Fearing attack, Russian-backed rebels dig trenches Armed with spades, saws and hammers, Russian-backed rebels dig trenches in east Ukraine, fearing a massive attack from Kiev. The Special Monitoring Mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) regularly refers in its daily reports to trenches or bunkers freshly dug in the separatist-held zone. The conflict between the Ukrainian army and the Russian-backed rebels in the east has claimed more than 10,000 lives since its outbreak in April 2014. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES