Majority of Rebel Fighters in East Ukraine Are Locals - Le Monde Reporter

A huge problem in the conflict in eastern Ukraine is the lack of information about what is actually going on in separatist-held territories in Ukrainian media, said Benoit Vitkine , a journalist with Le Monde. Since Ukrainian journalists are not allowed inside rebel-controlled areas, it is very hard for the media to get an accurate perception of what is actually going on there, Vitkine explained.

One example of this information gap: Many Ukrainians think the separatist fighters are actually Russians. However, the majority of the DPR and LPR fighters are, in fact, locals, Vetkine said.

Vitkine spoke with Hromadske International's Ian Bateson and Angelina Kariakina on Feb. 8, 2015.