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| Ukraine Says It Will ‘Blockade’ Pro-Russian Militants | Ukraine Says It Will ‘Blockade’ Pro-Russian Militants |
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| KIEV, Ukraine — Defying warnings from Moscow not to confront pro-Russian militants entrenched in towns across eastern Ukraine, the interim central government in Kiev on Friday threatened to “blockade” the Kremlin’s allies in the eastern city of Slovyansk, and told Russian troops on maneuvers that any crossing of the border would be seen as an invasion. | KIEV, Ukraine — Defying warnings from Moscow not to confront pro-Russian militants entrenched in towns across eastern Ukraine, the interim central government in Kiev on Friday threatened to “blockade” the Kremlin’s allies in the eastern city of Slovyansk, and told Russian troops on maneuvers that any crossing of the border would be seen as an invasion. |
| The declarations reflected heightened worries that the government’s efforts to move against forces aligned with Moscow would trigger a Russian incursion under the guise of a humanitarian or peacekeeping initiative. | The declarations reflected heightened worries that the government’s efforts to move against forces aligned with Moscow would trigger a Russian incursion under the guise of a humanitarian or peacekeeping initiative. |
| In another ominous sign of escalating tensions, Russian fighter jets have made about a half-dozen incursions back and forth across the Ukrainian border over the past 24 hours, the Pentagon said late Friday. "We call upon the Russians to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation," Col. Steven H. Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a statement. | |
| Meanwhile, a group of foreign military observers traveling under the auspices of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe, along with their Ukrainian military hosts, were detained by pro-Russia separatists in Slovyansk. It was unclear precisely how many were in the group, but the detention appeared to be the first time that members of the Ukraine armed forces had been taken into custody by the separatists. | |
| Unconfirmed reports earlier had identified the detainees as monitors from the O.S.C.E. who were in Ukraine as part of an agreement, which now appears to have all-but unraveled, to ease the crisis. But O.S.C.E. officials said all their monitors had been accounted for. Tatyana Baeva, a spokeswoman for the organization in Vienna, said the reports had evidently been referring to a German-led group of eight unarmed military inspectors visiting under a separate O.S.C.E. treaty. | Unconfirmed reports earlier had identified the detainees as monitors from the O.S.C.E. who were in Ukraine as part of an agreement, which now appears to have all-but unraveled, to ease the crisis. But O.S.C.E. officials said all their monitors had been accounted for. Tatyana Baeva, a spokeswoman for the organization in Vienna, said the reports had evidently been referring to a German-led group of eight unarmed military inspectors visiting under a separate O.S.C.E. treaty. |
| A pro-Russian militant leader in Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, was quoted by Russia’s Interfax News Agency as saying his group was attempting to verify the identities of the detainees, who had been stopped on a bus that he said was carrying ammunition. | A pro-Russian militant leader in Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, was quoted by Russia’s Interfax News Agency as saying his group was attempting to verify the identities of the detainees, who had been stopped on a bus that he said was carrying ammunition. |
| The events on Friday morning were marked by an icy hostility between Moscow and Washington. Interim Ukrainian leaders said operations to expel pro-Russian militants in eastern cities would continue, even though military action so far has done little more than prompt Russia to stage military exercises on Ukraine’s border and raise concerns about Moscow’s next move. | The events on Friday morning were marked by an icy hostility between Moscow and Washington. Interim Ukrainian leaders said operations to expel pro-Russian militants in eastern cities would continue, even though military action so far has done little more than prompt Russia to stage military exercises on Ukraine’s border and raise concerns about Moscow’s next move. |
| “Attempts at military conflict in Ukraine will lead to a military conflict in Europe,” Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, told the interim cabinet, according to remarks broadcast live and posted on the government’s website. “The world has not yet forgotten World War II, but Russia already wants to start World War III.” | “Attempts at military conflict in Ukraine will lead to a military conflict in Europe,” Ukraine’s interim prime minister, Arseniy P. Yatsenyuk, told the interim cabinet, according to remarks broadcast live and posted on the government’s website. “The world has not yet forgotten World War II, but Russia already wants to start World War III.” |
| The acting head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Serhiy Pashynskyi, said the operation to dislodge “terrorists” was continuing in and around Slovyansk and would now focus on “totally blockading” it to prevent militants from getting reinforcements and supplies. He also reported Russian military movements overnight at four locations on the Russian side of the border that involved “400 tanks, armored vehicles and rocket launchers.” | The acting head of Ukraine’s presidential administration, Serhiy Pashynskyi, said the operation to dislodge “terrorists” was continuing in and around Slovyansk and would now focus on “totally blockading” it to prevent militants from getting reinforcements and supplies. He also reported Russian military movements overnight at four locations on the Russian side of the border that involved “400 tanks, armored vehicles and rocket launchers.” |
| “In the event of any crossing of the border by Russian troops, we will qualify this as an invasion and we will eliminate the invaders,” he said at a news conference in Kiev. | “In the event of any crossing of the border by Russian troops, we will qualify this as an invasion and we will eliminate the invaders,” he said at a news conference in Kiev. |
| Ukraine’s interim defense minister, Mykhailo Koval, was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Friday as saying Russian troops on maneuvers had approached to within 1,100 yards of the border but had not crossed. There was no independent corroboration of the minister’s account. | Ukraine’s interim defense minister, Mykhailo Koval, was quoted by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on Friday as saying Russian troops on maneuvers had approached to within 1,100 yards of the border but had not crossed. There was no independent corroboration of the minister’s account. |
| Reporters in Slovyansk said there were signs of Ukrainian infantry units patrolling farmland northwest of the city, a day after Ukraine sought to dislodge pro-Russian forces from checkpoints. On the road to Izyum, north of Slovyansk, a combined force of soldiers and Interior Ministry forces seemed to be well armed. In nearby Kramatorsk, a Ukrainian military transport helicopter was set afire, but the cause of the blaze was unclear. | Reporters in Slovyansk said there were signs of Ukrainian infantry units patrolling farmland northwest of the city, a day after Ukraine sought to dislodge pro-Russian forces from checkpoints. On the road to Izyum, north of Slovyansk, a combined force of soldiers and Interior Ministry forces seemed to be well armed. In nearby Kramatorsk, a Ukrainian military transport helicopter was set afire, but the cause of the blaze was unclear. |
| In a posting on Facebook, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Ukraine’s military operations in the east — known as “ATO,” meaning antiterrorist operation — had not been suspended, despite local news reports to the contrary. | In a posting on Facebook, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Ukraine’s military operations in the east — known as “ATO,” meaning antiterrorist operation — had not been suspended, despite local news reports to the contrary. |
| “The ATO goes on,” he said. “The terrorists should be on their guard around the clock. Civilians have nothing to fear.” | “The ATO goes on,” he said. “The terrorists should be on their guard around the clock. Civilians have nothing to fear.” |
| Russia has repeatedly denied having a hand in the unrest convulsing eastern Ukraine or any intention to invade. But an announcement on Thursday by Moscow that it would immediately start military maneuvers along the border with Ukraine, and a threat by Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, of unspecified consequences for Ukraine as a result of what he called a “serious crime,” signaled a combustible new phase in a geopolitical struggle set off by the overthrow of Ukraine’s government in February. | Russia has repeatedly denied having a hand in the unrest convulsing eastern Ukraine or any intention to invade. But an announcement on Thursday by Moscow that it would immediately start military maneuvers along the border with Ukraine, and a threat by Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, of unspecified consequences for Ukraine as a result of what he called a “serious crime,” signaled a combustible new phase in a geopolitical struggle set off by the overthrow of Ukraine’s government in February. |
| The heightened tensions have buried already faint hopes that a deal reached April 17 in Geneva by diplomats from the European Union, Russia, Ukraine and the United States might calm a crisis, stirring fears of a wider conflict over Ukraine, a nation of 46 million on a volatile fault line between Europe and Russia. | The heightened tensions have buried already faint hopes that a deal reached April 17 in Geneva by diplomats from the European Union, Russia, Ukraine and the United States might calm a crisis, stirring fears of a wider conflict over Ukraine, a nation of 46 million on a volatile fault line between Europe and Russia. |
| In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russia on Thursday night that it would face additional economic sanctions if it failed to carry out that agreement. “The window to change course is closing,” he said. | In Washington, Secretary of State John Kerry warned Russia on Thursday night that it would face additional economic sanctions if it failed to carry out that agreement. “The window to change course is closing,” he said. |
| The threat of intensified sanctions was underscored on Friday when the rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded its assessment of Russia. | The threat of intensified sanctions was underscored on Friday when the rating agency Standard & Poor’s downgraded its assessment of Russia. |
| “In our view, the tense geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine could see additional significant outflows of both foreign and domestic capital from the Russian economy and hence further undermine already weakening growth prospects,” the agency wrote. | “In our view, the tense geopolitical situation between Russia and Ukraine could see additional significant outflows of both foreign and domestic capital from the Russian economy and hence further undermine already weakening growth prospects,” the agency wrote. |
| In his most detailed accusation of Russian interference to date, Mr. Kerry said American intelligence services had concluded that Russia’s military intelligence services and “special operators” were “playing an active role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine with personnel, weapons, operational planning and coordination.” | In his most detailed accusation of Russian interference to date, Mr. Kerry said American intelligence services had concluded that Russia’s military intelligence services and “special operators” were “playing an active role in destabilizing eastern Ukraine with personnel, weapons, operational planning and coordination.” |
| “Some of the individual special operations personnel who were active on Russia’s behalf in Chechnya, Georgia and Crimea have been photographed in Slovyansk, Donetsk and Luhansk,” Mr. Kerry said. “Some are even bragging about it by themselves on their Russian social media sites.” | “Some of the individual special operations personnel who were active on Russia’s behalf in Chechnya, Georgia and Crimea have been photographed in Slovyansk, Donetsk and Luhansk,” Mr. Kerry said. “Some are even bragging about it by themselves on their Russian social media sites.” |
| On Friday, Mr. Kerry’s Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, hit back, accusing Washington of seeking only to further its interests in Ukraine. | On Friday, Mr. Kerry’s Russian counterpart, Sergey V. Lavrov, hit back, accusing Washington of seeking only to further its interests in Ukraine. |
| “The West wants to take control of Ukraine while exclusively putting its geopolitical interests, not the interests of the Ukrainian people, at the forefront,” Mr. Lavrov said at a conference of young diplomats from former Soviet republics. “This is not our method. We will not blackmail, we will not threaten, we are all polite people.” | “The West wants to take control of Ukraine while exclusively putting its geopolitical interests, not the interests of the Ukrainian people, at the forefront,” Mr. Lavrov said at a conference of young diplomats from former Soviet republics. “This is not our method. We will not blackmail, we will not threaten, we are all polite people.” |
| “Without batting an eye, our Western partners keep demanding day after day that Russia stop interfering in Ukrainian affairs, pull out troops and remove certain agents who have reportedly been caught in the southeast and who are reportedly guiding these processes,” Mr. Lavrov said. “I even find it difficult to respond. I try to make the conversation constructive.” | “Without batting an eye, our Western partners keep demanding day after day that Russia stop interfering in Ukrainian affairs, pull out troops and remove certain agents who have reportedly been caught in the southeast and who are reportedly guiding these processes,” Mr. Lavrov said. “I even find it difficult to respond. I try to make the conversation constructive.” |