north-north-east. This statement is voiced by RF representative to the OSCE. A correspondent explains that this person has never been on site but represents the RF’s interests in the organization. And they deliberately suppress that the facts established by the OSCE mean: the shelling was from ‘DPR’ side. Moreover, Russian journalists do not ask any other member of the OSCE commission for comments. Consequently, we see that a representative of so called ‘third party’ (Russian diplomat to the OSCE) intentionally lies in favor of one of the parties to the conflict.

In addition, NTV (Pushylin, a talking head of ‘DPR’) and Zvezda (a journalist) channels refer directly to the report of OSCE mission and without giving any details allege that it indicates that Ukraine is guilty.

Russia, Vesti, 18.01.2015, 20:00

“‘It is known that Kyiv and Washington immediately accused militants of peoples’ deaths having spread the version that it has been ‘GRAD’ shelling from the east over the separation line. There is a report of Special Monitoring Commission saying that there was ‘GRAD’ shelling but from the north-east. This breaks the previous version,’ says Russian Permanent Representative to the OSCE.

The eyewitness testimony confirms the version that previously antipersonnel mine exploded.”

Zvezda TV-channel, 07.01.2015

“OSCE disproved DPR’s involvement in Volnovakha tragedy

Representatives of the OSCE special monitoring mission, having examined the craters on the site where bus passengers died in Volnovakha, Donetsk oblast, supposed that the shelling was from the north-north-east direction, as the OSCE report published on Saturday says.

Previously, head of investigation department of DPR General Prosecutor’s Office Roman Belous, having visited the site, said to RIA Novosti that the bus could not have been shelled by ‘GRAD’ as claimed by Ukrainian side. According to Belous, it seems that the bus was blown-up by directed-action mine, TASS reports.”

However, when compared the eyewitness ‘testimony’ collected by different TV-channels rather casts doubt on ‘DPR’s’ version than on Ukrainian one. For instance, the NTV’s story of 18 January: a victim claims that there was another bus with people before the shot one. And on 19 January the same NTV says nothing about it, however they offer an anonymous ‘bus driver’ alleging that ‘GRADs’ were shooting from the Volnovakha side (how could he see that sitting in a bus?), and people died because the mine exploded at the road-block. On 19 January, Ukrainian portal ‘Korrespondent” gives an interview of this very ‘driver’ Sergiy Cherenko repeating the mine explosion version. His words are took up and cited by all TV-channels.

Particularly, Russia TV-channel compares the driver’s words that the shooting came from ‘northern area’ of Volnovakha and not Dokuchaevsk with the OSCE conclusions that the shelling was from north-north-east. Due to such manipulation of words the viewer was convinced that the Ukrainian army was shelling. Whereas Volnovakha is much to the south of Dokuchaevsk and of the very site of shelling.

The ‘driver’s’ story is laid to the set stage. Before the stories referring to ‘Korrespondent’, Channel One informed about supposedly new proofs of Kyiv’s guilt that ‘cyber-berkut’ managed to get. It should be reminded that last year this phantom organization already spread unconfirmed information about crimes of Ukrainian servicemen.

It is difficult to tell if the ‘leakage’ by ‘cyber-berkut’ was coordinated with the interview of ‘Korrespondent’. Though one should wonder that the ‘driver’ started talking only after Russian channels had been spreading and repeating persistently the version of ‘DPR’.

Channel One, News, 19.01.2015, 21:00

“ ‘Cyber-Berkut’: there is information proving the involvement of Security Service of Ukraine in Volnovakha tragedy

Hackers of ‘Cyber-Berkut’ group claim that they have information proving the involvement of Ukrainian secret service in Volnovakha tragedy. 13 bus passengers died and 20 got injured last Tuesday there.

Hackers report that they have downloaded some documents about preparation of provocations against militants from the computers of Security Service of Ukraine (SSU). Particularly, involving the special mission unit – Ukrainian ‘Alpha’. According to hackers, this order was made by the first deputy head of SSU.

Citing ‘Cyber-Berkut’: “Within the information campaign aimed at discrediting the armed forces of ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ and ‘Luhansk People’s Republic’, I am requesting to plan and report the options of provocation activities that may result in accusation of ‘DPR’ and ‘LPR’ insurgents of civilian deaths. The involvement of ‘Alpha’ special unit shall be reported separately. V.S. Grytsak, First Deputy Head of SSU.”

Russia, Vesti, 19.01.2015

“Bus driver: passengers near Volnovakha died because of mine

Driver of the bus shelled near Volnovakha made sensational statements. In the interview to Ukrainian periodical ‘Korrespondent.net’ Sergiy Cherenko told about the fire resulting in 12 dead and 18 injured passengers.

He said that people could have been stricken by the explosion of antipersonnel mine to the right of the bus, RIA Novosti reports. And the bus was shelled from the territory controlled by Kyiv.

“They shot along the bus movement. I was going towards Donetsk, and the shelling was from the left, from Volnovakha. We call it ‘northern area’. It was not from Dokuchaevsk,” driver Sergiy Cherenko explained. “The very road-block was shelled with ‘GRADs’. But if we had been hit by ‘GRAD’, I would not be talking to you now. There were mines near the road-block. And this was mine, antipersonnel one, that went off…”

Representatives of the OSCE special monitoring mission, having examined the craters on site, supposed that the shelling was from north-north-east direction.”

Another important element of propaganda against the Ukrainian army and authorities is construction of a split between the Ukrainian state embodied by the ‘party of war’ and the Ukrainian society longing for ‘peace’.

The stories against mobilization were spread earlier back in June-August. And now the main messages of 16-23 January are the reports about huge losses of Ukrainian army these are killed, injured and captured in Donetsk airport, and about highly skilled and invulnerable ‘militants’ who drowned new terminal in the blood of Ukrainian soldiers but are kind to the captives. This is more than usual for Russia and LifeNews.

The Ukrainian army is getting more ‘demonized’. According to ‘DPR’ representatives on Channel One, Russia and Zvezda channels, Ukrainians used poisonous gas when attacked the airport and dropped 500-kg bombs on Horlivka.

Sometimes they even turned around the events. For example, Russia’s journalist Dmitri Khrustalev suppresses the ‘peace rally’ in Kyiv in commemoration of Volnovakha victims comparing it to Hitler’s performances. And he quotes Erich Fromm but shows total misunderstanding of the book (Escape from Freedom) and the author himself, taking the quote out of context so that to give artificial interpretation to the ‘peace rally’.

Russia, Vesti, 18.01.2015

“Ukraine turned to be a dirt collector

By Dmitri Khrustalev

Political life in Kyiv has come up with a bang. Poroshenko announced another mobilization, deputies required the resignation of the head of the National Bank of Ukraine, and the Government livened up begging of West for money. The chorus is many-voiced but all the voices are for the war.

Erich Fromm, analyzing the drifting of Germans before the WWII towards the fascism, in his book Escape from Freedom wrote: “Were given the jobs taken away from Jews and political enemies; and as for the rest, although they did not get more bread, they got “circuses”. The emotional satisfaction afforded by these sadistic spectacles and by an ideology which gave them a feeling of superiority over the rest of mankind was able to compensate them – for a time at least – for the fact that their lives had been empowerished, economically and culturally.”

Fromm wrote this back in 1941 not knowing what a tragedy is to come to Germany and Europe in the future. But it has much in common with Ukraine nowadays except for the economic collapse. The coincidence is that the war seems to be the solution.

Of course, Poroshenko keeps talking about ‘peaceful plan’ but, as Bismarck said long time ago, ‘what really counts are potentials, more than good intentions or proclamations’. This is true for Ukraine as well. After the crushing defeat by the end of summer when the punishers in the Eastern Ukraine lost two thirds of their war equipment, Kyiv compromised with September truce; they took advantage of the truce to re-arm and improve their capacities. And whatever Kyiv says, the war is their plan. This is obvious given the increase in provocation, shelling and offensive reconnaissance activities.

The call for peace rally in Kyiv against the news about new mobilization wave looked a bit strange. Thousands of people chanted already common slogans on the way from Taras Shevchenko monument to Khreschatyk street. Though the Verkhovna Rada deputies having initiated the rally were not noticed in the crowd. And the President himself, unlike in Paris where Poroshenko walked in the column in the streets, back home visited Maidan only. Though he made an emotional speech actually calling for war not for peace.”

The attempts to tear certain events out of the reality and to integrate them in contrived world of propaganda structures have played a low-down trick with Russian TV-channels on 23-25 January.

23 January LifeNews reported that ‘DPR/LPR’ pursued an offensive in all directions including towards Mariupol.

LifeNews, 23.01.2015

“LifeNews made a map of combat actions of DPR and LPR

Another front line started near Debaltsevo town. The National Guard consolidated their position before the truce and disrupted it from here. At one point, the fighters of both people’s republics lost their patience and rushed to the attack. Militants use ‘URAGAN’ and ‘PION’ rocket systems for shelling; they seized these complexes back in summer.

Allegedly, the forces of Donetsk People’s Republic managed to take control over Vynogradne village situated in 14 km to the east of Mariupol. The militants are trying to approach the second largest city of DPR from the north-east.”

24 January along with the communications about shelling of Mariupol, LifeNews and TV Center disseminated information about city assault by ‘DPR’ forces. And, at first TV Center referring to ‘DPR ministry of defense’ denied their involvement in shelling of Mariupol and stated that ‘DPR’ forces were 40 km away from the city. And then, citing Zakharchenko and Basurin, reported the assault. Finally, it looked that the shelling and offensive against Mariupol were simultaneous.

However, they gave refutation of information about the offensive an hour after these communications. The next day there was a flow of stories, referring to ‘DPR’ mainly, that the death of Mariupol civilians was either a fault or a planned operation of Ukrainian forces. And they put a focus that there were ‘foreign mercenaries’ noticed in the city ‘after’ shelling. Obviously, Russian TV propagandists think that this ‘hook’ will make the viewer not believe the words of Ukrainians and support the version about involvement of ‘western special services’ in the new crime of ‘punishers’.

Curiously, more incredible versions of Zvezda that the city was shelled by SSU (according to an eyewitness) or that this was friendly fire of Ukrainian artillery (Mr. Basurin) were not even raised on central channels. If they can sell the story of ‘conspiracy against Russia’, there is no point in confusing the viewer.

TV Center, Moscow, 24.01.2015, 12:52

“DPR disclaims shelling of Mariupol

Militants of Donetsk People’s Republic disclaimed the information of Ukrainian forces that Mariupol had been shelled by DPR’s artillery. According to the representative of ministry of defense, the militants are just holding the line near Novoazovsk in 40 km from Mariupol, and they do not shoot at all.

Previously, on Saturday, the special operation’s press-center of Ukrainian forces announced that eastern suburbs of Mariupol had been shelled by militants. And head of Administration of MIA of Ukraine in Donetsk oblast Viacheslav Abroskin alleged that at least ten persons had died as a result of shelling.”

LifeNews, 24.01.2015

“DPR army launched Mariupol attack. DPR’s leader Aleksandr Zakharchenko announced the start of operation.

– An offensive against Mariupol has been launched today. This is going to be the best monument to all of our deceased people, said the DPR leader in Donetsk when laying wreaths at the bus station where 8 people got killed and 17 injured as a result of shelling by Ukrainians.

DPR repeatedly claimed that Armed Forces of Ukraine were trying to move the front line provoking the militants to counter-attack.

Stepan Poltorak, Minister of Defense of Ukraine, announced today a massive offensive of militants along the whole confrontation line in Donbas. He also said that Ukrainian army increased the artillery nearby Mariupol.”

TV Center, Moscow, 24.01.2015, 18:28

“Zakharchenko: militants launched Mariupol offensive

“We have started Mariupol offensive… In a couple of days we will tighten the Debaltsevo assault and revenge for the victims of Donetsk and Horlivka,” said Zakharchenko during the floral tribute at Donetsk bus station where people had been killed.

Saturday morning the eastern suburbs of Mariupol suffered artillery barrage. According to local authorities as of 18:00 Moscow time, the death toll is 27 and 97 injured.

MIA of Ukraine accused militants of shelling residential areas. In its turn, the ministry of defense of DPR disclaimed this information stating that shelling of residential areas was a provocation of Ukrainian forces.”

Zvezda, 24.01.2015

“They were shooting from Stary Krym, eyewitness about Mariupol shelling

Fifteen killed during shelling in Mariupol on Saturday, 24 January. 46 citizens have shrapnel wounds. This is the data reported by the press-service of MIA of Ukraine. A 12-year old girl was also injured.

Shelling eyewitnesses say that the fire was from Stary Krym town. They filmed Mariupol shooting.

“About three houses are on fire. They attacked shooting from Stary Krym, the SSU people. This is the first time Mariupol houses are hit. As you see, Ukrainians were firing. We are horrified,” one of the city locals says commenting the video.

The Prosecutor’s Office of Donetsk oblast qualifies this incident to be an act of terrorism. In its turn, Donetsk People’s Republic calls the shelling a provocation and says that they do not have artillery powerful enough to strike Mariupol areas.

The OSCE observers are working in Mariupol at the moment, they are going to deliver report about Saturday incident.”

LifeNews, 24.01.2015

“Mariupol locals call shelling a provocation of Ukrainian Army

Ukrainian forces accused militants of firing at the eastern suburbs of the city but DPR disclaim the very fact of shell-fire.

Units of DPR army are moving towards Mariupol. Today Ukrainian forces accused militant of shooting residential houses and reported about civilian victims. DPR ministry of defense denies these accusations. Mariupol locals told LifeNews that the eastern outskirts with the Ukrainian Army’s road-block were shelled but the servicemen had left a few hours before shooting.

According to a local Aleksandr the situation seems like being planned.

– They wanted to spark a massive outcry to poison people’s mind against the ours, against militants. At first we thought it was by mistake but then we understood that it was deliberate. Those Banderites… were passing by our windows. And then they turned around and moved back, the man said.”

Zvezda, 24.01.2015

“Ukrainian Army smashed its own brigade near Mariupol

Armed Forces of Ukraine shelled their own column of 28^th mechanized brigade near Mariupol. Information agency ‘Novorossiya’ reported this on Saturday referring to the statement of DPR’s deputy defense minister Eduard Basurin.

“At about 02:00 pm having mistaken the column of 18^th battalion, 28^th Ukrainian mechanized brigade, moving nearby Vynogradne in the eastern outskirts of Mariupol, for a subdivision of DPR army, the enemy’s artillery shelled it,” Basurin told during the briefing to journalists adding that lately the Ukrainian Army had intensified their artillery efforts in Mariupol direction without preliminary investigation of targets.

Moreover, according to Basurin, as a result of wrong target indication by Ukrainian gunnery spotters the missiles of Ukrainian Army hit the residential area of Vostochny (Eastern) micro-district causing 10 civilians dead. Deputy defense minister of DPR underlined that the shelling was from Berdinskoye, in the western outskirts of Mariupol with important presence of Ukrainian Army near the city airport, and they had ‘GRAD’ systems.”

LifeNews, 25.01.2015 20:36

“Basurin disclaimed information of militants’ offensive against Mariupol

Deputy defense minister said during the briefing that he would welcome the decision of Ukrainian forces to leave the city.

Deputy defense minister of DPR Eduard Basurin said that according to his information there had not been any offensive against Mariupol.

Channel One, News, 25.01.2015, 21:00

“Ultimate fighting – aggravation in Donbas

This week had terrible news from Ukraine again. Dramatic aggravation in Donbas, as locals say, this is for the first time during the whole conflict, the situation is getting worse. Horlivka with continuous 3-day shelling and Mariupol with 30 dead last day must be the hottest spots.

This week the “Normandy quartet” came to agreement that the parties should return to the boundaries set by Minsk agreement but the parties did everything the wrong way round intentionally. And there are victims again, civilian losses. 15 persons got killed in Donetsk downtown as a result of mortar fire. It killed those waiting at the bus station and going by trolleybus on the firing line. DPR’s authorities claim that it was provocation of Ukrainian forces, and Kyiv says that these were militants who brought down fire.

All these months since the start of so called anti-terrorist operation in the south-east, Mariupol was on a knife-edge. Saturday morning shells hit residential areas. Dozens of dead and injured. Official Kyiv was so hasty to call it an attack of militants that many would say that the statement nearly outran the first shots. And the locals saw where the shots came from. Stary Krym is in 12 km from Mariupol. It is controlled by Ukrainian servicemen. According to militants, Ukrainian forces were shelling their positions and apparently hit the city by accident.

The reportage of Mariupol TV-channel accidentally shows a military who does not speak Ukrainian. A man speaking American English did not want to get into the shot. And another native speaker of the same language with chevron of “Azov” battalion on a sleeve is discussing with cameraman if the malfunctional shell is going to explode or not.

Foreign weapon has been already seen in the conflict area but the very foreigners have not been detected so far. Who knows what they are and what they are doing here. But if one remembers a recent visit to Kyiv of Gen. Ben Hodges, head of Allied Land Command, the pieces of puzzle get together. Every time after such meetings involving high-ranking American servicemen the combat actions intensify. And shelling of residential areas of Mariupol does not seem to be that accidental any longer.

Russia, Vesti, 25.01.2015, 10:00

“Ukrainian forces firing Donetsk. Mercenaries protecting Mariupol.

Ukrainian Army is making new attacks. People get killed, buildings are demolished in cities. Sunday morning, 25 January, in Donetsk broke out with artillery volleys. According to DPR’s data, shells hit Kuybyshevksy and Kirovsky districts. One of them stroke the Church of the Annunciation. The buildings of Sunday school and neighbor structures have the windows broken.

Similar situation can be observed in Makeevka, Donetsk’s satellite town. Gvardeiskiy community has houses destroyed and people injured. The precise information about the number of victims is still to come. 5 civilians got killed and at least 7 were wounded in Horlivka yesterday. Damaged high-voltage lines, dead filtration stations, interrupted gas supply, no electricity and water.

Several minutes after they had learned about shelling of Mariupol, news camera crew came to the site. A journalist unexpectedly had video evidence that foreign mercenaries fight for Ukrainian armed forces. And one of them did not want to have his face on camera.

Saturday, 24 January, at least 30 persons got killed in Mariupol shelling. Over a hundred have wounds of various degrees of severity. According to the OSCE, the city has suffered about 19 missile strikes. The nature of shell craters signifies that the city was attacked with ‘GRAD’ and ‘URAGAN’ rocket systems. Kyiv accuses militants of shelling. The DPR representatives say that they do not have artillery systems in that area, as ‘Russia 24’ channel reports.”

Russia, Vesti, 25.01.2015, 21:00

“DPR: there was no attack on Mariupol

Ministry of defense of self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic denies militant’s attack on Mariupol. Head of ministry’s political department Eduard Basurin claimed that ‘there was no attack on Mariupol at all’.”

NTV, News, 25.01.2015

“Pushylin: Kyiv’s forces fired at Mariupol to get USA involved in negotiations

DPR state that Mariupol shelling by Ukrainian forces is Kyiv’s provocation aimed to change the format of negotiations on Donbas situation settlement.

Denis Pushylin, representative of Donetsk People’s Republic: ‘We saw what happened in Mariupol. This is another attempt to accuse the militants casting them in a negative light. They start having declarations to actually turn Minsk format negotiations into Geneva one and involve the USA.”

According to Pushylin, Mariupol shelling having taken 30 lives last Saturday is a provocation of Ukrainian side. Pushylin states that this is a response of Ukrainian army to the defeat near Donetsk, as cited by TASS.”

The monitoring is carried out by NGO “Тelekrytyka” supported by the USAID funding provided through the ‘Internews Network’.