The Daily Catch

First Shelling, Now Gunshots: The Russians Are Very Close to Kramatorsk, Our Correspondent Reports



Our Ukrainian correspondent, Kuljuk Pavel, has devised some reportorial tricks, including faking phone calls ahead of shooting photos, to avoid detection by the police (photo courtesy of Pavel Kuljuk).

Editor’s Note: Russian troops today began storming the city of Liman, 25 miles northeast of Kramatorsk, reports our Ukrainian correspondent, Pavel Kuljuk. He also informed The Daily Catch that the local utility today turned off gas to his home in Ivanovka, a section of Kramatorsk. There will now be no hot water. Kuljuk, meanwhile, continues to strategize how to bring the best dispatches, including photos, to Daily Catch readers. Read on to learn about one of his new tricks for doing so.

Is Daily Catch Ukraine correspondent Pavel Kuljuk relevant to Daily Catch readers? We think so.


Over the past week, the front has drawn even closer to Kramatorsk. Now we hear not only explosions, but also gunshots. And this means that the Ukrainian troops were deployed on the outskirts of Kramatorsk and have begun to shoot at the Russian army. Of course, the Russians will shoot back. And this means that Russian shells can hit not only the Ukrainian military, but also civilians. Placing Ukrainian military units next to residential areas is very bad. So far, we have heard shots from long-range artillery. The guns make 5 to 15 shots and then leave. The Russians need 15 to 20 minutes to discern the place from which the shots originated and then start firing back. Therefore, Ukrainian gunners try to shoot for less than 15 minutes, to make it more difficult for the Russians to determine where they are.

In addition to shooting, the Ukrainian military forces have begun to occupy private residential buildings. Our friend Elena also lives in the village of Ivanovka. She informed us that 10 Ukrainian soldiers are living in a house just three houses away from her. There is also an armored car parked there. If a Russian plane attacks these soldiers, then civilians who live in neighboring houses will suffer or be killed. It is not known why the Ukraine soldiers have taken up residence in that house. Perhaps this house was uninhabited. Perhaps the owner of the house invited the soldiers to his place. Or, maybe one of the soldiers himself is the owner of the house. In any case, the fact that soldiers are living in the neighborhood and an armored vehicle is parked outside worries everyone.

Kuljuk figured out how to evade the attention of police authorities while photographing people at the market on Komerciyna Street, in the Old City of Kramatorsk. Here, people can buy food, fresh vegetables, meat, clothes and various household goods (photo by Pavel Kuljuk).

Also, the police have begun to walk the streets, knocking on every door. They ask residents to show their passports and mobile telephones. Residents’ data, including their mobile phone numbers, is then entered into a special database. The police are actually looking for Russian phone numbers and Russian social networks among the phones of Ukraine’s citizens. The police do this in search of Russian spies. The police are also asking people to send SMS text messages to a special number. The cops have already come to the home of our friend, Lena, and to Svetlana’s parents. However, the police have not come to us. We don’t know why.

It is also now known that police raids took place not only on Ivanovka, but also in Pchelkino and Malotaranovka, where we have our dacha six miles from here. Usually police raids take place before the arrival of the Russians. For example, this was the case in the city of Liman, which is not far from us. Multi-family residential buildings are easy to check. But checking private houses in suburban settlements is very difficult. No sooner had the police started the raid than everyone knew about it. People started calling each other. Very few people want to meet with the police. They are afraid. There are several reasons for this. For example, the police can escort men to the army. Also, people don’t want the authorities to know their mobile phone numbers since then, they fear, they will be followed by the police. Whatever the reason, Svetlana and I are glad that the police did not come to us. The fewer contacts with the official authorities, the fewer problems. We are used to staying away from officials.

Kuljuk is especially proud of the peonies that have just sprouted in his verdant garden (photo by  Pavel Kuljuk).

In addition to military news, I devised a way to take photos discreetly. This will help readers of The Daily Catch to get to know Kramatorsk better. The thing is that the Ukrainian authorities forbade photographing of almost everything. For instance, it is forbidden to photograph the military, military equipment, or police. We can’t take pictures showing the results of shelling, either, because this provides too many details to Russians about which of their tactics has met with the most success. It is also forbidden to photograph bridges, roads, and other important objects. People also get nervous when they see someone taking pictures. It seems to everyone that the person taking the photographs must be an enemy scout. Everyone thinks that after the photos are taken, the shelling will begin. For these reasons, it is very difficult to photograph things.

But I devised a method to get around these rules. I either put the phone to my ear like I am talking and then shoot the photo, or I put the phone on my chest and feign that I am getting ready to put the phone away. No one bothered me as I used these new techniques in the Old City market today. I took over 50 photos. Previously, even for one photo, I had to give an explanation to the police or quarrel with public service workers.

Meanwhile, I am so happy to report that Ukrainian nature flourishes; you have probably heard about our beautiful soil that supports the world’s breadbasket. I feel this today in my garden. With the sun shining, everything is in bloom and the colors of the plants are very bright. I am excited to show off my garden. I hope you love my red peony.

May you never have to devise tricks to take photos of simple things,

Pavel


Read all of Pavel Kuljuk’s reports from Eastern Ukraine.

Consider CNBC.com’s List of Ukraine Charities.

4 responses to “First Shelling, Now Gunshots: The Russians Are Very Close to Kramatorsk, Our Correspondent Reports”

  1. Alison Castle says:

    Fascinating details of the kind you don’t get in the news!

    • Pavlo Kuliuk says:

      Alison Castle, you are correct. War does not look at all like it is told on TV. I will say more, people think differently than they say on TV. However, if it’s someone who cares, it’s only the Daily Catch.

  2. JULIA BARTON says:

    Stay safe! your safety is more important than reportage, though I commend you for doing what you can.

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