The magazine of the art-form of the photo-essay
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March 2015 back issue
by Juan Teixeira
The zone surrounding Donetsk is chaotic. Separatists fight, tooth and nail, against the troops of the Ukrainian army.
The civilians have fled, en masse, from the most dangerous areas, while others try to resume their normal lives in the
midst of a conflict that has left more than 5,000 dead.
Donetsk International Airport - a battleground between forces of the Ukrainian government and Separatists.
The commander of the Somalia Battalion, ‘Givi’, directs the troops fighting at the airport.
The Somalia Battalion is one of the main separatist forces in Donetsk.
Most of the soldiers fighting in the Somalia Battalion are local youth.
All civilians have been evacuated from the area surrounding the airport due to fighting.
A soldier stands guard near the airport.
Many houses have been destroyed or damaged by the fierce struggle, and others have become interim bases for the
soldiers.
The area around the airport is a shooting field for snipers.
The troops spend their time as they can between fights.
The church near to the airport has been badly damaged by fighting.
Inside the church, the Donetsk troops have a checkpoint.
Tempers are high.
The soldiers of the RPD have good weapons, the origin of which is a source of controversy.
A soldier prepares before heading out to cover his position.
Two soldiers on patrol near the airport.
‘Krest’, one of the commanders of the Vostok Battalion, at a gas station destroyed during the conflict with Ukrainian
troops.
Many civilians have been killed in the vicinity of the airport. Today, the vast majority have fled their homes.
Alksandra and Zinaida, two elderly people who cannot flee the area and barely survive in the basement of his house
amidst the bombing. The civilian population, as usual, suffers most during the conflict.
