KURAKHOVE, Ukraine - On the edge of the small town, 10 miles west of Russian-controlled territory in Donetsk Oblast, stands Vasily, a 41-year-old soldier, firmly holding his Kalashnikov in his hands, guarding one of the last Ukrainian-controlled checkpoints in the direction of Donetsk. He's full of frustration and anger, unwilling to talk and to give his full name.
“No interview!” he first shouted, threatening arrest.
It didn’t take too long for another soldier to convince Vasily to at least say something.
“Our government leaves us standing in the cold and ignores us completely. I’m a registered resident in Cherkasy and I cannot vote in Kurakhove, because officially I’m based in Marynka where no elections are held. I want to vote for the future of my country after more than a year defending it!” Vasily shouted.
Vasily is not alone.
Ukraine’s decision not to hold elections in some cities controlled by the Ukrainian government in the Donbas isn’t just affecting civilians, but it is also taking away the civic rights of Ukrainian soldiers.
On Oct. 25, residents of Kurakhove will vote for their new mayor.
There’s not a lot to choose from. Only four candidates are running for mayor in the border town: Andrey Ivanchenko, Roman Padun, Edward Sazonov and Aleksander Shyshki.
Ivanchenko is member of ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko’s Batkivshchyna Party, and all others don’t belong to a specific political party.
Since the parliamentary elections in 2014, Padun has been the mayor of Kurakhove, after his predecessor Sergey Sashko won a seat in the Verkhovna Rada.
Kurakhove is part of Marynka Rayon, an administrative district.
In the other town of the rayon, Marynka, no elections will be held. Marynka lies some two miles away from the border with Russian-separatist territory.
On June 3, Russian proxies launched an offensive with tanks and hundreds of fighters, trying to take over the Ukrainian-government-held town. Nine civilians were killed, and dozens of soldiers. The Ukrainian army repelled the offensive and still fully controls Marynka.
The streets in Kurakhove are empty.
Nothing tells you there will be elections nor can election posters be seen anywhere. Many residents have already left the city during Russia’s war against Ukraine. The first impression of the town is as if Ukrainian soldiers outnumber the Kurakhove residents on the streets, in a city with a pre-war population of 20,000 residents.
The small city has become a transit hub for people to travel to and from Russian-separatist territory.
Buses and cars are randomly pulled over by Ukrainian border guards, looking for saboteurs, separatist-loyalists or wanted people form whom the authorities have issued an arrest warrant.
One border guard, who introduces himself only as Bogdan, told the Kyiv Post he would prefer no elections in both Kurakhove and Marynka.
“Can you imagine a vital border town that locally votes for a pro-Russian mayor? That would be disastrous!” he said.
Poroshenko also used this argument for his decision not to allow elections in some areas in the war zone. He feared support for separatism.
Most votes for the Opposition Bloc, made up of former allies of ex-President Viktor Yanukovych, come from east Ukraine.
Whereas there might be a stronger pro-Russian sentiment there than in other parts of Ukraine, the Opposition Bloc has never vowed support for separatism.
Bogdan alleges that all parties made up of former Party of Regions officials will eventually support the separatists in Donetsk.
“There is a pro-European government in Kyiv, so pro-Russian mayors need to act on behalf of the government in Kyiv. Then, I’ll tell you, what will happen if there is no pro-European government anymore? It is dangerous to let people vote in cities close to the front line. And, many residents in Kurakhove travel often to Donetsk,” Bogdan explained.
In order for Bogdan to vote in the city where he’s registered, he said he faced bureaucracy.
“I’m originally from Zaporozhya where I’m also registered. The law allows me to vote in absence provided that I authorize someone on my behalf. It involves a lot of bureaucracy. I need to write permission to the person I authorise and they need to obtain permission form from the city council which takes weeks. Because of bureaucracy and time many soldiers in Donbas have chosen not to fullfil their civic duty to vote.” he told the Kyiv Post.
In front of the city council of Kurakhove, where the Vladimir Lenin statute has been taken down in accordance with the de-communism law, stands the secretary of the city council, Tatyana Leshchenko.
She works directly with the current mayor, Padun, who was “too busy to talk to the Kyiv Post.”
Leshchenko, a young woman whose wish it is to see reforms in her native city Kurakhove, has high hopes that Padun will win the local elections.
“He’s the only one voters know he exists. They will vote for someone they already know,” she said.
Before the parliamentary elections in 2014, Padun worked as deputy mayor under Sergei Sashko. According to Sashko’s website he has extensively contributed to rebuild Kurakhove since a largely holding truce came in effect on Sep 1.”
Yes. Padun will also benefit from that,” Leshchenko said.
