. . . in this Vice News story about the Debaltseve cauldron than we usually see in his work for The Guardian.  Indeed, one might reasonably conclude that Mr. Luhn’s writing is subjected to rather heavy editorial revision by the guardians of the approved narrative in Kings Place.

Escape from Debaltseve: How One Convoy Made It Out of Ukraine’s Besieged City

By Alec Luhn

Seven trucks full of Ukrainian soldiers left the besieged town of Debaltseve in eastern Ukraine hours after the so-called ceasefire began Sunday. Only five made it back safely behind Ukrainian lines.

[. . .]

President Petro Poroshenko said the road to Debaltseve remained open and that the troops there had been resupplied with ammunition. But the story of the convoy’s escape on Sunday shows that both those claims are essentially false. The rebels “had lots of equipment,” Jackson said. “We stayed to the very end, but it wasn’t viable to stay without weapons.”

[. . .]

Despite posturing from many on the Ukrainian side that they won’t give up Debaltseve, Jackson said many troops there want out. “We’re all trying to leave,” he said. “The only other option is death.”

[. . .]

The situation in Debaltseve is untenable because no one can resupply the fighters, said Alla Neschadym, a medic with the ambulance unit whose son Oleg is still fighting in the city. She blamed Kiev for failing to mount a mass military campaign to reinforce them or to negotiate a surrender or corridor for them to withdraw.

“You should either fight, or you should take them out, but to leave them there as cannon fodder isn’t right,” Neschadym said.

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