All language subtitles for The.Frontier.Ukraine.1080p.WEB.x264.AAC.MVGroup.org

We met Dima in Kiev,

he had decided to quit his job

and volunteer to fight against the
Separatists in the East of the country.

This is the apartment where
I live with my girlfriend.

This is our desk
and our desk stuff.

This is my rabbit,

his name is cat.

This is my own body armour.

This celox (medical supplies),
was sent from the united states.

This... transfer performing US.

It is not military,
it is for tourists but it's nice too.

Is this the first time that
you are going to actually fight?

Yeah, its my first time
but my friends no.

It's safe now

but what will happen
tomorrow I don't know.

Everything is going to be alright.

It's a shame.

The revolution had left the
government in complete disarray

but inspired a new found patriotism
among much of the civilian population.

I can do it,
I can do it.

Yep,

see you later,

The lack of government support
meant many supplies were being collected

and donated by ordinary people,

Dima was delivering these supplies
in a refurbished civilian vehicle

to help the fight on the front line.

We left Dima and the volunteers
still with no idea of

what they would be
facing when they arrived.

After much discussion
about our own safety

we decided that the only
real way to understand the conflict

was to see it from the other side

and head into separatist
territory ourselves.

Despite being advised not to go

we took a train to heavily
disputed city of Donetsk.

Donetsk was the main
Separatist stronghold

which the Ukrainians desperately
wanted to take back.

On our arrival at the train station,

we were held at gun point and sent
directly to the government building.

We had not exactly been
prepared for such an arrival,

so the situation was
tense as we waited to see

if they would let us continue to film.

We make films,
so documentaries.

And now you will also make films?

How great the people
n Donetsk region are?

After some questioning,
we were eventually allowed to leave.

After looking around on our way out

it was obvious the takeover
must have been unexpected

and brutal as the entire building
had been completely ransacked.

The government building had
been taken from the Ukrainians by force

several weeks before we had arrived.

It had been barricaded for defence

to help ensure the Separatists
kept control of the city.

Outside we then tried
to talk to some locals,

who weren't too keen about being filmed.

It became apparent to us very quickly
that many of the local people here

were not the biggest fans of the west,

or of us,
being from the UK.

After the initial shock of our arrival

and seeing firsthand how
the locals didn't want us to be there

the constant shelling of
the city by the Ukrainian military

was something we didn't
expect to be so close to.

Whilst even the centre of Donetsk was
under constant threat of being shelled

it was easy to understand why people
felt threatened by the Ukrainian forces

who had besieged the city.

One night from our balcony,

in between the shelling
we heard planes flying overhead

followed by an explosion.

Early the next day we decided to go
and see what had happened.

After only a 10 minute drive

we arrived where the bombs had landed,

it had hit an industrial estate
close to a driving test centre

nowhere near any separatist
military instillations.

As with all conflicts it was the
civilian population caught in the middle

that were suffering the consequences.

It's impossible to say if it was
the Ukrainian military trying to scare

the remaining civilian
population out of the city,

but for many it only distanced
them further from their own government

and closer to the Separatists'
pro-Russian mentality.

We then went to a refugee
centre with a Brazilian journalist,

after initially being interrogated
by Separatist soldiers

we were then escorted around the
building by one soldier called Ruslan.

After our initial questioning
the Separatists had mistaken us

all as being Brazilian

which interestingly seemed to make
people much more open to talk to us.

It seemed that many people
felt threatened by the change they felt

was being forced upon them.

To try and find out
more we spoke to Rudolf

who was the press officer
for the Separatists in Donetsk.

Do you think the government
are lying to the Ukrainian people?

A total lie.
Total, total lie.

From (beginning) to end Total.

Corruption, total corruption

from middle to high offices.

Now in Kiev,
the government...

are a group of savages.

We have to build new customs,

new society

human society.

not capitalist

human society.

Today Ukrainian people

are ill,

ill in the head,
and ill in the soul.

Even though the Separatists
had full control of the city

there were a few pro-Ukrainian
activists still in Donetsk.

We went to meet Maria Olynik

who had been opposing the rebels
since they took control of the city.

Despite the risks she agreed
to speak with us on camera.

We were aware that many atrocities were
occurring daily during the conflict,

but it was sobering
to hear the brutal measures

the Separatists had taken to
prevent people protesting against them.

Maria was showing an incredible
amount of courage by deciding to stay

especially considering the amount of
Separatist soldiers patrolling the city.

They made they're presence
known in a number of ways...

Here they are driving
around the city centre

commemorating the paratroopers of WWII

by firing their machine
guns into the air.

Propaganda was rife throughout the city.

We saw more in Donetsk

then we would ever see in any
of the Ukrainian held territories.

There were billboards
depicting the Separatists

as a brave few fighting the many,

there were also stalls selling
bumper stickers and key rings.

A common theme was
regurgitating WWII rhetoric

comparing this conflict
to the invasion of the Nazis.

We wanted to understand
some of the other reasons

motivating Separatist soldiers to fight.

We managed to gain access to the main
Separatist military base in Donetsk.

The conflict had acted as a catalyst

for the far right movement in Ukraine.

The far right sector were Ultra
nationalist Ukrainian volunteers

with a reputation for
their viciousness in battle.

Many of the Separatist
soldiers we had met

had come from Russia to fight
against European influence in Ukraine

although it was the far
right volunteer battalions

that seemed to be one
of their biggest concerns.

Whilst filing at the training ground

we were given a stark reminder
of the hostile situation we were in,

when an explosion went off
nearby sending everyone into panic.

We were advised shortly
afterwards to leave the area.

We are going to end now.

We wanted find out more about

the Ukrainian far right
movement we had been told about,

so after a treacherous journey
out of Separatist territory

we headed for Mariupol.

During the chaos following
the Euro Maidan Revolution in Kiev,

the south eastern city of
Mariupol was one of the cities taken

by the pro-Russian Separatists'.

After a period of violent
clashes with pro-Russian supporters,

amid reports of looting
and violence,

Ukrainian forces failed
to keep control of the city.

Many pro-Russian residents
including some of the local police,

rebelled against the Ukrainian forces

and forced them out of the city.

Whilst retreating,

Ukrainian troops fired
on pro-Russian supporters,

killing several civilians.

The Ukrainian military had been provoked

by Separatist supporters
in plain clothes

shooting from the cover of the crowds.

Heavy fighting later resumed

and after a big push from Ukrainian
volunteer battalions and military,

the city was finally reclaimed.

The battalion that took
credit for taking back Mariupol

was the infamous Azov Battalion.

The Azov battalion had a
reputation for being fierce fighters

who took action whilst many sat back
and did nothing.

They had even taken the ex president
Viktor Yanukovych's holiday home

as their main base of operations.

These Ultra Nationalists whom many
Separatists considered as their main enemy,

wanted complete Ukrainian independence...

and their passion had gained
them popularity throughout the country.

Azov had also cause much controversy

however amidst allegations of torture,
war crimes

and their links to neo-Nazism.

The Battalion has its roots in
a group of football hooligan 'ultras'

named "Sect 82"

At the start of the conflict,

"Sect 82" occupied administration
buildings in the east

to stop them being
taken by the Separatists,

appointing themselves as
a local "self-defense"-force.

This 'self defence'
force then became a militia,

and relocated to Mariupol,

where they assisted the
military in taking back the city.

Once armed by the Ukrainian
Government Azov grew

and were involved in many battles
to retake lost territory in the East.

It was their ties
with Neo-Nazism however

that had gained them notoriety,

in particular their insignia
being the wolfs-angle

a symbol commonly used by the Nazi SS.

It was this link to Nazism
that had made them enemy number one

for many pro-Russian supporters.

With many people in the east
having close ties with Russia,

and the millions of Soviet
lives lost against the Nazis in WWII

it's easy to see how this
propaganda could be so effective.

Azov was Portrayed as
bloodthirsty right wing hooligans

armed and given a licence
to kill by the Ukrainian State.

With the government in such
disarray at the start of the conflict

these far right volunteer
battalions played an important part

in maintaining Ukrainian sovereignty.

Whether they made the
situation better or worse

is still up for debate.

After spending some time in Mariupol,

by complete chance

we were then to witness something
that shook us to our core.

We couldn't believe
what we had seen that day.

We were stepping over the bodies
of hundreds of innocent civilians.

The look of complete
terror in their faces

is something that we will never forget.

As the lists of the
victims were released

the reality of what we
had seen began to sink in.

The initial evidence blaming the
Separatists seemed pretty legitimate,

the official investigation
from the Dutch safety board however

took 15 months to complete

concluding that they
knew what had caused the crash

but still could not determine
who was responsible.

Frustrated with the lack of real answers

we decided to try
and look elsewhere...

When Mh17 was shot down there

was obviously a lot of
debate about what happened

and people uh on social media

were asking me could I geo
locate a video could I verify stuff.

So I started doing that
and as more and more material became

uh you know was produced
online I examined it

and then you started to
have the 2 narratives pushed

by the Ukrainian government
and their supporters

and the Russian government
and their supporters.

Eliot Higgins is a British
citizen journalist and blogger,

known for using open sources

and social media to investigate a variety
of different conflicts worldwide.

After initial blame being
put on the Pro-Russian Separatists

a photo emerged online
through Russian media outlets

of what appeared to be a Ukrainian
fighter jet shooting down MH17

You had an image that
was basically a composite

of satellite imagery
you know images of aircraft,

um that was first published
on an internet forum

someone emailed that to an organisation
called the Russian Engineers Union,

who had written some
rather dodgy reports on Mh17.

They then took it to a
major Russian news channel called

Barbushley as if it was genuine.

When we were looking at the imagery.

When you have something
that's too good to be true

you start to think "how
could this have been faked?"

Well we could see that there
was satellite imagery used there

so we could use the details
on the image that was presented

to find the exact location.

When we found that location
we could go through the different

public satellite imagery sites.

So Google Earth,
Google maps and Yandex maps

and look at for example
the clouds in the imagery.

And we were able to find specific clouds

that matched perfectly to the
image that was presented as being MH17

and these were,

there were multiple clouds from
different dates from different sites

showing that was a composite image.

Then the actual jet that
was being shot down in this image

was the first result for basically
top view of a jet in Russian,

and the jet fighter firing
at it looked like an image from online.

And then the features
like it was off course anyway,

based off the information
that was available,

has it have been that
large at that altitude.

It would have either been within
several hundred metres of the satellite

or something like four miles long.

So we know neither
of those could be true,

so all the different elements of
it just you know show that it was fake.

There were some that believed
bullet holes in the wreckage

proved that the jet had been shot down.

This representative from
the USCE who said when he saw it,

it looked like bullet holes to him.

I've looked at huge numbers
of photographs of the crash site

and now there's plenty of
holes in the front end of MH17.

You know when it came to them
being examined by the Dutch safety board

none of these holes were bigger
than 15 than around 15 millimeters

they were kind of had
a range of sizes and shapes.

Now if it was shot down by an SU25

or a jet using cannon fire

those bullets are kind of 20 millimeters
or 30 millimeters from the cannon

and very few of those holes
are anywhere near that size

so unless the bullets magically
shrunk as they approached the aircraft,

it can't be from that kind of fire.

Maybe Separatists on the ground

fired at the aircraft
for whatever reason

after it crashed but I don't
think there's any compelling evidence

of bullet holes being in MH17.

The official Joint
Investigation Teams report

eventually found BUK missile
parts in the wreckage of MH17,

and concluded that it had indeed been
shot down by a BUK surface to air missile.

The question then remained who fired it

and from where.

One of the 1st images of a BUK
missile launcher was taken on July 17th,

4 hours before the tragedy.

The team at Bellingcat was
able to use open source information

to pinpoint the location it was taken.

The shop in the background was traced

by searching the name
visible in the photo

and finding the address
from sources available online.

Using Yandex maps and the address

it was then possible to locate
the exact location the photo was taken.

Further online searches of Torez,
where the shop is situated,

reviled dash-cam videos
of people driving around the area

and from these videos it was possible
to locate both the yellow shop front

and the distinct black
and white stripped building

visible in the original photo.

Based on that information
it was possible to say that

the camera was positioned
here (marked in red)

in the forecourt of a garage
south of the store (marked in yellow),

and the approximate position of the
Buk missile launcher (marked in green)

Journalists have since
visited the exact location

to confirm that this
is indeed where the photo of

the BUK missile launcher was taken.

There were also several other confirmed
sightings of a BUK missile launcher,

all within Separatist held
territory of Eastern Ukraine.

This photo posted
3 hours after the crash

depicts the trail left
behind the missile that hit MH17.

It has been confirmed to
be within rebel held territory

and within firing
distance of the aircraft.

However the Russian Defence
ministry later claimed that

the BUK had belonged to Ukraine
and that they were responsible.

We've um reviewed the image
of the BUK missile launcher in Ukraine.

It has some very distinct
features markings,

damage to the side skirt,

and we've compared that damage

and those details to dozens of
BUK missile launchers from both Ukraine

and those inside Russia.

Now there's only one missile
launcher that has the same features

that's a BUK missile
launcher numbered 332,

from Russia 53rd air defence brigade.

There's not even one other
missile launcher we've found

that shares more than
one or two features in common

with that missile launcher and they're
the more kind of generic features.

Things like the rubber skirt damage
the exact positioning of the markings,

only match that missile
launcher from Russia.

I've seen no one present any evidence
of any Ukrainian missile launcher

that matches in the same way.

The following day after
the crash this video was filmed

of a BUK missile launching system
with one of the missiles missing.

This became a crucial piece of evidence

and the Russian Defense Ministry
claimed it had been filmed

in Ukrainian held territory.

However, using further
geo-location techniques

and journalists on the ground

it was then proven to be in rebel held
territory on its way back to Russia.

Further analysis of social media sites

even enabled investigators
to confirm the battalion responsible

and identify specific individuals

who were most likely
to have been in command.

Despite a 16 month investigation
by the Dutch safety board

and the overwhelming amount
of evidence pointing at the Separatists

nobody has yet been
charged for the atrocity.

We later returned east
to catch up with Dima,

by this point a shaky
ceasefire had been put in place

with reports of both
sides constantly violating it.

Since we had last seen him in Kiev

he had been fighting the
Separatists on the frontline.

We are now located out at
Novoaidar suburbs in Lugansk region,

basically I got here
after our last meeting,

last year in my apartment in Kiev.

At this very crossroad my first
military experience got started.

It was a reality check to hear
how many volunteers had lost their lives

and how quickly Dima had
been exposed to the fighting

so soon after leaving the safety
and stability of his previous life.

Dima was taking us to a town
which had been literally split in 2,

one side was held by the
Separatists,

the other by Ukrainian
forces where tensions were high.

It was unbelievable

that the warring sides had
just a small river separating them.

And it became easy to understand,
with tensions so high,

why the ceasefire
continued to be broken.

The People living on these
newly established borders

were the ones being hit
the hardest by the conflict,

with supplies being completely cut off

the volunteer battalions
did what they could

to help deliver much needed aid.

The conflict at this
point had reached a stalemate

the Separatists had managed
to keep control of Donetsk

and much of Luhansk.

After some difficulty we finally managed
to get back in contact with Mari,

the pro-Ukrainian activist
living in Separatist held Donetsk,

after over a year of Separatist control

we were relived to find
out that she was still ok.

It was surreal to be back in Donetsk

ATM's still didn't function

and the Russian Rouble had
been adopted as the main currency

check points between the two territories

often left people queuing for
days to get basic supplies in and out.

Sit here,
you can film but sit down.

If you sit down
and enjoy.

What happened?

Oh right it went all the way through!

Not good news,

oh my god my camel bag! Fuck off,
oh my god.

What have you got to say Dima,
for yourself.

I'm very upset, ha-ha,
I'm very fucking upset.

So you guys not safe whole time.

It's okay.