The Ilovaisk Tragedy

The Ilovaisk cauldron is a tragic episode of the war in eastern Ukraine (second half of August 2014).

Near the town of Ilovaisk (Donetsk Oblast), fierce battles unfolded between Ukrainian troops (volunteer units, the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Ministry of Internal Affairs) and terrorists (illegal armed formations of the "DPR" and Russian units).

Ilovaisk is of great strategic importance because it is located 25 km east of Donetsk. If the Ukrainian army had liberated the town from the militants, it would have cut Donetsk off from supplies of weapons and ammunition from Russia.

On August 29, 2014, Ukrainian fighters began to leave the Ilovaisk cauldron through the so-called "green corridor", which Russian President Vladimir Putin had personally spoken about. However, on the way, the columns of Ukrainians were treacherously shot by terrorists and the Russian military. According to official information, 366 Ukrainian servicemen were killed, 249 were wounded and 128 were taken prisoner. Another 158 are considered missing. According to unofficial data, about 1,000 Ukrainians died.

Special project The Unburnable: The Ilovaisk Story of Donbas