Considering that even German publication Spiegel is now reporting that that "Vladimir Putin has won the propaganda war over Ukraine and the West is divided", it is hardly surprising that western coverage of the Ukraine civil war has ground to a halt: without a coherent agenda, the western propaganda machine is unsure of just what the right angle is in its coverage of Ukraine events, which is why as in the case of last summer's Syrian conflict coverage, the "free media" has simply decided to push back events in east Ukraine to the page 8, if cover it at all.

Unfortunately, for the locals in the separatist regions, while the west may now chose to simply close its eyes to the consequences of its intervention the civil war is all too real and deadly: as RIA reports, there were multiple casualties after a fighter jet attack struck the eastern city of Luhansk. "The assault was followed by heavy gunfire on the ground, causing panic among civilians." RT has more:

At least five people have been killed in the attack, according to RIA Novosti. Many wounded are still trapped inside the administration headquarters, which caught on fire. The death toll may rise. The building façade has been seriously damaged. The wounded are being evacuated from the administration HQ. About six ambulance vehicles have arrived at the site. Large blood stains inside the HQ could be seen on live-streaming video from the area, with pieces of glass and stones also visible on the floor. The camera operator was choking with smoke. On the outside, many windows are shattered, shell fragments covering the nearby area and dark plumes of smoke are coming from the fourth floor. “The fire has engulfed the third and fourth floors of the building, and the windows have been blown out. There are shards of glass everywhere. I saw paramedics carrying people out of the entrance,” a witness told RT. Minutes earlier, heavy machine-gun shooting was reported in the center of Lugansk, as fierce fighting between the local self-defense squads and Kiev forces renewed after a brief truce.

Kiev officials were quick to deny that Ukraine had launched a fighter jet attack against its own people: something which caused a quick and violent condemnation of the former Ukraine president and his even more prompt ouster.

UKRAINE FORCES HAD ONLY WARNING FLIGHTS OVER LUHANSK: OFFICIAL

So what is really going on in Lugansk? The following just released pictures should provide some perspective.