AN OPERATION OR A «KETTLE»: DEBALTSEVE EVENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF 2015 IN UKRAINIAN PUBLIC OPINION

The author analyzes the Ukrainian public opinion on the events on the front line near Debaltseve in the Donetsk region in January-February 2015. It is stated that the offensive in January 2015 of pro-Russian terrorists, together with Russian regular troops, had to destroy the "Debaltseve ledge" as, since the end of July 2014, the city was under the control of the Ukrainian authorities. The task also included the encirclement and defeat of the Ukrainian army, deployment of the offensive, and occupation of Artemivsk and Kramatorsk. As a result of fierce fightings, which lasted from January 27 to February 18, Russian troops destroyed the "Debaltseve ledge" and took, in particular, essential for transport connection settlements Vuhlehirsk, Chornukhine, Debaltseve. The author states that the significant losses inflicted on the enemy by Ukrainian soldiers forced him to abandon further offensive actions and to seize new territories. While the official representatives of the military-political command (starting with the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the Chiefs of Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine) and loyal media and expert circles considered the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from Debaltseve a successful operation, that in general saved personnel and combat capability of the army, the opposition was skeptical. It noted that both because of the enemy's treachery and the Ukrainian military leadership's unprofessional actions, the Ukrainian army first was encircled under Debaltseve ("kettle"), and later - lost control of the strategic railway junction. Keywords Debaltseve, military operation, «kettle», Ukrainian public opinion, politics, mass media, expert community, Ukraine, Russia.