Separatist soldiers ignore Ukraine's National day

(24 Aug 2021) Russian-backed separatists on the front line in Ukraine remained indifferent as the eastern European nation celebrated 30 years of independence on Tuesday. The separatists spent the day in trenches 80 km (50 miles) from Luhansk, monitoring the front line, while central Kyiv hosted large concerts and other festivities. "It's their holiday, not mine. It means nothing to me," said Maxim, one of the soldiers. Russian-backed separatists took control of large areas in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, created so-called "people's republics" and fought government forces trying to regain control. The 30th anniversary of Ukraine's independence came as the country is locked in a bitter tug-of-war with Russia, which in 2014 annexed Crimea and has since been backing a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine, and Kyiv's efforts to shore up support among Western nations. In a speech on Tuesday, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that while territories may be occupied, it wasn't possible to "occupy the people's love for Ukraine." Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...