On December 4-8 2018 CivilM+ platform organised the field trip to eastern Ukraine for the journalists and bloggers from Germany, France and Russia to raise awareness in respective societies about the life on the frontlines in Ukraine. Unfortunately, not all invited bloggers from Russia made it to Ukraine. Even though they were only from the liberal press with a strong track record of writing about democratic values, Ukraine’s customs service blocked their entry.

Remaining 7 journalists travelled through Mayorsk, Bakhmut, Chasiv Yar, Dobropolie, Pokrovsk, Slaviansk, Severodonetsk, Starobelsk.

In each location they met with local residents, discussing how the war changed their lives, the challenges people face due to the protracted conflict. Among the most pressing concerns people mentioned rapidly deteriorating infrastructure, lack of the interest of the officials to the development of the region as well as the widespread corruption. People also mentioned the pilght of IDPs including the fact that many displaced having exhausted their savings and not being able to support their livelihoods in the new places, had to give up and return to the non government controlled territories, where they at least have own housing.

The trip reminded the journalists from the western Europe that dispite low number of casualities the conflict in Ukraine is still putting a heavy burden on the lives of civillians and thus needs to be resolved as soon as possible.