Eastern Ukraine
The Rise and Fall of Eastern Ukraine's All-Pagan Battalion
The group fought against the Ukrainian Army until their commander was thrown in jail in November by the Donetsk People's Republic, the Russian-aligned government he was fighting alongside.
Beauty Amid the Chaos: The Donetsk Opera Offers Relief to a City in the Grip of War
Residents of the rebel-held city flock to the Donetsk Opera and Ballet Theater on weekends in search of respite from the reality of life within a conflict zone.
Food Crisis in Eastern Ukraine: Russian Roulette (Dispatch 103)
Deliveries of food bound for separatist-held areas of eastern Ukraine aren’t making it past Ukrainian checkpoints. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky travels to the front lines in the Donbas to gauge the seriousness of the growing food crisis.
Russian Soldiers Have Given Up Pretending They Are Not Fighting in Ukraine
Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin have repeatedly denied that their soldiers are in Ukraine, arguing that the Russians who are fighting there are all volunteers.
Secret Protestant Churches in Donetsk: Ukraine's Religious War
In Donetsk, Protestants are being persecuted by Russian Orthodox separatists, forced to conduct their Sunday services in secret. VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky investigates.
Putin Parties Down with Pop Singers at Rally Celebrating Anniversary of Crimea Annexation
The carefully stage-managed patriotic display included Putin singing the national anthem as some in the crowd enthusiastically chanted his name.
Russian Roulette (Dispatch 101)
VICE News travels to the bomb-ridden remains of Donetsk Airport, where Ukrainian prisoners of war are being ordered to dig out the bodies of their fallen comrades, under the command of pro-Russia separatists.
Russian Roulette (Dispatch 100)
In this dispatch from Ukraine, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky explores the strategic significance of Mariupol to the conflict in eastern Ukraine.
Russian Roulette (Dispatch 99)
In the latest dispatch from Ukraine, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky embeds with the Azov Battalion as they prepare for the defense of the eastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol
Russian Roulette (Dispatch 98)
In the latest dispatch from Ukraine, VICE News correspondent Simon Ostrovsky attends a beauty pageant for the female fighting contingent of the DNR.
Video Shows Moment of Deadly Explosion at Peace March in Eastern Ukraine
Footage shows a panicked crowd scattering after a large blast caused by a bomb that was tossed out the window of a car in the eastern city of Kharkiv.
Inside Rebel-Held Uglegorsk: Russian Roulette (Dispatch 94)
VICE News crossed into the DNR-held territory of Uglegorsk on the eve of the February 15 ceasefire to speak with soldiers and residents about the prospect of a truce.