
Arkadiy Babchenko is a member of nearly extinct species – a Russian
journalist trying to make sense of situation in Eastern Ukraine
without giving fan service to official position of Russian
government. He is not afraid of asking honest questions and of being
beaten up for it. Sticking to ethical principles made him a pariah of
russian journalism. His work is published in his blog and is
supported by donations from the readers. Many used his blog for
reference; many others branded him a “national traitor” because
of it. Arkadiy kept us informed on Second Chechen War, war in
Georgia, revolution in Kyrgyzstan and protests in Turkey.
He also was at Maidan in 2013 and 2014.
(Interview via Anastasiya Ryngis)
Q: What is the difference between the situation in Slovyansk and the conflicts you have worked on before?
A: All wars are the same. Nobody notices how and when exactly they start. Nobody is taking it seriously and everyone is saying that the “shootings” will end very soon and the war will not really happen. And then the conflict spins out of control and a full-scale war is on our hands. The only thing that stands out in Slovyansk is the real effort Ukrainian Army puts into avoiding the civilian casualties. I saw this with my own eyes and it is really out of ordinary.
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