Photo Gallery Simmering Distrust
A bronze statue of Lenin toppled in the main square in the city of Slovyansk is currently laying, face down in the ground, near the local dog pound. "In the 25 years of Ukrainian independence, Kiev has not yet done anything for us here," claims local Mayor Vadim Lyakh.
The Ukrainian government is trying to reach out to eastern Ukrainians in areas recaptured from the separatists with a television station that is broadcast from a former bookshop in the town of Kramatorsk.
A Ukrainian military vehicle travels near Avdiivka, which is held by the government. Ukrainian politician Heorhiy Tuka, the former governor of Luhansk before rebels occupied it, says: "Earlier, I was in favor of a strict blockade of separatist areas. But now I think the blockade is a mistake. We should have extended our hand to the people there early on. Now they eat Russian sausage, drink Russian water and pay with rubles."
