ETV in Ukraine: Distrust Plagues Recaptured Areas
ETV “Ringvaade” reporter Jüri Muttika visited eastern Ukraine recently, and said areas controlled by the Ukrainian government are unsafe at night as there is great distrust between soldiers, locals and the police.
Volunteer soldiers fighting for the government told ETV that they cannot trust the police force in areas previously held by the separatists, as they previously served the enemy.
Many locals are also have misgivings about government forces or are even hostile.
Although Ukrainian flags are on show during the day, crime spikes during the night and many have hidden assault rifles which come out and are used during drinking sessions.
Muttika said he was in a settlement which used to be a mining center, but at some point the state no longer subsidized the industry there and many were left unemployed. He said locals say separatists go door to door during the night and threaten people.