A Tale of Two Cities

"A year ago, after 400 riot policemen had savagely beaten 300 students on Maidan, this church became the first refuge for the injured."
"These events have forever carved themselves into my heart."
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, Kyiv

"[An] escalation of military activities has aggravated the security situation in the region, and led to increased uncertainty and fear among the population."
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 

A convoy of military trucks without license plate number on Nov. 11, 2014 on a main road East of Donetsk. AFP

"Over 60 trucks carrying more than 800 tonnes of humanitarian cargo have come to Donetsk."
"They are carrying over 400 tonnes of humanitarian aid, mostly construction materials and food products."
"All the drivers - rescuers, who have delivered the cargo, feel well. The trucks are in good conditions."
Oleg Voronov, representative, Russian Emergency Situation Ministry

Tass   "The cargo is mostly construction materials and food products as well as cargo for work of 'socially important facilities'"

"In Donetsk as always shooting, the roar of guns heard, and there is a hard fight in the airport since yesterday – AFU trying to counterattack, but it does not work. From Lugansk reported that there is 'hot', too – there are fights on the southern outskirts of Stanitsa Luganskaya, near the town of Schastye. Strange War is on for the third month: massive attacks, counterattacks and sabotage operations are conducted almost every day, every day several civilians are killed and at the same time someone have the heart to call it a truce. Personnel now, to put it mildly, is very unhappy that the command does not start the offensive, for which there have long been powers and equipment. In summer we drove Ukrainian army away bare hands, with RPGs and CKC, and now we have tanks self-propelled guns, and Grads, and not in nominal amounts as in August, and we just stand with all this potential on-site and allow to shoot at ourselves, occasionally snapping with response fire, which we are allowed to carry on as a sop 'for the army not to rebel.' In general, I think that this situation cannot obviously continue for a long time."

Message from militiaman with the call sign "Zubr"

Obviously the ceasefire negotiated in Minsk, Belarus on September 5 was a bogus one. Ukraine and the EU and NATO place the responsibility for ongoing hostilities on Russia, having stoked the conflict. Over ten thousand people have been wounded, over 4,300 killed during the months of conflict. The European Union has extended asset freezes and travel bans to an additional thirteen individuals and five entities involved in actions against Ukraine.

And Moscow proudly provided additional "humanitarian aid" to the Donetsk and Luhansk east Ukraine, even while Kyiv marks the first anniversary of the events that propelled President Viktor Yankovych to flee the country. In the convoy were over 1,200 tonnes of cargo made up of construction materials, clothing and medicines. State television channel Rossiya 24 reported the success of the mission on Sunday.

So successful that Moscow is considering assembling yet another such aid column according to the Tass news service, citing Oleg Voronov, representative of the Emergency Situations Ministry. Ukraine's claims are that the missions help to channel arms and supplies to the pro-Russian rebels. And given the proudly confident recitation of the list of the arsenal in the possession of the rebels by the one calling himself Zubr, Ukraine's claims are fully justified.

The two breakaway regions are indeed suffering a humanitarian plight of shortages, since the government in Kyiv cut off funding and services. Why in the name of all that's intelligently sensible would Ukraine continue funding and offering services to a region under the domination of secessionists, after all? The victims in all of this, needless to say, are those who are suffering in those regions who have no real say in who represents their interests, under the circumstances.

Let alone the hundreds of thousands who have fled from the conflict, to be become refugees, hoping they might be able, at some future time, to return to their homes. According to UN estimates, over a million people are now internally displaced, or have sought haven in neighbouring countries to escape the fighting in eastern Ukraine. Another 5.2 million remain in the areas of conflict, with scarcity of fuel and food their lot.