Two articles from a journalist in Donetsk reveal Putin's lies.

[DetlefK]

First one is in english and more from the point of view of ordinary Ukrainians:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/the-battle-for-donetsk-reveals-a-resigned-populace-a-986928.html
Basically, lots of shelling and the Ukrainians there don't regard the rebels as their friends and they don't regard their self-proclaimed republics as legitimate. But they are not fond of Kiev either.

Second one is in german and focuses on the discrepancies between what Putin says and what's actually going on:
http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/wladimir-putin-wie-russlands-praesident-in-der-ukraine-krise-luegt-a-989247.html
* Contrary to Putin's claims, the ukrainian military is not shelling residential areas. It is shelling the outskirts of Donetsk and areas with strategic targets. (Yes, civilians are dying nevertheless.) If the ukrainian military were indiscriminate about shelling residential areas, they already would have flattened the headquarters of the Free Republic of Donetsk, which are situated near boulevards in a residential area.
* Contrary to Lavrov's claims, there were no aerial bombings of Donetsk.
* Contrary to Putin's claims, the rebels' offensive at Nowoasowsk had nothing to do with defending the population against atrocities of the military: The ukrainian military wasn't even present in that area.
* Contrary to russian claims, the ukrainian military is not deliberately bombing infrastructure in the region. The separatists have conducted demolitions, destroying at least 40 rail- and traffic-bridges. And the coal-mining is only down 13% compared to last year.
* Putin demanded that Kiev negotiate with the leaders of the separatists, people like Alexander Zakharchenko. Problem: The population of eastern Ukraine does not regard this self-proclaimed Prime-Minister of the Free Republic of Donestk as their legitimate ruler. And Kiev wouldn't accept negotiating with someone like that. So why would Putin propose negotiations that are doomed to fail?
* The separatists consist mainly of unemployed and criminals. Most native eastern Ukrainians refuse to join their army.

And please note that Alexander Zakharchenko, the Prime-Minister of the Free Republic of Donestk, is an ukrainian citizen and at the same time he proudly wears the Cross of St. George, a medal of the russian military.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross_of_St._George

from wikipedia:
"The Cross of St George is awarded to soldiers, sailors, sergeants, petty officers, warrant officers and junior officers for deeds and distinction in battle in defence of the Fatherland, as well as for deeds and distinction in battle on the territory of other states while maintaining or restoring international peace and security with recognized instances of courage, dedication and military skill. Awarded sequentially in four classes from the fourth to the first for subsequent acts of courage."

Did Alexander Zakharchenko fighting get the medal for fighting for international peace or did he get it for "defending" Russia?

[pampango]

1. The August 29 report from the UN Commission on Human Rights makes the same points.

The report produced by the UN Human Rights Office documents a wide array of serious human rights abuses committed primarily by the armed groups who have seized control over a large part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine since mid-April. It also documents violations committed by Ukrainian forces in their efforts to recapture territory, from which armed groups are conducting operations and in which they have located military objectives.

According to the report, civilians fleeing the intense and prolonged fighting in eastern Ukraine have been targeted and killed; others have been prevented by the armed groups from leaving the cities of Luhansk and Donetsk as the Ukraine Government tightened its blockades around the two main strongholds of the armed groups. Supposedly “safe” corridors established by the Ukrainian forces to enable residents to flee from these cities, traversed areas where the fighting was ongoing. Civilians using these corridors were subsequently killed or injured.

The report also notes that in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, harassment and discrimination have continued against Ukrainian nationals, Crimean Tatars and other minorities. “No serious attempts have been made (by Crimean authorities) to investigate allegations of human rights abuses committed by the so-called Crimean self-defence forces following the March ‘referendum’.

http://www.un.org.ua/images/stories/press_release_English_final_29_August.doc