Police scout for pro-Russian collaborators in eastern Ukraine

Oleksandr Malish, the patrol police chief for the cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk in the Donetsk region, is reluctant to call people suspected of collaborating with Russia Ukrainians.

The groups have about 15,000 subscribers. The Guardian was not able to confirm that they were all genuine residents of the two cities and neighbouring villages, though some appeared to be.

Malish said police were asked by residents to inspect a man on Saturday. When they searched his phone, he said, they saw he had received about £400 from a Russian bank account on 8 April. As the man was not able to explain the transfer, and the Kramatorsk railway station was hit the same day, they decided to detain him as a suspect.

Driving around Kramatorsk, the police struggled to find cars or people to inspect in the deserted city. Instead, they took the Guardian to see the damage from a double rocket attack apparently intended for the Kramatorsk regional security services headquarters.

One of the three officers on patrol that day, Volodymyr Filonenko, lived in one of the 40 buildings that were damaged in the two attacks. Filonenko had just evacuated his wife and two children from the building.