The topic of "intra" enemies of the "DPR" has recently become perhaps the most popular topic in the separatist information space. The quintessence was interview of the former chairman of the " People's Council of the DPR" Andrey Purgin. He said in his conversation with the correspondent of Svobodnaya Pressa that there were pro-Ukrainian agents in government offices of the "DPR".
"It's not even about Ukrainian secret service but the fact that we have formed a layer of people who visited all Western grant structures for the years of independence. We have a huge number of officials that received Western grants. These are the people of yesterday who should not have powers. They are more organized. It allowed them to displace gradually the so-called revolutionary element. They cannot be directly called agents, but they are such due to ideological views: they honour Ukraine, but under other flags. Ukraine is not partially nazi state with misanthropic ideology, but also a certain system that is built by agents of influence. I will not say names, it is not so important, I will say something else: I am amazed that some of the former officials of the Party of Regions held about 40 major events in 2013 on the introduction of European integration in Donbass, trampling all the pro-Russian organizations and even allowed to have Russophobic statements. And today they are quite well-known public figures in the republic and teach us patriotism. This is insanity,"- told Purgin.
To continue the topic of internal squabbles, he said that recently conference with his participation in the "LPR" was torn up. MSS officers blocked the entrance to the city. He called the situation to be "normal for our lives today."
"In my point of view, it means two things. Firstly, we have too many law enforcement agencies, they have too much power and receive too much money. Secondly, the MSS is degrading as a structure," - said Purgin.
He complained that they hardly managed to celebrate the recent anniversary of the Donetsk-Krivoy Rog Republic in the DPR and celebration of the Day of Russian Unity was cancelled in 2015. "However, in early March they celebrated the birthday of Shevchenko pompously," - he added.
Andrey Purgin also said that he saw no prospects for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Donbass.
"The situation reached a deadlock. The civil conflict can not be solved completely in a peaceful way. In addition, our enemy is purposefully building an anti-Russian state and is not going to turn away from this path. In Ukraine, they almost openly carry out segregation of the population. I don’t know how to negotiate with them."
Another attack on militant Mikhail Tolstoy "Givi" shows dangerous twists and turns of the internal affairs of the "DPR". On April 6th Novorossia news agency reported about that with reference to some "militia" Yegor Donetsk. According to him, an explosive device went off at the moment when Givi’s car drove past. He hardly survived. The militant unexpectedly ordered to change the route.
"At night from Saturday to Sunday "explosive device went off with the alleged purpose of neutralization of the commander" on the route in the area of PPD (point of permanent deployment – OstroV) of Somali group, - quoted the news agency his words.
According to Donetsk, assassination performer did not have skills needed to finish it "successfully". "As a result, we have frightened population, a hole in the asphalt and a destroyed parked car," - he said.
Well-known separatist blogger Boris Rozhin notes that Givi survived only due to his intuition in the last assassination attempt which was also in Krasnogvardeysk, Makeyevka district. In addition, Rozhin wrote that Givi was attacked because of redistribution of power and long-time "brawls" with local gangsters.
"Last year his car was fired on the outskirts of Makeyevka. It also showed lack of attackers’ professionalism. The reasons for the attempt as it seems are connected with Makeyevka deals, where Givi crossed local gangsters’ path last year, as well as participated in reformatting the local commandant's office," - said Rozhin.
Russkaya Planeta reminded of previous high-profile attempts on "separatists" who, in the opinion of the editorial board, are also associated with the redistribution of power in the "republic".
"On July 14th, 2015 unknown blew up the car of Elena Filippova - secretary of the head of the DPR Alexander Zakharchenko in Donetsk. The seriously wounded woman was taken to hospital. On May 23rd that year three cars were attacked in which militia commander of Prizrak brigade Alexey Mozgovoy was driving with security on the Perevalsk - Luhansk highway. At first, mine exploded and was followed by a group of shots with machine guns. As a result of the assassination, seven people were killed including Mozgovoy and his press secretary.
In March 2015 unknown also fired at Somali commander Tolstykh in Makeyevka, as reported by LifeNews. On February 17th, 2015 Zakharchenko was wounded in Debaltsevo where he was running across one of the central streets of the city during a firefight. He was reported to receive a bullet wound in the ankle. A few days before, powerful explosions took place near Zakharchenko’s place of residence in Donetsk. Three mines exploded near the place where the head of the DPR was to meet with reporters. As a result of the explosions, two people were killed and four others were injured," – reported Russkaya Planeta.
How is it in "gay Europe"?
Despite the fact that there are enough information events in the "DPR" itself, the topic of the relationship between Ukraine and the West is a priority topic among the separatists. Last week there was a series of articles like "Ukraine was eaten for breakfast".
Olga Talova writes in her article "Honeymoon" of Ukraine and the United States comes to an end" for Russian Spring newspaper that the United States is allegedly trying to distance itself from Ukraine and pretend that it does not know where this country is.
"The more often Poroshenko goes to the United States, the less "brotherly ties" are between Kiev and Washington. Barack Obama didn’t accept the President of Ukraine, didn’t give money to Kiev, but only promised loans under the guarantee, during Valtsman’s visit the New York Times published a squelcher about corruption in Ukraine which has become a symbol of the new postmaydan authorities. Former US Ambassador to Ukraine Herbst even stated publicly that the "US influence on Ukraine is greatly exaggerated". Soon Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk won’t be recognized anymore, let alone revolutionists and voluntarily punishers. Like, it's not our shit, here we will cover it with sand," – assured Talova.
Then Talova refers to the words of Ukrainian political analyst Alexey Yakubin who allegedly confirmed her theory that the US was trying to distance from the Ukrainian problems.
According to him, the situation looks very strange, when the president of an independent country is consulting on the formation of a new government of his country with the head of another state. In America, there is more and more a tendency to isolate from Ukrainian affairs. Since Ukraine is too far away from them, their interests are not here, so let Ukraine decide how to live on its own. And we did everything we could, nothing depends on us anymore," - predicts the analyst. He is sure: the more we see a trend of distancing from Ukrainian affairs, the more America will move away from our authorities. In other words, "the United States will not use their legitimacy to provide Ukraine with political support officially," - summarized the article.
Journalist Yuriy Selivanov also continued the topic of "Ukrainian disappointment in Western partners" in his article "In the manual mode" for News Front agency. As Olga Talova’s article, the written text was quickly replicated in the separatist public servers in social networks.
"President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko’s visit to the United States left a mixed impression. At first glance - it was a serious failure. The Ukrainian seeker for American favour, who arrived at the so-called "nuclear security summit", was literally kept in a waiting room until the last minute, avoiding ritual kissing the hands of Washington locum tenens. Taking into account the fact that Kiev has five very troubled nuclear power plants, not to mention that Chernobyl poses a real threat to nuclear security. Thus, it became clear that the summit has absolutely nothing to do with its topic and selection of order and duration of Obama’s rendezvous was dictated solely by considerations of high policy. It makes us to draw the conclusion that Washington is not interested in Poroshenko," - said Selivanov.
The separatists did not miss Dutch referendum on the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement. However, this topic was not covered as actively as Poroshenko's visit to the United States. In general, they published small stinging texts about the "complete failure of the Ukrainian European integration". Based on the citation of materials on the given topic, the most popular of these was the report of known adept of the Russian world Vladimir Kornilov who was in Amsterdam on April 6th.
"Well, I will not say that there is a significant hype - it is not like undemocratic referendum in the DPR where people stood in one-kilometer line to separate from Ukraine. In Old Europe not so many people go to the democratic referendum. Somewhere electoral commission were frankly sleeping. But as experienced members of the election commission told, the voters turnout for the first half of the day is quite comparable to the usual Dutch elections. Somewhere they even said: "We expected lower turnout."
Many of our fellow citizens will be surprised to see how the voting stations in the Netherlands look. It can be a tent or kiosk. It can be any shop. I was particularly impressed by voting in the back shop of Marks & Spencer (oh, hands of Ukrainian decommunization haven’t reached this Marksist shop to rename it!):
It happened that I upset unwittingly two lovely girls during my visits to voting stations. One of them, knowing that I am an owner of the Ukrainian paSsport, was terribly pleased and began to report to me: You have no idea how much we have been working for you today! And when I told her politely that, in fact, I was against the agreement, she was speechless and her tired eyes welled up. I can imagine that she thought, "Oh, these ungrateful Ukrainians. We have been working for them and they…" When she voted. I asked what she had given her vote for (it is not forbidden by law). When she answered "yes" and asked for my opinion, I said that I was, of course, against that as I was from Donetsk that was bombed by the Ukrainian troops. She was frankly shocked: "How Ukrainians?! I heard that Russian army bombed the Ukrainian cities." When I explained her the situation at the front, she looked terribly upset and apologized long, explaining that she wouldn’t be able to revote," - said Kornilov
Non-competitive Zakharchenko
In contrast to the "Ukrainian aspirations for European integration", the head of the self-proclaimed "DPR" Alexander Zakharchenko said that the Russian Spring was an "alternative to the current world order." He said that in his interview with the Makeyevka rabochiy newspaper captured by separatists as of March 31st. Responding to a question what the Russian Spring is for him, he replied as follows:
"For me it is the beginning of the process of revival of Russia as a world leader and a global alternative to the current world order. The name “Russian Spring” itself means promises to revive," - said Zakharchenko. In his opinion, it is supposedly "a new world order".
"Russia repeatedly offered the world a new world order. Russian Spring is one of the models of such a world order. It's a different world order," - assured Zakharchenko.
Apparently Zakharchenko will be allowed to be the leader of the "DPR" till 2018 for pathos and poetry in the definition of Russian Spring. Anyway, Aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin Vladislav Surkov, who is known as the curator of the self-proclaimed republics in Donbass, expressed confidence that leaders of the so-called "DPR" and "LPR" Alexander Zakharchenko and Igor Plotnitsky would keep their "posts" till the termination of the "powers term". It was told by director of the Center for Current Politics Alexey Chesnakov, who was present at the meeting of Surkov with experts, as reported by Russkaya Planeta with the reference to RIA Novosti. According to Chesnakov, Aide Surkov announced the following position:
"Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky got the mandate of heads of republics at direct people’s elections. Their term will be over only in 2018. Before the end of this period, they will be sure to work. Moreover, according to opinion polls, the current heads of the DPR and LPR obviously may raise the question on the re-election for the second term."
Chesnakov also noted that the information on options for uniting the self-proclaimed "LPR" and "DPR" and appointment of Ukrainian governors there was "stuffing".
Despite Surkov’s words, Vostok batallion headed by Alexander Khodakovsky obviously does not want to wait until 2018. It was reported on the group page in social networks that the last moments of preparation and processing of documents incriminating Zakharchenko are almost over. Incriminating documents must be submitted soon and "it will be the real funeral of the "DPR" leader, as militants say.
"The documents will relate to committing serious criminal offenses by Zakharchenko and his entourage. My patience is over! Great initiative was fucked up by cynical scoundrels, who got power. No more games of intrigue and disassembly. And if I hadn’t been killed before, I have nothing to be afraid of now. You’ll get to know all the details,"- said the brigade statement.
Vostok believes that after the publication of damaging information there will be a new leader in the "DPR" and "republic" will finally find a worthy man, not a thief, a murderer and a criminal."
However, later Khodakovsky said that the post was fabricated.
"I assure you, none of us needs any exposures, everything that we are doing wrong or good is in sight. It’s simply impossible to hide anything in a small area - everything becomes public, but almost never officially," - wrote the militant.
Review prepared by Ruslan Biryukov, OstroV