KRAMATORSK, Ukraine - The city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast, which was overrun by Kremlin-backed separatists in April 2014 and seized by Ukrainian troops in July, was quiet on Victory Day on May 9.
A few pro-Ukrainian residents were having a small barbecue
party in a backyard to celebrate Victory Day, while the city’s central district
was full of pensioners and teenagers riding bicycles.
The city, which has a population of about 160,000,
abounded with pro-Ukrainian slogans and Ukrainian flags and coats of arms,
though several locals told the Kyiv Post that it was still rife with
pro-Russian sentiment.
A major bone of contention between the city’s pro-Kyiv
and anti-Kyiv residents is the Vladimir Lenin monument on Lenin Square, which
was toppled at a landmark pro-Ukrainian rally on April 17. It was subsequently
transported to the territory of a road repair firm, where it is lying on the
ground.
