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Kiev orders military moves in eastern Ukraine; Russians threatens retaliation Russia threatens retaliation as Kiev orders military moves in eastern Ukraine
(about 4 hours later)
HORLIVKA, Ukraine — The Ukrainian government Wednesday ordered the resumption of military operations against pro-Russian militants in the east after a local political supporter was kidnapped and killed, and Russia warned that it would retaliate if its citizens or interests were attacked. HORLIVKA, Ukraine — Russia warned Wednesday that it was prepared to retaliate against any attack on its citizens or interests in Ukraine, as the Kiev government resumed military operations against pro-Russian militants in the eastern part of the country.
“If we are attacked, we would certainly respond,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow in an interview with the RT television network. “If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians, have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia, for example, I do not see any other way but to respond in accordance with international law.” His reference to South Ossetia recalled the five-day war fought between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, when Moscow acted to protect pro-Russian secessionists in the Georgian territory. The escalation came as U.S. paratroopers landed in Poland to begin training exercises intended as a sign of support for American allies in the region.
“Russian citizens being attacked is an attack against the Russian Federation,” Lavrov said. “If we are attacked, we would certainly respond,” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in Moscow in an interview with the RT television network, recalling the five-day war between Russia and Georgia in August 2008, when Moscow acted to protect pro-Russian secessionists in the breakaway Georgian region of South Ossetia.
He spoke as tensions escalated following the discovery in eastern Ukraine of the body of a local politician who supported Ukrainian unity. He had been tortured and dumped in a river, Ukrainian authorities said. “If our interests, our legitimate interests, the interests of Russians, have been attacked directly, like they were in South Ossetia, for example, I do not see any other way but to respond in accordance with international law.”
“The terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far,” said acting President Oleksandr Turchynov after officials identified the stabbed and bruised body of politician Volodymyr Rybak. His corpse and that of another man — so far unidentified — were found Saturday near Slovyansk, a city that international observers say is completely controlled by armed groups of pro-Russian activists. “Russian citizens being attacked is an attack against the Russian Federation,” Lavrov said. He also accused the United States of directing the actions of the Ukrainian government in a “hands-on manner,” noting that Ukraine had ordered Wednesday’s military action only after a Tuesday visit from Vice President Biden.
The declaration from Lavrov — which echoes warnings given by the Russian government before Moscow’s annexation of Crimea last month — followed the discovery in eastern Ukraine of the body of a local politician who supported Ukrainian unity. He had been tortured and dumped in a river after being kidnapped last week, Ukrainian authorities said Wednesday.
“The terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far,” Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, said after officials identified the stabbed and bruised body of Volodymyr Rybak. His corpse and that of another man — so far unidentified — were found Saturday near Slovyansk, a city that international observers say is controlled by armed pro-Russian activists.
“These crimes are being committed with the full support and connivance of the Russian Federation,” Turchynov said.“These crimes are being committed with the full support and connivance of the Russian Federation,” Turchynov said.
Rybak was kidnapped Thursday by four men who hustled him into a vehicle outside the City Hall in Horlivka, a depressed industrial and mining city about 26 miles northeast of the regional capital, Donetsk. Rybak, a local council member, had tried to lower the flag of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” at City Hall and replace it with the Ukrainian flag. A politician’s killing
There has been a rise in reports of beatings, disappearances and detentions in recent days. On Tuesday, the police chief of Kramatorsk was taken out of his station by armed men. The Kyiv Post newspaper reported Wednesday that 12 people have been kidnapped over the past week in Slovyansk and Horlivka. Rybak was kidnapped Thursday by four men in military uniforms who hustled him into a vehicle outside City Hall in Horlivka, a depressed industrial and mining city about 26 miles northeast of the regional capital, Donetsk. Rybak, a local council member, had tried to lower the flag of the “Donetsk People’s Republic” at City Hall and replace it with the Ukrainian flag.
Rybak’s wife, Elena, said in an interview soon after her husband was taken, that she feared the worst. “He was a police and knows how to defend himself,” she said. “He would not have gone anywhere without a fight.”
Her hands shook as she held a cellphone and waited for a call. A friend told her that Rybak would call soon. “I don’t think so,” she said.
She and her adult son identified Rybak’s body Wednesday.
Vasilii Mirozhnik, who knew Rybak well at City Hall, said, “He was a regular guy, a popular guy, with strong opinions, always fighting for justice.”
Mirozhnik wore a Ukrainian flag pin on his lapel. Asked about it, he said, “Why not? It’s my country. I am proud of it.”
For many residents here, the flag they fly — Ukrainian or Russian — is of profound importance. In the past few days, people who want to remain in a united Ukraine — though with more self-government and say-so over budget issues — have begun to assert themselves in rallies and flash mobs organized over social media.
Rising violence
There has been a rise in reports of beatings, disappearances and detentions in recent days. On Tuesday, the police chief of Kramatorsk was taken out of his station by armed men, the deputy mayor was beaten, and the city’s security service building was occupied.
The Kyiv Post newspaper reported Wednesday that 12 people have been kidnapped over the past week in Slovyansk and Horlivka.
“It’s chaos,” said Yurii Zhuk, a fellow deputy on the Horlivka City Council with Rybak. He said he did not know who kidnapped and killed Rybak. “They’re outsiders,” he said. “Radical elements.”“It’s chaos,” said Yurii Zhuk, a fellow deputy on the Horlivka City Council with Rybak. He said he did not know who kidnapped and killed Rybak. “They’re outsiders,” he said. “Radical elements.”
Zhuk said that “the police were useless.” In a video taken right before Rybak was kidnapped, police in blue uniforms are visible in the crowd. “They’re demoralized,” he said. “They’re divided.” Zhuk said that “the police were useless.” In a video taken right before Rybak was kidnapped, police officers in blue uniforms are visible in the crowd. “They’re demoralized,” he said. “They’re divided.”
Oleg Gubanov, another City Council member, said the killing of Rybak and other violence is driven by “third parties who want to destabilize the situation.” Oleg Gubanov, another City Council member, said the killing of Rybak and other violence are driven by “third parties who want to destabilize the situation.”
Several Ukrainian reporters have been arrested. Several Ukrainian reporters have been arrested. And an American journalist, Simon Ostrovsky, who works for Vice News, has been detained since Tuesday morning in Slovyansk. The leader of the pro-Russian forces in Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, said Wednesday that Ostrovsky had been detained by “self-defense forces” in the city, Interfax reported. “According to our information, he is an informer for Pravy Sektor,” the right-wing Ukrainian nationalist organization, Ponomaryov told the news agency.
An American journalist, Simon Ostrovsky, who works for Vice News, was detained Tuesday in Slovyansk. “The journalist has normal living conditions and is being fed,” he said.
Stella Khorosheva, a spokeswoman for the pro-Russian insurgents in Slovyansk, told the Associated Press that Ostrovsky is “fine” and is “suspected of bad activities,” which she did not explain. To the north and west of Ukraine, a company of 150 U.S. paratroopers landed in Poland on Wednesday to begin exercises with the Polish military, a move that has been greeted with relief by Eastern European leaders who fear Russian military actions near their borders. Three other similar-size companies of U.S. troops will be sent to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia over the next several days.
There was no immediate evidence Wednesday morning that Kiev’s military operations had begun. There was, however, diplomatic fallout. Birnbaum reported from Moscow.
Lavrov said the order for force to be used against pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine came at the bidding of the United States and was instigated by Vice President Biden’s visit to Kiev on Tuesday.
“So I have no grounds not to think that Americans direct this show in the most hands-on manner,” Lavrov told RT television. “They have an excessive influence. They act much more openly and without any remorse, if one compares them with Europeans, who act more covertly.”
Biden pledged additional American aid Tuesday to help the new central government in Kiev, as the Pentagon announced that it would respond to Russia’s involvement in Ukraine by sending about 600 U.S. troops to conduct exercises and training in Poland and the three Baltic states.
Russian flags fly over a few dozen government buildings, city halls and police stations in eastern Ukraine. Some of the buildings remain heavily fortified, taken over by the activists. Other buildings are open for business, and residents renew driver’s licenses or register births, as only a small group of unarmed self-defense militia members loiter outside.
Biden, the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit Ukraine since Russia’s move into Crimea two months ago, demanded Tuesday that Russia push the groups under its sway to vacate the government buildings they have occupied and to send representatives to work with international monitors in the volatile region.
In Washington, Rear Adm. John Kirby, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters that the U.S. troop deployment would begin with the arrival Wednesday in Poland of about 150 paratroopers based in Vicenza, Italy. Three other paratrooper companies from the 173rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team will arrive in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia no later than Monday, Kirby added.
“Since Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, we have been constantly looking at ways to reassure allies and partners,” Kirby said. “If there’s a message to Moscow, it is the same exact message, that we take our obligations very, very seriously on the continent of Europe.”
He said the exercises were expected to last about a month but that the paratroopers would be replaced by other U.S. troops on a rotational basis. “What we’re after here is a persistent presence,” Kirby said.
Birnbaum reported from Moscow. Branigin reported from Washington. Scott Wilson in Kiev and Karen DeYoung and Craig Whitlock in Washington contributed to this report.