Eastern Ukrainian city divided over Russia ties

After Crimea's vote to join Russia, opinions are starkly divided in the eastern city of Donetsk, home of ousted President Viktor Yanukovych. Duration: 02:21

Published

12 months ago

Categories

World

Topics

Politics & Government, Security, Europe, International Relations

People

Vladimir Putin, Viktor Yanukovych

Places

Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kiev, Donetsk

Transcript

SCRIPT: The Russian flag flying in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The city has an ethnic Russian majority, and demands for a Crimea-style referendum here have raised fears Ukraine could further splinter. Tensions in the city have calmed after recent protests and violence, but emotions are still running high. SOUNDBITE 1 Oleksiy Gavrilko (man), Donetsk resident (Russian, 14 sec): "In my country there was a coup, our president was forcibly removed from power and threatened. There was an attempt to kill him, so that's why he fled to Russia. The armed junta make up their own rules." Thousands of pro-Russian protesters held demonstrations here on Sunday, with some forcing their way into government buildings. Pro-Ukraine supporters say they have decided to withdraw from street protest after one of their members was stabbed to death last Thursday at a pro-Moscow rally. But they believe they are in the majority. SOUNDBITE 2 Alexei Matsuka (man), Head of News of "Donbas News" (24 sec, Russian) : "If the question is do you support a friendly relationship with Russia, most of the people will say yes. But if you put the question like do you want Donbas as a territory of Russian Federation, the vast majority of people will say no to this. They would want to stay as a part of the state of Ukraine and won't support the break-up of our country." Donetsk is the capital of the Donbas region and the home of the outsted President Viktor Yanukovych. The pro-Russia camp also look back longingly at the stability of the area's coal industry under the Soviet Union. But the city has more recently thrived as a business centre. SOUNDBITE 3 Alex Ryabchyn (man), economist, Donetsk National University (English, 16 sec): "The middle class, the bourgeois, the creative class, who are able to take responsibility for their lives, who are thinking about democratic values, the values of freedom, they don't want to join Russia because there's much more opportunity they see in this country." Russian President Vladimir Putin has denied Russia has any plans to annex eastern Ukraine but with Russian troops massed on the border the new government in Kiev is not taking any chances. It has announced the mobilisation of troops, seen training here, to protect the country from possible Russian incursions. SHOTLIST: DONETSK, UKRAINE, MARCH 18, 2014, SOURCE: AFPTV -CU of Russian flag flying in the city's central Lenin Square -VAR of square with small gathering of pro-Russian supporters beneath statue of Lenin -SOUNDBITE 1 Oleksiy Gavrilko (man), Donetsk resident and pro-Russian supporter DONETSK, UKRAINE, MARCH 16, 2014, SOURCE: AFPTV -VAR pro-Russian supporters demonstrating in Lenin Square -VAR pro-Russians invading headquarters of Special Services DONETSK, UKRAINE, MARCH 17, 2014, SOURCE: AFPTV -VAR headquarters of pro-Ukraine news website 'Ostrov' -VAR headquarters of 'Donbas News' -SOUNDBITE 2 Alexei Matsuka (man), Head of News of "Donbas News" DONETSK, UKRAINE, MARCH 18, 2014, SOURCE: AFPTV -VAR GVs of Donetsk KIEV, MARCH 17, 2014, SOURCE: AFPTV -VAR military training outside the capital after parliament agrees mobilisation of troops