On The DNR Frontline: Ukraine's Failed Ceasefire (Part 1)

Overview

It's been five months since the second ceasefire was agreed between the Ukrainian government and the Russian-backed separatists of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DNR). But this truce, much like the first, has not brought an end to the fighting. Only a few days after this ceasefire was agreed, the DNR took the strategically important rail town of Debaltseve, trashing any hopes for a lasting ceasefire in the process. Since then, fighting has been constant. Dozens, possibly hundreds of civilians and soldiers have been killed, and serious efforts to get the peace agreement back on track have failed. In late June, VICE News traveled back to eastern Ukraine to get a firsthand look at how it's business as usual for soldiers and civilians on both sides of the frontline.