SOTT FOCUS: 'Winning hearts and minds' in Eastern Ukraine: Mother and daughter's deaths at hands of drunken soldiers sparks riots in Kiev-held territory

The 8 year-old girl killed in Konstantinovka on March 16, 2015

Two days ago, on March 16th, a Ukrainian tank ran over a mother and her two children as they stood on a sidewalk in the Donetsk town of Konstantinovka, 55 km from Donetsk city. The girl, Polina, was killed instantly. The woman apparently died later in hospital. The Ukie soldiers driving the tank were apparently drunk. The girl's death prompted riots in the town - the first big revolt behind Kiev's front line since the Odessa massacre. Right Sektor thugs have been sent in to 'restore order'.

The rioters demanded the soldiers be brought to justice. That's unlikely. Justice is a foreign concept to the Ukrainian regime. Minister of Internal Affairs Anton Gerashenko responded by announcing that soldiers will 'shoot to kill':

If someone in Kostantinovka with arms in their hands will protest against the laws of the Ukrainian authorities, using this accident to instigate mass clashes, then first one warning shot will be made, and then they will shoot to kill. If there is no time to give a warning, they will be shooting to kill immediately. Nobody is allowed to undermine the Ukrainian government with arms on the territory of Ukraine.

Kiev forbade protests, but around 100 people gathered at the site of Polina's death with toys and flowers. Kiev called them "associates of the terrorists".

[embedded content]

The riots lasted all day and night. Rioters burned tires and Ukrainian military vehicles (which are in a somewhat 'depleted' state after the losses at Debaltsevo), set fires outside School #7, which was used as barracks and ammo storage, set fire to police cars, threw rocks, screaming "Shame! Get out!" and other chants:

• "Burn the occupants, like they burned the people in Odessa!"


• "Chase the Bandera bastards to Kiev!"

Kazzura has compiled footage showing the progression of events from the time of the girl's death to the nighttime riots:

[embedded content]

Clearly the 'liberators' of Ukraine are being seen for what they are: occupiers. Sentiments are somewhat different among Ukrainian 'patriots' (naturally, some even blamed Putin and the FSB for 'organizing' this 'provocation'):

• "The crowd is setting the dorms on fire!"


• "Burn the !" (Russians)


• "Where are the cops?"


• "Why are they not shooting at [Russian] bastards? Where is our pride? Death to the blue-faced slaves!"


• "They are not human!"

The video below, from Novorossiyan news outlet South Front, translates some more of these disgusting comments:

[embedded content]

The riots in response to Polina's death are understandable. Konstantinovka has been occupied by Kiev for months now, and resentment toward the occupiers has been brewing. Polina's senseless death was the catalyst for residents to vent their rising anger toward Kiev and blow off steam. This was no organized uprising. 'Colonel Cassad' writes:

The Right Sector militants and highly motivated military forces were brought into the city, after which the sweep and arrests followed. Without having sufficient amount of weapons and ammunition, the spontaneous riot was doomed. Nevertheless, these protests showed that the occupation regime is based on naked violence and if the junta will suffer a military defeat then our soldiers will be met as liberators in the settlements where the junta regime will be removed.

The morning after the riots, Konstantinovka was a ghost town, the residents hiding in their homes in fear of being arrested. The 'organizers' of the riots were allegedly identified by regional police and around 150 Right Sector thugs were sent in. The punitive forces went door to door making arrests, identifying people with 'protest sentiments'. No doubt that is only going to further endear Kiev's fascists in the hearts and minds of the people of Konstantinovka.

In response to Kiev's actions, the DPR has raised the possibility of launching an offensive on the town if Ukrainian security forces take further reprisals against its civilians. According to the Donetsk People's Republic, the people there are citizens of the DPR, thus they live in temporarily occupied territory. Crimes against civilians are against the law and a direct violation of the Minsk ceasefire. DPR Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Purgin said:

Civil administration has been suspended in parts of Donetsk region, occupied by Ukrainian forces, such as Konstantinovka. Those drunk soldiers, who struck a woman with kids, are the authorities. Ukraine has pushed the Minsk deadlines by a week unilaterally. We had moved from 3 to 4 clashes per day to 20, and now sometimes to 50. We are balancing on the brink. During open hostilities in January we had 120-170 clashes per day. Provocations with run-over children and mass arrests don't help the situation.

Last POW exchange we got four mothers of militia men, who were jailed. We don't have political prisoners, Ukraine gives us mostly political prisoners. During the exchange of 156 Ukrainian POW's, 32 prisoners out of 227 were from the militia. There are thousands of people arrested for political reasons in Ukraine.

How fitting that the Kiev driver was drunk - the whole Ukrainian military is out of its senses: poorly trained, irresponsible, and - riddled with fascist elements - somewhat less than human. They torture civilians, rape women and kill children. Here's another fine example of Ukrainian Armed Forces driving:

[embedded content]

The people in the still-occupied regions of east Ukraine are not happy. They are under military occupation, subject to the whims of psychopaths like those in Right Sector, and would be happier as part of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics. Just watch the video below, which interviews residents of Slavyansk:

[embedded content]

This latest incident comes as Kiev continues to violate the Minsk agreements. Poroshenko says Kiev has fulfilled all relevant Minsk requirements. Bullshit.

[embedded content]

Kiev missed the deadline for adopting new laws regarding the Republics' self-government, has refused to engage in dialogue with their leaders ("because they were not elected in Ukrainian elections"), and has made statements that the army will "bring order" to the regions. In the Ukrainian Rada (parliament), Andrey Parubiy said: "The [Russian] occupier will be forced to capitulate, or will be destroyed by the Ukrainian army!" Speaker Vladimir Groysman: "No special status or authority, not provided for in the Constitution." Deputy Yuri Lutsenko: "The laws do not give any concessions to the terrorists." Lyashko and Tymoshenko refused to even vote on the proposed laws.

Given the above, Zakharchenko and Polotnitsky's response is fitting:

"By refusing to give Donbass its special status, Kiev shattered the fragile Minsk peace and drove the situation into a dead-end. Poroshenko and Yatsenyuk cynically laughed at their partners from the EU, who wasted so many efforts for these negotiations. The leaders of the DPR and the LPR say that no compromise with Kiev is possible until yesterday's decisions by Poroshenko and the Verkhovnaya Rada are cancelled."

The announcement also notes that Kiev does not want peace, but rather tries to destroy Donbass using violence and the economic blockade. The leaders of the DPR and the LPR used this statement to express their discontent with the amendments made by the Verkhovnaya Rada for the law about the special status of Donbass, which were passed earlier. According to this statement, the amendments only list those settlements that mark the separation line and don't list every district, city, town, and village in which the special status must be enacted, which is demanded by Article 1 of the Law of Ukraine about the special status.

Besides, the changes that were not agreed with the DPR and the LPR were introduced into the law. These changes set the conditions for holding the local elections in Donbass. Zakharchenko and Plotnitsky also expressed their discontent with the fact that the enactment of special status in certain districts of Donbass by Poroshenko's amendments has been delayed for an indefinite period of time. This, says the statement, roughly violates Point 4 of the complex of measures [for the implementation of the Minsk agreements].

Any way you look at it, Ukraine is finished as a nation, whether from economic collapse or military defeat. They have no support from the east (even those 'liberated' regions on their side of the demarcation line). It's only a matter of time. Unfortunately, things will probably only get a lot worse before they get better.

Harrison Koehli

Harrison Koehli hails from Edmonton, Alberta. A graduate of studies in music performance, Harrison is also an editor for Red Pill Press and has been interviewed on several North American radio shows in recognition of his contributions to advancing the study of ponerology. In addition to music and books, Harrison enjoys tobacco and bacon (often at the same time) and dislikes cell phones, vegetables, and fascists.