Tension rises with the death toll in Eastern Ukraine, and BYU-Hawaii students expressed their remorse. Friday, Jan. 12, the Ukrainian city of Donetsk fell under fire, leaving 12 people dead, according to CNN.The attack, considered a shelling, is believed to be a result of the escalated conflict between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists. The fighting between the two groups has been largely concentrated in the outer areas of the city, but the blasts have reached the hospital and elementary school, said AP.“It’s sad to see two parties causing harm to each other,” said James Magee, a sophomore from Maryland studying information technology. “I think more peace needs to be made.”The shelling did not stop there. Four more people were killed on Sunday, Feb. 1, making the injury count more than 20 in the past 24 hours, according to RT News (a Russian news center directed toward audiences outside of the Russian Federation).Although it is not for certain who is responsible for the attacks, each side has blamed the other.“Overnight, the Ukrainian troops fired about 30 barrages. The night shelling injured 14 civilians,” said Eduard Basurin to RT. Basurin serves as the deputy defense minister in the Donetsk People’s Republic.RT News also reported that clashes between Kiev loyalists and militia forces are continuing in the front lines. Kiev reported losing 13 soldiers within one day.“It’s sad to see so many people dying over a civil war,” said Benjamin Holbrook, a sophomore from California studying Pacific Island studies. “It just shows that history does end up repeating itself.”The violence prompted local authorities to keep all schools closed until Wednesday, Feb. 4.The New York Times reports Gen. Philip M. Breedlove, NATO’s military commander, “now supports providing defensive weapons and equipment to Kiev’s beleaguered forces,” stating that more and more administration officials are coming to the same conclusion.However, no move from President Obama has suggested putting this support into action.The United Nations has estimated that the civil war in Eastern Ukraine has claimed 5,000 lives since April 2014, when residents in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine began to take actions into their own hands against a coup-imposed government in Kiev. “It’s too bad this is happening,” said Justin Cardiff, a senior from Georgia studying business finance. “I think the situation is much bigger than just Ukraine. It’s unfortunate this can’t be solved peacefully.”Uploaded Feb 5. 2015
Writer: Jared Roberts
