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Ukraine Forces and Pro-Russian Militants Battle Over Local Police Station Ukraine Forces and Pro-Russian Militants Battle Over Local Police Station
(35 minutes later)
DONETSK. Ukraine — Ukrainian special forces moved in Sunday to confront a separatist revolt in eastern Ukraine, engaging in gunfights with armed pro-Russian militants who had stormed a Ukrainian police station in the town of Slovyansk. At least one officer died in the operation and several were injured, along with four local citizens, Ukrainian officials said. SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Ukrainian special forces moved in Sunday to confront a separatist revolt in eastern Ukraine, engaging in gunfights with armed pro-Russian militants who had stormed a Ukrainian police station here. At least one officer died in the operation and several others were injured, along with four local residents, Ukrainian officials said.
The police station was one of several security centers in the eastern region of Donetsk seized on Saturday by unidentified masked gunmen in a series of coordinated raids that Ukrainian authorities denounced as Russian “aggression.”The police station was one of several security centers in the eastern region of Donetsk seized on Saturday by unidentified masked gunmen in a series of coordinated raids that Ukrainian authorities denounced as Russian “aggression.”
Roman Svitan, a security adviser to the Ukrainian authorities in Donetsk, said the government’s so-called anti-terrorist operation, began early Sunday by Alfa, a special services unit of Ukraine’s State Security Service, had evicted gunmen from the Slovyansk police headquarters. He said the expelled gunmen were mostly local pro-Russian extremists but also included Russian operatives. By Sunday afternoon, however, the Ukrainian government’s push to reassert its authority in a vitally important industrial and coal-mining region appeared to have made little headway. Pro-Russian protesters appeared to control not only the police station, but also the entire city of Slovyansk, having set up checkpoints at major streets leading into town.
Russian news media gave an entirely different account of events, describing the raids on government buildings in Slovyansk and elsewhere Saturday as the work of local self-defense units opposed to the “fascist” government that took power in Kiev after the Feb 21 flight of President Viktor F. Yanukovych. Roman Svitan, a security adviser to the Ukrainian authorities in Donetsk, said the government’s “anti-terrorist operation” had been started early Sunday by Alfa, a special services unit of Ukraine’s State Security Service. He gave an upbeat assessment of its progress, claiming that Ukrainian forces had evicted gunmen from the Slovyansk Police Headquarters. He said the expelled gunmen were mostly local pro-Russian extremists but also included Russian operatives.
Russian television quoted Slovyansk residents as denying Ukrainian forces had recaptured occupied buildings and said a local had been killed on the outskirts of Slovyansk during what they called an attack on pro-Russian protesters by armed militants of the Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector. But local residents and men standing by barricades in Slovyansk denied that Ukrainian forces had recaptured the occupied police building or had even entered the town on Sunday. They said one local man was in a hospital with a wound from a shooting on a highway outside of town. Russian television quoted locals as saying that the Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector had attacked protesters.
Russian news media also disputed the Ukrainian government’s account of events, describing the raids on government buildings in Slovyansk and elsewhere on Saturday as the work of local self-defense units opposed to the “fascist” government that took power in Kiev after the Feb 21 flight of President Viktor F. Yanukovych.
Russian television quoted Slovyansk residents as saying that a local had been killed on the outskirts of Slovyansk during what they called an attack on pro-Russian protesters by armed militants of Right Sector.
The current round of unrest in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine’s most populous region and a vitally important industrial and coal-mining center, began last Sunday in the regional capital when pro-Russian activists seized government headquarters and declared an independent state, the People’s Republic of Donetsk.The current round of unrest in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine’s most populous region and a vitally important industrial and coal-mining center, began last Sunday in the regional capital when pro-Russian activists seized government headquarters and declared an independent state, the People’s Republic of Donetsk.
Ukrainian authorities vowed on Wednesday to end the occupation, by force if necessary, by Friday, but they later backed away from this threat in the hope that government promises of more local autonomy for Ukraine’s Russian-speaking regions might resolve the standoff. Ukrainian authorities vowed on Wednesday to end the occupation — by force if necessary — by Friday, but they later backed away from that threat in the hope that government promises of more local autonomy for Ukraine’s Russian-speaking regions might resolve the standoff.
The confrontations on Sunday, however, indicated that the central government in Kiev had now decided to try to restore its authority in the east by force, a course of action that Moscow had repeatedly warned against. With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s eastern border near Donetsk, the West worries that Moscow might use unrest in Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking areas as a pretext for a military invasion. The confrontations on Sunday, however, indicated that the central government in Kiev had now decided to try to restore its authority in the east by force, a course of action that Moscow has repeatedly warned against. With tens of thousands of Russian troops massed along Ukraine’s eastern border near Donetsk, the West worries that Moscow might use unrest in Ukraine’s mainly Russian-speaking areas as a pretext for a military invasion.
The demands of pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine keep shifting between outright secession and greater autonomy within Ukraine. But calls for unity with Russia now seem to predominate, heightening concerns in the West that Moscow is orchestrating the disorder in preparation for a push across the border. Moscow has denied having any plans to invade Ukraine. The demands of pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine keep shifting between outright secession and greater autonomy within Ukraine. But calls for unity with Russia now seem to predominate, heightening concerns in the West that Moscow is orchestrating the disorder in preparation for a push across the border. Moscow has repeatedly denied having any plans to invade Ukraine.
Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, called an emergency meeting late Saturday of the country’s national security council to discuss the escalating crisis in country’s eastern portion. Fears that the government is losing control have been fueled by the militants’ seizure of a large number of weapons over the past week. About 300 automatic rifles were taken from the Donetsk offices of the state security service after it was taken over briefly by pro-Russian protesters last weekend, and according to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, 400 Makarov handguns and 20 automatic weapons were looted on Saturday from the police station in Slovyansk. Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, called an emergency meeting late Saturday of the country’s national security council to discuss the escalating crisis in country’s eastern portion. Fears that the government is losing control have been fueled by the militants’ seizure of a large number of weapons over the past week. About 300 automatic rifles were taken from the Donetsk offices of the state security service after they were taken over briefly by pro-Russian protesters last weekend. And, according to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry, 400 Makarov handguns and 20 automatic weapons were looted on Saturday from the police station in Slovyansk.
“The goal of the takeover was the guns,” the ministry said.“The goal of the takeover was the guns,” the ministry said.
In Washington, the White House expressed concern on Saturday at “the concerted campaign we see underway in eastern Ukraine today by pro-Russian separatists, apparently with support from Russia,” and warned Moscow not to intervene. It said Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. would travel to Kiev next week, in a show of the United States’ support and to consult with government officials. In Washington, the White House expressed concern on Saturday at “the concerted campaign we see underway in eastern Ukraine today by pro-Russian separatists, apparently with support from Russia,” and warned Moscow not to intervene. It said Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. would travel to Kiev this week, in a show of the United States’ support and to consult with government officials.
During a call with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Saturday afternoon, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed strong concern that the day’s attacks by armed militants in eastern Ukraine had been orchestrated and synchronized, similar to previous attacks in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, a senior State Department official said. During a call with the Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov, on Saturday afternoon, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed strong concern that the day’s attacks by armed militants in eastern Ukraine had been orchestrated and synchronized, similar to previous attacks in eastern Ukraine and Crimea, a senior State Department official said. Militants were equipped with specialized Russian weapons and the same uniforms as those worn by the Russian forces that invaded Crimea.
Militants were equipped with specialized Russian weapons and the same uniforms as those worn by the Russian forces that invaded Crimea. The secretary of state made clear that if Russia did not take steps to de-escalate in eastern Ukraine and move its troops back from Ukraine’s border, there would be additional consequences. The secretary of state made clear that if Russia did not take steps to de-escalate the situation in eastern Ukraine and move its troops back from Ukraine’s border, there would be additional consequences.
In Moscow, Mr. Lavrov warned that any use of force against the pro-Russian activists would undermine talks — meant to resolve the crisis — which are scheduled for April 17 in Geneva and are to involve Russia, the European Union and the United States. In Moscow, Mr. Lavrov warned that any use of force against the pro-Russian activists would undermine talks meant to resolve the crisis and scheduled for April 17 in Geneva. The talks are to involve Russia, the European Union and the United States.