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Transcript/Script(PLAYBOOK SLUG: UKRAINE BORDER TENSIONS (TV)
HEADLINE: Ukraine Crisis: Families Divided as Violence Escalates
TEASER: Amid high-stakes political maneuvering, tensions rise in Ukraine-Russia border regions
PUBLISHED AT: 2/21/2022 at 7:24 pm
BYLINE: Heather Murdock
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE: NOVOLUGANSKE AND KOZACHIA LOPAN, Ukraine
VIDEOGRAPHER: Yan Boechat
VIDEO EDITOR:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Reifenrath
VIDEO SOURCE (S): VOA, REUTERS
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:52
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES: ))
((INTRO))
[[As Moscow announces its intention to officially recognize two areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists in Ukraine as independent countries, tensions continue along the Russia-Ukraine border. Each side accuses the other of causing violence in this increasingly complicated conflict. VOA’s Heather Murdock and Yan Boechat report from the towns of Novoluganske and Kozacha Lopan in eastern Ukraine. ]]
[[Pronounced: Novo-lu-gan-ske and Kozacha Lopan ]]
((VOA VIDEO: RUNNING FROM BOMB))
((NARRATOR))
Soldiers and journalists flee to shelters after a bomb hits Novoluganske, a small Ukrainian town near the border with Russia.
In recent days, Ukrainian officials say violence in parts of Ukraine near the “contact line” — between government-controlled areas and areas controlled by Russian-backed separatists — has increased dramatically.
Russians and Ukrainians are accusing each other of ignoring international cease-fire agreements.
((Brig. Gen. Mikhail Drapatiy, Joint Force Operations)) ((Male in Ukranian))
“In the past 24 hours in this territory, no single group within our military unit was not attacked.”
((REUTERS VIDEO: PUTIN))
((NARRATOR))
And on Monday, Russia reiterated its demand that Ukraine be permanently barred from NATO as a condition of peace.
((Vladimir Putin, Russian President)) ((In Russian))
"If Russia faces the danger of Ukraine joining NATO, the threat to our country will increase substantially. Because Article 5 of NATO’s establishment treaty says that all NATO countries should fight on one of its members' sides if it is attacked.”
((REUTERS VIDEO: DIPLOMATS))
((NARRATOR))
And while world leaders continue to say diplomatic solutions may still be possible, in recent weeks, efforts to solve the crisis have failed, and NATO has repeatedly refused to comply with Russia’s demands.
((VOA VIDEO: ROADS IN DANGEROUS BORDER REGIONS))
((NARRATOR))
Many buildings and businesses in Novoluganske have been abandoned for years. And for those who remain, sporadic violence has become the norm.
Ukrainian military leaders say cease-fire violations have increased markedly in recent days, from 98 cease-fire violations a day on February 19 compared with five violations a day three months ago.
((VOA VIDEO: DRONE OF COUNTRYSIDE))
((NARRATOR))
Yet most of the country remains quiet but nervous about the coming days and weeks.
((VOA VIDEO: STANDUP)) ((ADDITIONAL BROLL WILL BE FILED))
((Heather Murdock, VOA News (standup version))
“Here in this small town about 5 kilometers away from the border with Russia, we get an idea of how very diverse this country is in their opinions of this conflict.”
((VOA VIDEO: TOWN, FAMILIES, SHOP))
((NARRATOR))
Many families here speak Russian and have relatives living across the border. Since 2014, commerce and travel have been difficult, causing local business to drop by about 50%.
((Victoria, Kozachia Lopan Resident)) ((Female, in Russian))
“When people came from Russia, all the shops were selling more. Now it is so much less. Also, a lot of people have relatives in Russia they can’t visit. It is so sad.”
((VOA VIDEO: TRAIN STATION, LOCALS, TRAIN))
((NARRATOR))
This train station used to host 30 passenger trains a day back and forth to Russia. Now only cargo trains cross the border.
Locals say families in this town are also often divided, between supporters of Russia and supporters of Ukraine. But with the border region near the brink of war, many say they are united in the need for peace and security.
((HEATHER MURDOCK, VOA NEWS, NOVOLUGANSKE AND KOZACHIA LOPAN, EASTERN UKRAINE))
((Pronounced: Novo-lu-gan-ska and Kozacha Lopan)
NewsML Media TopicsHuman Interest
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateFebruary 21, 2022 19:36 EST
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
