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Fatal conflict raises tensions in eastern Ukraine on Easter Sunday Fatal clash at Ukrainian checkpoint shreds cease-fire on Easter Sunday
(about 1 hour later)
SVIATOHIRSK, Ukraine — A truce called by the government to mark the Easter holiday was shredded early Sunday by a gunfight that left at least one dead and three wounded at a checkpoint occupied by pro-Russia militia outside a breakaway city in eastern Ukraine. SLOVYANSK, Ukraine — Just hours after Ukraine’s government declared an Easter truce, a gunfight erupted early Sunday, leaving three people dead at a checkpoint manned by a pro-Russia militia outside this restive city in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry quickly seized on the clash as evidence that the new Ukraine government could not keep order and was violating an agreement signed last week in Geneva to de-escalate the conflict. It was the worst violence since diplomats from the United States, European Union, Russian and Ukraine signed an agreement last week in Geneva that sought to de-escalate tension in the region.
The mayor of Slavyansk, where the clash took place, appeared on a Russian TV news channel after the event to beg President Vladimir Putin to send “peacekeepers” into Ukraine to protect the population. The Russian Foreign Ministry quickly seized on the Easter Sunday clash as evidence that the new Ukrainian government could not keep order and was violating the deal.
Leaders of the new Ukraine government fear that Putin is looking for an excuse that would allow him to take more direct action in eastern Ukraine, where many of the citizens speak Russian. The new mayor of Slovyansk begged Russian President Vladimir Putin to send “peacekeepers” to protect the people.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry in Kiev said two groups fought over a makeshift barricade of tires and barbed wire north of Slavyansk around 3 a.m. and that an investigation was ongoing. Ukraine’s leaders fear that Putin is looking for any excuse to take more direct action in the nation’s east, where many residents speak Russian and distrust the Kiev authorities. The Security Service of Ukraine called Sunday’s attack a “cynical provocation” staged by pro-Russia elements.
Police in Slavyansk gave the Interfax news agency a higher death toll, saying that three men belonging to the so-called “Donetsk People’s Republic,” a political and militia group composed of separatists and others who oppose the new government in Kiev, were killed in the clash and that others fled the scene with their wounded and dead. “President Putin has a dream to restore the Soviet Union, and every day he goes further and further, and God knows where is the final destination,” Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” The United States says that about 40,000 Russian troops are gathered along the Russian-Ukrainian border.
It was difficult to independently establish who fought against whom and exactly how many were dead or injured. The violence came as celebrants across eastern Ukraine streamed into churches and visited historic monasteries to renew flagging spirits and to have monks bless with holy water their covered baskets containing hard-boiled eggs, sweet breads and often a bottle of wine.
The shooting quickly stirred passions in eastern Ukraine, where groups of armed self-defense militia opposed to the new central authority in Kiev have taken over police stations and city halls along an arc of cities close to the Russian border. Yet crowds were thin at the Sviatohirsk monastery on the Donet River, a 30-minute drive north of where the firefight occurred. Where usually thousands would gather to receive the Easter blessing, there were a few hundred on Sunday morning.
Moscow quickly took the side of the pro-Russia activists. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said “innocent civilians” were attacked by “militants” of the an ultra-nationalist, far-right organization called Right Sector, which emerged as a paramilitary group during the protests in Kiev that ousted former Ukraine President Viktor Yanokovych and his government. “People don’t know what tomorrow will be, and so we’re just happy to stay close to home,” said Sergiy, an office worker, who came to the Russian Orthodox church in downtown Donetsk rather than drive out to the countryside. He declined to give his full name because of the sensitivity of the political situation.
“The Russian side is enraged by the militant provocation, which is an indication of the reluctance of the authorities in Kiev to bridle and disarm nationalists and extremists,” a ministry statement read. He mentioned the checkpoints as a good reason not to venture too far.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said, “local residents seized the vehicles of the attackers in which they discovered arms, aerial maps of the area and Right Sector paraphernalia.” Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said Sunday’s clash was between two groups that fought over a makeshift barricade of tires and barbed wire north of Slovyansk around 3 a.m.
A spokesman for Right Sector said the group played no part in the clash and instead charged that Russian special forces and intelligence officers had staged a provocation. Police in Slovyansk told Russia’s Interfax news agency that the three dead men belonged to the “Donetsk People’s Republic,” a political and militia group composed of separatists and others who oppose the Kiev government. The police said the men who attacked the checkpoint fled.
Hours after the shooting, the new self-proclaimed mayor of Slavyansk pleaded for help from Putin. One of those killed was a 60-year-old bus driver, according to the Kiev Post.
“Fascists and imperialists are trying to conquer us by killing and injuring civilians,” said Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the mayor. “They want to make slaves from us. They are not negotiating with us — they are simply killing us.” It was difficult to independently establish who fought against whom. The government in Kiev had declared an Easter truce, which had raised hopes that both sides would refrain from violence on the holiday.
The heated rhetoric arises as pro-Russia separatists have refused to abide by a settlement reached last week in Geneva between the United States, the European Union, Russia and Ukraine seeking to de-escalate the conflict by offering general amnesty to those who surrender their weapons and abandon public buildings occupied in recent weeks. New round of finger-pointing
It was difficult for non-Russian journalists to reach site of the armed clash on Sunday. A group of reporters was turned back by an angry armed defender. Checkpoints that had been manned by unarmed pro-Russia militia now featured men in black masks with sidearms and rifles. The shooting stirred passions in Ukraine, where armed militias opposed to the Kiev authorities have taken over police stations and city halls in a cluster of eastern cities close to the Russian border.
Photographs taken as the scene of the clash showed two burned vehicles pocked with bullet holes. Moscow quickly took the side of the pro-Russia activists. In a statement, the Russian Foreign Ministry said “innocent civilians” were attacked by “militants” from an ultra-nationalist, far-right organization called Right Sector, which emerged as a paramilitary group during protests in Kiev that ousted Viktor Yanokovych from the presidency in February and ushered in a pro-Western government.
One of the men from the pro-Russia cadre who staffed the checkpoint where the clash took place told the Associated Press he and his companions were celebrating Easter when unknown men drove up in four vehicles and opened fire early Sunday morning. “The Russian side is enraged by the militant provocation,” the ministry declared, accusing Kiev of failing to disarm “nationalists and extremists.”
“We began to shoot back from behind the barricades and we threw molotov cocktails at them,” Yuri Zhadobin, who coordinates the pro-Russian unit, said. The Russians said locals had discovered arms, aerial maps and Right Sector paraphernalia at the scene.
A spokesman for Right Sector said that the group played no part in the clash and that Russian special forces and intelligence officers had staged a provocation.
In a statement, the Security Service of Ukraine said the violence was orchestrated by pro-Russia elements trying to stir up trouble. It said evidence was planted at the scene, including new $100 bills, the business card of an ultra-nationalist leader and a World War II-era gun.
Ukrainian officials have expressed concern that Putin’s government may move military forces into eastern Ukraine, as it did in Crimea, another area with linguistic and historical ties to Russia. Moscow annexed Crimea last month.
Hours after the shooting, the mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, pleaded for help from Putin.
“Fascists and imperialists are trying to conquer us by killing and injuring civilians,” Ponomarev said. “They want to make slaves of us.”
Pro-Russia separatists have refused to abide by the settlement reached last week in Geneva that offers a general amnesty to those who surrender their weapons and abandon public buildings that have been occupied in recent weeks.
It was difficult for non-Russian journalists to reach the site of the clash Sunday. One group of reporters, including a Washington Post correspondent, was turned back by an armed man. Checkpoints that were staffed last week by unarmed members of a pro-Russia militia now featured men with sidearms and rifles.
Photographs taken at the scene of the clash showed two burned vehicles pocked with bullet holes.
One of the men staffing the checkpoint told the Associated Press that he and his companions were celebrating Easter in the early morning hours when unknown men drove up in four vehicles and opened fire.
“We began to shoot back from behind the barricades and we threw molotov cocktails at them,” Yuri Zhadobin, who coordinates the pro-Russian group, told the AP.
‘Psychological stress’
That the attack occurred during Easter celebrations has shaken Ukrainians.
“After Easter we have hopes for a political change, an end to this psychological stress,” said Lilya, a 37-year-old accountant who was visiting the monastery at Nikolskoe.
She said she favored some kind of federation that would give this region more independence from Kiev, but she didn’t think it should necessarily become a part of Russia.
“It’s all so complicated,” she said, declining to give her last name because of the delicate political situation.
The monastery she was visiting was founded by the monk Zosima, who was said to be a miracle worker and who died in 2002.
Because Zosima had been the confessor and spiritual adviser of Yanukovych, the ousted president, opposition leaders said they suspected that he came to hide in the monastery after he was overthrown.
Father Pheophan, the monk in charge of security, said this was not true and was simply another rumor in a country of rumors.
As he stood beneath rows of icons painted in gold, contemplating the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the monk said, “You look around the countryside, you see lots of monuments from the Second World War? We had a lot of heroes, a lot of fighting. We like to think that nobody can put the people of Donetsk on their knees.”
Alex Ryabchyn in Nikolskoe and Katie Zezima in Washington contributed to this report.