Jump to content

Siege of Sloviansk

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Lvivske (talk | contribs) at 18:02, 23 May 2014 (Reverted to revision 609838902 by Lvivske (talk): No reason. (TW)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Siege of Sloviansk
Part of 2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

Insurgents occupying Sloviansk city council. The men are armed with Kalashnikov rifles and suspected Russian supplied RPG-26 rocket launchers
Date12 April 2014 – ongoing
(10 years, 7 months, 1 week and 4 days)
Location
Sloviansk, and surroundings, eastern Ukraine
Status
Belligerents
 Ukraine Donetsk People's Republic Donetsk Republic
 Russia (alleged)
Commanders and leaders
Ukraine Act. Pres. Oleksandr Turchynov
Ukraine Gen. Vasyl Krutov		 Donetsk People's Republic Vyacheslav Ponomarev
Russia Col. Igor Strelkov[5][6]
Units involved
Armed Forces of Ukraine
95th Airmobile Brigade[7]
25th Airborne Brigade Surrendered
National Guard

Donbass People's Militia
Pro-Russian militants & local auxiliaries

Russia Russian Cossack paramilitaries
South Ossetia Ossetian paramilitaries
Strength
15,000+ personnel
160 tanks
230 APCs
150+ artillery pieces[8]
20 helicopters[9]		 800[10]–1,000[11] fighters
6 captured APCs
Casualties and losses
8 soldiers killed[10][12]
1–2 SBU agents killed[13] and 3 captured[14]
1–2 militants killed[15]
police chief captured[14]
3 Mi-24 attack helicopters shot down[10][16]
1 Mi-8 transport helicopter[16] and 1 An-30 surveillance plane damaged[17]		 22–42 militants killed[18] and 4 captured[19]
10–12 civilians killed[20]
17 civilians and foreigners missing or kidnapped[14]

As unrest grew in eastern Ukraine in the aftermath of the 2014 Ukrainian revolution, masked men in fatigues and armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles captured the city administration building of Sloviansk, in Donetsk Oblast, on 12 April 2014.[21] These men, who claimed to be pro-Russian separatist insurgents under the banner of the Donetsk People's Republic, captured the town and began to fortify it. In response, the Ukrainian Yatsenyuk Government launched a series of Counter-offensives against the insurgents, resulting in an entrenched standoff and violent skirmishes.[22] As tensions increased in Sloviansk, the insurgents began to take journalists and others captive, instigating a hostage crisis. In describing the events, the Security Service of Ukraine stated that 'Sloviansk remains the hottest point in the region'.[23]

History

On 12 April, masked men in army fatigues and bulletproof vests, armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles captured the executive committee building, the police department and Security Service of Ukraine (SBU, Sluzhba Bezpeky Ukrayiny) office in Sloviansk, a city in the northern part of the Donetsk Oblast.[21][24] According to the Ukrainian Interior Ministry the militant supporters of the Donetsk Republic fired indiscriminately on the building.[25] In raiding the police armoury, the militants seized at least 400 handguns and 20 automatic weapons. "The aim of the takeover was the guns," a Ukrainian police statement said. "They are giving these guns to participants in the protest in Sloviansk."[26] The mayor of Sloviansk, Nelya Shtepa, supported the militants and claimed that the town administration building was seized by activists and militia volunteers, who removed the Ukrainian flag from the building and replaced it with a Russian one.[21] "I cannot object to them, since Slavyansk considers Russia its elder brother and we will not fight with Russia," she said of the militants.[27] A group of 150 people supported the armed militants outside the police station in Sloviansk and were hostile to journalists, telling them to "go back to Kiev".[21]

Start of the government 'anti-terror' operation

The following morning after the events in Sloviansk, the Ukrainian government announced a counter-terrorism operation would take place in the city.[22] An ultimatum was given by the Ukrainian government for separatists to disarm and surrender to authorities within the next 48 hours or face force.

Police began the operation by clearing a highway checkpoint controlled by separatists. A group of insurgents exited their vehicle and began opening fire on Ukrainian police, where two SBU officers were killed and several Ukrainian military personnel were injured; one separatist was also killed in the shootout while the remainder fled into the woods. The car the gunmen were in had a Poltava Oblast license plate, which was traced to the private security firm Yavir. In an unrelated shootout in the city itself, two people were shot dead by an assailant in plain clothes, and another wounded.[13]

By the next day Sloviansk itself was reported to be under pro-Russian command with larger government buildings and sections being taken by militants. The Ukrainian Ground Forces were deployed the same day following the ultimatum to lay down arms which was turned down by pro-Russian separatists. Two civilians were shot and killed at point blank range by Russian militants while in a car in Sloviansk; another was wounded.[28]

Masked armed men walking around the city

First offensive

Ukrainian forces launched their first military offensive to regain control of the Kramatorsk regional air base deploying several transportation helicopters and armoured vehicles. Heavy fighting was reported after militants attempted to regain control of the airport after the takeover but were repelled. Russian media estimated casualties between four and 11 deaths. The leader of the military operation Gen. Vasyl Krutov was attacked by pro-Russian sympathizers after addressing a crowd demonstrating in front of the air base. Ukrainian armoured movements were also reported circling the town of Sloviansk blockading all approachable entrances.[29]

Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema claimed that elements of the 45th Russian airborne division were spotted in Sloviansk area on 16 April.[30] Six captured Ukrainian armoured vehicles were brought through Sloviansk bearing the Russian flag by army deserters.[31] However military sources indicated capture as a result. The men guarding the carriers claimed to be from the Ukrainian 25th Airborne Brigade addressing their will not to fight fellow Ukrainians.[citation needed][32]

The 25th Airborne Brigade that had been blockading Sloviansk was then disbanded on orders from Ukraine's president, for surrendering their armoured carriers and defections. In addition, the government said that the soldiers responsible would be "held accountable in court".[31][33]

Sloviansk People's Mayor Ponomarev announced on 18 April a "hunt" on the Ukrainian speaking population of Donetsk region, telling militants to report suspicious activity, especially if they overheard use of the Ukrainian language.[34]

The Zhytomyr Armoured Brigade recaptured two of the six airborne combat vehicles near Kramatorsk late on 18 April. No fatalities were recorded and one separatist was wounded.[35] Following negotiations, a compromise was reached to return the remaining four BMDs to the Ukrainian military,[36] but an official from the Ministry of Defence announced that the vehicles were still in the hands of the rebels as of 23 April.[37]

In a later interview, Igor Strelkov, the commander of the pro-Russian forces at Sloviansk, claimed that they had six armoured vehicles, including a BMD-1, BMD-2, and a mortar carrier.[38]

Easter truce

Barricade in the city

A truce for the holiday of Easter was called for by the Ukrainian government, which promised to temporarily halt military action in eastern Ukraine on 19 April.

Pro-Russian members of the Donbass People's Militia began a pogrom targeting the Romani population of the town. According to the International Renaissance Foundation, a Ukrainian NGO, separatist militiamen entered houses inhabited by Romanis, beat the residents, including women and children, and robbed their property.[39] The militants claimed they were acting on orders from 'People's Mayor' and militant leader Vyacheslav Ponomarev.[40] Reports of the attacks were confirmed by Prime Minister Yatsenyuk, as well as a heightened level of xenophobic rhetoric at separatist rallies.[41] Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said that the government will not tolerate incitement of ethnic hatred and instructed law enforcement agencies to identify those involved in the attacks on Romani.[40][41] According to Ponomarev, he held talks with a Romani who he alleged were involved in drug trafficking, and "removed them from the city." Ponomarev said they were not attacks on Romani, but rather 'cleaning the city from drugs.'[42]

Separatists kidnapped euromaidan activist and journalist Irma Krat who had arrived in the city to cover the conflict. They later paraded her blindfolded in front of press.[43]

A gunfight took place at an anti-government controlled checkpoint. Pro-Russian groups claimed that three or four cars approached the checkpoint and opened fire on the separatists. There were conflicting reports on the number of those killed in the gunfight, and the identity of the alleged attackers remained unknown.[44]

The pro-Russian self-defence forces claim to have confiscated firearms including a German World War II-era MG-42 machine gun, a night vision device, aerial photos of Sloviansk, military uniforms, and camping tools, US cash, and an alleged Right Sector business card of presidential candidate Dmytro Yarosh.[44][45] Right Sector symbols including a medallion were also claimed to be found. Right Sector spokesman Artem Skoropadsky denied the group's involvement in the attack, and blamed Russian special forces for it.[46] "We don't have ID cards with numbers. We only have ID cards with letters, where we mention the department where the person works," said Borislav Bereza, head of the information department for Right Sector. CNN called the number on the calling card and reached a woman who appeared to be surprised she had been called. She said that she was in Kiev and had no relation to anyone in Right Sector.[44] Viktoriya Siumar, deputy head of Ukraine's National Security Council, also speaking to the BBC, said the shooting was being investigated, but said there were indications that it was "an argument between local criminal groups".[47]

Sky News correspondent Katie Stallard said there are inconsistencies in the separatists' accounts and there is no coherent evidence to back up what they were saying.[48] Daniel Sandford of the BBC described the evidence presented as 'dubious'.[47]

Barricades at entrance to a captured government building

By end of 20 April, it turned out that the Russian ru channel posted video and reports of the event to YouTube on 19 April. The video report of the events contained daylight footage despite the shooting taking place at 2am on 20 April.[49] The video released by Russian TV which claimed to show the identifying badges of the Right Sector turned out to have been filmed ten hours before the actual attack took place, as evidenced by the time stamp which the Russian camera crew forgot to remove.[50]

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said at least three separatists were killed and three wounded in what it suspected might have been an incident set up by Russian agents. "Armed lawbreakers and saboteurs who are terrorizing the local population around Slaviansk ... have turned to cynical provocation," the SBU security service said in a statement, describing the incident as a "staged attack". No group was present "other than the saboteurs and crime figures, supported and armed by officers of Russia's GRU" military intelligence, the SBU added. They also noted "One cannot but suspect the speed with which camera crews from Russian TV stations appeared at the scene of the shooting, and the obviously staged subject matter of news reports in the Russian media."[46] The alleged Dmytro Yarosh business card was widely mocked on Ukrainian and Russian social media.[51]

Following the incident, 'People's Mayor' Ponomarov appealed to Russia to intervene militarily.[52] Ponomarev then instituted a curfew in the city.[53]

It was later reported that the man killed at the checkpoint was Pavel Pavelko, a resident of the surrounding area.

Car outside of Sloviansk with Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) markings

OSCE monitors were barred from the city by the separatists on 21 April. An OSCE team "has been in Donetsk but has not yet made progress," one diplomat said. "They are trying to get back into Slovyansk, but pro-Russian demonstrators have been blocking the way." An OSCE assessment released Monday described the situation as "very tense" in Donetsk and as "deteriorating" in Sloviansk, where "the entire town is under the control of armed groups."[54]

Ukrainian officials distributed photos to the U.N and U.S councils allegedly depicting pro-Russian militants as undercover Russian special forces. Other photos showed militants equipped and dressed the same as Russian soldiers in Crimea.[55]

A Ukrainian military surveillance plane was hit and damaged by small arms fire as it was on a reconnaissance flight over the rebel-held eastern town of Sloviansk on 21 April, the defence ministry told AFP. The plane safely made an emergency landing, the ministry said. None of its crew members was hurt.[17][56] In addition, American journalist Simon Ostrovsky from Vice News was held captive by militants in the city.[57][58]

Military operation resumes

Ukraine's Interior Ministry said it had cleared separatist forces out of the vicinity of Sviatohirsk (Sloviansk municipality) as part of the ongoing "anti-terrorism" operation, and that no one was injured. "During the anti-terrorism operation by special forces, the city was freed," the ministry said in a statement posted on its website. "Currently Sviatohirsk and its surroundings are being patrolled by police." The town lies just outside of Sloviansk.[59]

Ponomarev promised to prevent presidential elections in Ukraine at any cost. "We will take all necessary measures so that elections in the southeast do not take place" – he said, referring not only to Sloviansk, but the whole of Ukraine. Asked how he would accomplish this, he responded, "We'll take somebody as hostage and hang him by the balls." He also promised to destroy dissent, calling it "a harsh truth of life."[60]

On 24 April, Ukrainian troops took control of three checkpoints surrounding the city, and according to the Interior Ministry, five insurgents were killed and one police officer wounded in the attacks. Each checkpoint was burned down. Ukrainian forces distributed leaflets to residents of Sloviansk encouraging them to remain peaceful, and the Ministry reported that Ponomarev announced that anyone seen with the leaflet will be "shot on the spot."[61]

The leadership of the Donetsk People's Republic told Interfax-Ukraine that "a combined arms operation has been launched in Sloviansk. This means only one thing: a civil war." Ukrainian officials alleged that the counter-insurgency operation intended to retake the all of Sloviansk on this day, but an increased threat of a Russian invasion halted the operation – Russian forces mobilized to within 10 km of the Ukrainian border. The government confirmed 7 were killed during the operation.[61]

Ukranian Forces surrounded Sloviansk supported by multiple armoured columns warning civilians to stay indoors ahead of a planned offensive against the rebel bastion on 25 April. The pro-Russian militant commander Ponomarev threatened to turn Sloviansk into a "Stalingrad" if Ukranian troops were to enter the town. He also reported only one checkpoint to the east of Sloviansk remained under separatist control while the rest were taken the previous day.[citation needed]

Government blockade

Ukrainian authorities informed that the second phase of the anti-terrorist operation in Sloviansk would include blockading the city to prevent any reinforcements from entering the city.[62]

In the city, it was reported that pro-Russian militants beat children who they caught photographing a separatist checkpoint. The news caused a backlash among residents in their opinion towards the militants.[63] BBC journalist Natalia Antelava was threatened at gunpoint by members of the Donbass People's Militia while attempting to interview locals.[64]

Russian media, citing Russian Ministry of Defense analysis, reported that Ukrainian forces planned to wipe out the entire population of the city;[65] this was denounced as propaganda in the Ukrainian press.[66] On 26 April, the Ukranian troops blockading the city began erecting checkpoints on all passable roads leading to Sloviansk. The Ukraine defence ministry announced the reason of the blockade was to prevent civilian casualties if the army attempted to take the town itself.[citation needed]

On 28 April, self-proclaimed "deputy mayor" of Sloviansk, Igor Perepechayenko, was arrested by SBU officers. Officials claimed Perepechayenko had been establishing contact with the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and the GRU, and was arrested at the Donetsk airport while returning from a flight from Moscow.[67]

Residents reported that gunmen from the Donbass militia began extorting shop owners in the local market for "rent" and had begun stealing expensive cars.[68]

Second offensive

During the early morning on 2 May, Ukrainian forces launched a large-scale operation to retake the city.[69] There were reports of gunfire, explosions, and a military helicopter opening fire, and separatists said one helicopter had been shot down,[69][70][71] and one of the pilots captured.[72] A commander at a separatist checkpoint told the Russian News & Information Agency that government forces took control of one of the roadblocks on the outskirts of Sloviansk, as well as the city's television broadcasting centre. A police station was reportedly re-captured, while the city centre remained quiet. Several armoured vehicles were seen outside the city.[71][73] Separatist authorities claim that three militants and two civilians were killed in the clashes. The Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs reports that up to nine checkpoints around Sloviansk were seized. They also acknowledge the shooting down of two Mi-24 helicopters and the death of two airmen.[74] Seven servicemen were wounded.[75] The pilot of one of the Mi-24s is understood to be badly wounded and to have been captured by pro-Russian forces.[76]

The fighting died down by afternoon,[74] but by the evening separatists launched a counteroffensive that killed two Ukrainian paratroopers at Andriivka, southwest of Sloviansk.[12] Ukrainian National Guard Commander Stepan Poltorak said that the town has been practically cleared of terrorists.[77]

After the helicopters were shot down, Ukrainian authorities stated that it was done with Russian man-portable air-defence systems (MANPADS).[78] Jane's Information Group editor and military analyst Nicholas de Larrinaga says that the use of "MANPADS outside of formal armed forces has historically been very rare" and that the type used was an Igla model, either the earlier 9K310 Igla-1 (SA-16 'Gimlet'), or the later 9K38 Igla (SA-18 'Grouse'), which are in service with both the Ukrainian and Russian armed forces.[76] An independent Russian military journalist, Pavel Felgenhauer, stated that the effective usage of MANPADS in Ukraine proves that not only the people who used it were specially trained, but that this weaponry was supplied by Russia. According to Felgenhauer, Soviet MANPADS would not be functioning right away, as they were equipped with a short-lived battery. On the other hand, MANPADS of the Ukrainian army (type Igla) would not hit a Ukrainian helicopter, because such systems have a friend-or-foe identification ability.[79]

During the fighting, about one-hundred civilians gathered outside the city hall to appeal for the aid of Russia.[80]

On 5 May, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has announced that Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting with pro-Russian separatists on the outskirts of the city, and said the separatists, numbering as many as 800, fired "large-caliber weapons," and "used mortars and other equipment." Four Ukrainian soldiers were killed and twenty more were wounded in fighting. He claimed 30 'terrorists' were killed this day, and dozens of combatants wounded. Igor Strelkov, Donbass Militia leader, told the Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti that "We lost around 10, including peaceful residents, and 20-25 were wounded." According to a statement on the Ministry's website, separatists used unarmed civilians as human shields as they attacked Ukrainian troops and set fire to nearby buildings, and that separatists fired at a minibus that was carrying wounded people from the battlefield, killing an officer in a special police unit who was escorting the minibus. Pro-Russian insurgents also shot down a Ukrainian M-24 helicopter in Sloviansk using a heavy machine gun.[81][82]

Post-referendum

On 12 May, following the local referendum Donbass People's Militia leader Igor Girkin (known as "Strelkov") declared himself "Supreme Commander" of the Donetsk People's Republic. In his decree, he demanded all military stationed in the region swear an oath of allegiance to him within 48 hours, and all remaining Ukrainian military will be declared war against.[83] Near Kramatorsk, rebels attacked a Ukrainian convoy the following day. Seven Ukrainian paratroopers were killed in the ambush.[84][85] A National Guard official claimed during a press conference that 54 insurgents were also killed in the battle,[86] but the Ministry of Defense reported only one killed and four wounded.[87]

The same day, crossfire led to houses being damaged and cars destroyed due to mortar shells landing in residential areas.[88]

Early on 15 May, a deputy of Strelkov issued a second ultimatum at a press conference, giving Ukraine 24 hours to withdraw its troops from Donetsk.[89] On the 23rd, he urged all residents of the city to evacuate after threatening to use artillery weapons which could lead to civilian casualties.[90]

Identity of militants

See also: Donetsk People's Republic § Identity of militants

Igor Strelkov, commander of the Donbass People's Militia in Sloviansk and alleged Russian Military Intelligence Colonel,[91] has denied Russian involvement in the insurgency. According to him his unit was formed in Crimea, and that 2/3rds of its members are Ukrainian citizens. Strelkov stated that the Sloviansk separatists had agreed to work with the leadership in Donetsk despite conflicts between rebel groups.[92]

Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the self-declared mayor of Sloviansk and a former military veteran says that he put out an appeal to old military friends to take part in the militia. "When I called on my friends, practically all of whom are ex military, they came to our rescue, not only from Russia but also from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Moldova," he said.[93]

On the Russian social network VK, a number of militants involved in Sloviansk conflict were identified: while some were locals from eastern Ukraine, others were involved in 'self-defence' groups that annexed Crimea. A number were Cossacks from Belorechensk, Krasnodar Krai, Russia, including Registered Cossacks of the Russian Federation. Several of these Cossacks, including Alexander Mozhaev (a Russian military veteran from Belorechensk) and Evgeny Ponomarev (a Russian Registered Cossack officer) form a unit called the 'Terek Wolves Sotnia', a reference to a detachment of White emigre Cossacks who fought for Nazi Germany during the second world war.[94][95] Following involvement in Crimea, Mozhaev says they "decided to go conquer some more historically Russian lands."[94]

The New York Times journalists interviewed Sloviansk militants and found no clear link of Russian support: "There was no clear Russian link in the 12th Company’s arsenal, but it was not possible to confirm the rebels’ descriptions of the sources of their money and equipment."[96]

Chechen and Caucasian paramilitary

On 4 May 2014, the United Ossetia party and the Union of Paratroopers in Georgia's breakaway South Ossetia announced the volunteer recruitment of veterans of the wars against Georgia for "protection of the peaceful population of Ukraine's southeast."[97] Video published by an Osset militant group indicated that they were operating in Donetsk.[98]

Separately, a union of Chechen war veterans announced it would do the same, claiming it had already sent over 1,000 soldiers Ukraine.[99][100] On 5 May, it was reported that Chechen rebels were sighted in Sloviansk.[101] According to Sloviansk National Guard commander Stepan Poltorak, the soldiers he witnessed this day were well trained, foreign actors, and "not of Slavic appearance."[102] The next day, the Kyiv Post reported on a YouTube video taken at checkpoint in Sloviansk on 3 May in which the soldiers speak a foreign language, neither Russian or Ukrainian, "fueling suspicions that Chechen soldiers have been sent to eastern Ukraine to cause further unrest."[103] On 7 May Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov threatened to send tens of thousands of Chechen "volunteers" to the south of Ukraine if the "junta" in Kiev continued its "punitive operations."[104] It has been reported that Kadyrov has engaged in an aggressive recruitment campaign in Chechnya for this operation, with witnesses claiming of recruitment centres in Grozny, Achkhoy-Martyan, Znamensky, and Gudermes.[105] The Kavkazcenter, the official website of the North Caucasus Islamic insurgency, claimed in mid-March, first, that the Chechen authorities had opened recruiting offices for "volunteers" wishing to fight in Ukraine and then that those offices had been suddenly closed.[106]

The Kavkazcenter posted what it said was a letter it had received from a member of one of the Chechen forces who had been sent to Sloviansk. The man, whom Kavkazcenter identified as "Musa," said morale among his unit was poor because they couldn't understand why they had been sent there and had no grievance against the Ukrainians who, "unlike the Russians, have never done anything bad to us."[106]

Hostages and abductions

A number of people have been abducted during the conflict, some as hostages. Separatist leader Vyacheslav Ponomarev has warned he will kill hostages if attacked, while accusing his captives of being "provocateurs."[107] Ponomarev has referred to them as "prisoners of war."[108] Ponomarev has said "I am warning that if we are attacked none of [the hostages] survives." The day prior to the Donetsk referendum he then said "now, in a time of war we don't have time for hostages, we will kill them all."[109]

As of 2 May, the Kyiv Post reported that 31 people remain missing or hostages in Donetsk oblast.[14]

List of reported abductions

Journalists

  • Serhiy Shapoval – Journalist for the Volyn Post[110] (released)[111]
  • Yuri Lelyavsky – Journalist for ZIK channel news, held on suspicion of being a "provocateur"[112]
  • Irma Krat – Leader of Maidan's "Women Hundred", Editor-in-chief of Hidden Truth TV, held for "war crimes" and suspicion of torturing and killing a Berkut riot police officer[113][114]
  • Serhiy Lefter – Journalist, held on suspicion of espionage and co-operation with Right Sector[113][114][115]
  • Yevhen Hapych – Journalist from the Ivano Frankivsk Oblast town of Kolomyia[113] (released)[116]
  • Clarissa Ward – Journalist for CBS News (detained and released)[117]
  • Mike Giglio – Journalist for Buzzfeed (kidnapped and released)[118]
  • Simon Ostrovsky – Russian-born Israeli-American journalist for Vice News, held on suspicion of being a Right Sector informant (released)[113][114]
  • Paul Gogo – French journalist (released)[113][114]
  • Cosimo Attanasio – Italian journalist (released)[113][114]
  • Dmitry Galko – Belarusian journalist (released)[113][114]

Public officials

  • Volodymyr Rybak – Horlivka city councilman (found murdered)[113]
  • Vadym Sukhono – Sloviansk City Councilman[113][115]
  • Nelya Shtepa – Sloviansk mayor[113]
  • Yakymov – Head of the Sloviansk medical forensics service (released)[113]

Other

  • Yuri Popravko – 19-year-old student from Kiev, murdered along with Rybak, found murdered in the river.[113][119]
  • Valeriy Salo – Head of the Prosvita in Krasny Lyman, captured by Donetsk Republic members, body found in Luhansk region with torched car[120]
  • Artem Deyneha – Sloviansk resident, kidnapped after he was observed setting up a webcam from the balcony of his family's apartment overlooking the occupied SBU building[113][115]
  • Vitaliy Kovalchuk – a claiming Right Sector member who attempted to capture guns from militants in Sloviansk[115] Later it was clarified that Kovalchuk is not member of Right Sector.[121][122]
  • Denis Grishchuk – A volunteer at the "Mystetskyi Arsenal" art center, abducted by Sloviansk separatists on 25 April[123]
  • Paul Ûrova – A theatre director, abducted by Sloviansk separatists on 25 April[123]

International military observers

Ukrainian military and security

  • Five representatives of the Ukrainian armed forces were also detained along with the OSCE mission (released)[128]
  • Vyacheslav Ponomarev and Russian media claim that separatists have captured 40 additional Ukrainian soldiers.[129]
  • Pro-Russian militants in Horlivka captured three SBU officers (LTC Rostyslav Kiyashko, MAJ Serhiy Potemsky, CPT Yevhen Verinsky), who were held in the SBU building in Sloviansk and publicly interrogated at a press conference, with a video of the interrogation being posted on YouTube. They were later released on 7 May in exchange for separatist leader Pavel Gubarev (released)[130][131]
  • Yuriy Zahrebelny – Prosecutor of Sloviansk (Zahrebelny was released following interrogation)[113]
  • Vitaliy Kolupai – Kramatorsk chief of police. Pro-Russian militants demanded weapons and arms in exchange for the police colonel's release[113]
  • Lieutenant-Colonel Oleg Prokhorov – Sloviansk chief of police (whereabouts unknown)[113]

Murder of Volodymyr Rybak

Ukraine's acting president relaunched military operations against pro-Russian militants in the east after two men, one a local politician, were found tortured to death. The politician, Volodymyr Ivanovych Rybak, from the Batkivshchyna party, was found near Sloviansk.[17] Both men had the same cause of death: "combined injuries due to torture and death by drowning while unconscious." Rybak was kidnapped by four pro-Russian militants in camouflage after he took part in a "For a United Ukraine" demonstration near the Horlivka city council building – he was found in the river with a backpack filled with sand around his back and gutted.[132] A statement by Ukraine's SBU state security service implicated Igor Bezler and Igor Strelkov – whom it describes as senior officers in Russia's GRU military intelligence services which is leading the pro-Russian separatist movement in eastern Ukraine – in the murder of Horlivka city council member Volodymyr Rybak.[133]

Rybak's wife, Elena, claimed at a news conference that checkpoints into the city of Horlivka are manned by Chechen militants, and they would not allow her to enter the city to identify his body.[134]

Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) released a YouTube video implicating Bezler with an alleged audio recording. In it, he allegedly orders a subordinate to abduct Rybak, tie his hands and blindfold him, and then drive him to a remote place so that he could rendezvous with the captors.[citation needed] In the second part of the recording, Russian Military Intelligence Colonel Igor Strelkov calls Vyacheslav Ponomarev "to come and pick up (Rybak's) body because it is starting to stink."[citation needed] In response, Ponomarev complies, and says he will come to take and "bury the punk."[135][failed verification]

Abduction of Simon Ostrovsky

On 22 April, Simon Ostrovsky of Vice News was detained by pro-Russian separatists.[58][113] "We had been looking into whether there were actual Russians involved in what's going on here – for the two days prior to me being captured," Ostrovsky said. "I had been phoning them and requesting interviews with them on that subject so maybe that's why they decided it was time to stop me." Recounting the experience, he claimed, "They beat me up as an introduction to the whole situation, blindfolded me, tied my hands behind my back," Ostrovsky said. "Then they eventually untied them and I was just hanging out in the room with the other prisoners."[136] Ostrovsky says his captors accused him of working for the CIA and FBI, and that during his stay "a dozen other nameless detainees were ferried in and out of the cellar of the Ukraine state security (SBU) building by the pro-Russia militants" and that many had been there for up to two weeks.[115]

When I refused to give the password to my laptop, I was smacked in the arm with a truncheon. When I was asleep on the floor, masked men came to wake me up and tell me how no one would miss me if I died, and then kicked me in the ribs as they left.

When asked of his whereabouts during a press conference, self-appointed mayor Ponomarev said "nobody abducted him, nobody is holding him hostage, he's with us now in at the SBU, preparing material and working."[58]

Stella Khoraeva, a spokeswoman for pro-Russian insurgents told the Associated Press that Ostrovsky was "fine" and "suspected of bad activities," but refused to explain. She added that the pro-Russian group was conducting an investigation into Ostrovsky's activities.[113] Khoraeva then said Ostrovsky was initially captured for spying on behalf of Ukrainian ultra-nationalists.[114] Ponomarev reciprocated this claim, saying "According to our information, he is an informer of Right Sector."[137] Later, she said that the insurgents had planned to take Ostrovsky, which was prompted from his "incorrect way" of reporting. "We knew where he was going and the men manning the checkpoint were told to look out for him," she said.[114]

Ponomarev has said his arrest was "so he wouldn't put out a lot of provocative commentary, so he wouldn't conduct hostile activity on our territory. In the final analysis, he is an undesirable element in our area." When asked when he would be released, he said he would be released "when we consider it necessary for him to get out, then we'll let him out." He also reiterated that he is not a hostage, but that they were 'defining his place of stay, so to speak.'[138] The self-styled mayor then said that Ostrovsky could be released in a trade: "We need captives. We need a bargaining chip. Many of our comrades are imprisoned. Those guys [Ukrainians] are grabbing them, then taking them to Kiev and torturing them. So then, we're doing the very same thing. That is, in the sense that we're taking captives," said Ponomarev.[139]

Jen Psaki, the US State Department spokeswoman, said US authorities are "deeply concerned" about the situation and are working to resolve it. "We condemn any such actions, and all recent hostage-takings in eastern Ukraine".[114]

On 24 April, Ostrovsky was released.[140]

International military observers detained

On 25 April near Sloviansk, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry lost contact with military inspectors from OSCE[141] participating States. The group, on an inspection mission under the Vienna Document on military transparency, was made up of three German soldiers, a German translator, and military observers from Czech Republic, Poland, Sweden and Denmark, a ministry spokesman said.[124] "In Donetsk region communication has been lost with members of the OSCE military verification mission ... According to preliminary reports, they could be captured by terrorists," the director of the ministry's information policy department, Yevhen Perebyinis, said at a briefing.[142] The Interior Ministry later confirmed that 13 people (seven members from OSCE countries, five Ukrainian military representatives, and the driver) had been taken hostage by pro-Russian militants and held in the SBU building.[143] Ponomarev says he believes the detained military observers have a Kiev "spy" in their group. "People who come here as observers for the European community bringing with them a real spy – that is inappropriate," Ponomarev told reporters.[144] He also claimed the detention was due to the bus having "banned ammunition on board,"[145] and he along with Russian media accused the observers of being "NATO officers."[146] The separatists have said they refuse to release the hostages until they meet with "competent authorities in Russia".[147] Igor Strelkov, commander of the separatist militia, accused the monitors of being "NATO spies," and that they would only be exchanged for pro-Russian "activists" held in custody in Kiev.[91] On 3 May, following the second offensive on Sloviansk, the observers along with five Ukrainian observers were released. The SBU then released tapped phone calls implicating Russia as having been behind the abduction, naming specifically Vladimir Lukin and Igor Girkin.[148]

Notable figures

  • Igor Bezler ("Bes"), became notable when he instructed police in the city of Horlivka who had defected that he, commanding them, was a Russian lieutenant colonel.[149] According to the SBU's information, Igor Bezler was born in 1965, and served until 2002 in divisions of the Russian Federation Armed Forces General Staff Main Intelligence Directorate (the GRU), where he reached the rank of lieutenant colonel. After 2002, he was sent to Ukraine.[150] Following the murder of Volodymyr Rybak, the SBU implicated Bezler. "We established that they ... Bezler and Strelkov ... gave the orders to kidnap and later [deal with] the body. The killing took place under their command," said Kateryna Kosereva, an SBU spokesperson.[133]
  • Alexander Mozhaev ("Babay" or "Bogeyman"), a Russian military veteran from Belorechensk. Mozhaev with his imposant look has notably appeared in many circulated pictures as a member of the Donbass People's Militia in Sloviansk, and allegedly led the assault on a weapons depot in Artemivsk, Donetsk Oblast.[94][151]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sloviansk standoff.

References

  1. ^ "Ukranian News – Turchynov Tells Defence Ministry Disestablish 25th Brigade of Air Assault Forces". Un.ua. 17 April 2014.
  2. ^ "Presidential Administration of Ukraine". President.gov.ua. 17 April 2014.
  3. ^ Ukraine Launches 'Anti-Terrorist' Operation in Slovyansk. Voice of America. 13 April 2014
  4. ^ Ukraine crisis: Sloviansk rebels down army helicopters. BBC. 2 May 2014
  5. ^ "Сепаратисты Славянска перешли под контроль российского спецназовца Стрелкова – СМИ: Новости УНИАН". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Командование силовым блоком в Донецке перешло к ополчению". Lifenews.ru. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  7. ^ instagram.com/sashakots. "Сепаратисты контратакуют. В Славянске погибли еще двое украинских военных". Korrespondent.net. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  8. ^ RIA Novosti publishes satellite images of Ukrainian troops around Slavyansk
  9. ^ Ukrainian Helo Shot Down in Sloviansk
  10. ^ a b c Ukraine soldiers killed in Slovyansk clashes
  11. ^ Kiev says 4 of its troops killed in eastern Ukraine
  12. ^ a b В Славянске погибли еще двое украинских военных. Korrespondent.net, 2 May 2014
  13. ^ a b "Counter-Terror Operation in Donetsk". Ukrainian Policy. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
  14. ^ a b c d "Thirty-one people remain abducted or missing in Donetsk Oblast". Kyiv Post.
  15. ^ Agencies (20 April 2014). "Deadly Ukraine gunbattle threatens fragile Easter truce". The Guardian.
  16. ^ a b "Ukraine helicopters shot down in Slovyansk". Al Jazeera.
  17. ^ a b c "Ukraine alert as politician killed". BBC. 22 April 2014.
  18. ^ 1 killed (13 April),[1] 3 killed (19 April),[2] 5 killed (24 April),[3] 3 killed (2 May),[4] 10 [5]–30 [6] killed (5 May), total of 22–42 reported killed
  19. ^ "'Four arrests' after Slaviansk helicopter attacks kill two". Itv.com. 28 April 2014.
  20. ^ 2 killed (13 April),[7] 2 killed (14 April),[8] 2 killed (22 April),[9] 1 killed (28 April),[10] 2 killed (2 May),[11] 1 [12]–3 [13] killed (5 May), total of 10–12 reported killed
  21. ^ a b c d Rachkevych, Mark (12 April 2014). "Armed pro-Russian extremists launch coordinated attacks in Donetsk Oblast, seize buildings and set up checkpoints". Kyiv Post.
  22. ^ a b Babiak, Mat (13 April 2014). "Counter-terrorism Operation Announced in Sloviansk". Official Public Relations Secretariat for the Headquarters of the National Resistance in Kyiv, Ukraine.
  23. ^ "Anti-terrorist campaign takes a different tack". Kyiv Post. 18 April 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2014.
  24. ^ "Аваков: В Славянске неизвестные захватили здания милиции". Komsomolskaya Pravda. 12 April 2014.
  25. ^ "У М. СЛОВ'ЯНСЬКУ ЗАХОПЛЕНО БУДІВЛЮ СБУ" (in Ukrainian). Ukrainian Interior Ministry. 12 April 2014.
  26. ^ Oliphant, Roland (12 April 2014). "Fears of full-scale Russian invasion as eastern Ukraine cities toppled". The Daily Telegraph.
  27. ^ Editor (13 April 2014). "Ukraine Liveblog Day 55: Police Fight Separatists in Gun Battles | The Interpreter". Interpretermag.com. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  28. ^ "Two reportedly killed in point-blank attack on car in Sloviansk". Kyiv Post. 14 April 2014.
  29. ^ "Ukraine bares teeth against eastern uprising". The State. Associated Press. 15 April 2014.
  30. ^ "Ukraine Deploys Military as Russia Evokes Specter of Civil War". Yahoo! Finance.
  31. ^ a b "Turchynov orders traitor airborne division disbanded (LIVE UPDATES)". Kyiv Post. 17 April 2014.
  32. ^ Nebehay, Stephanie (16 April 2014). "Pro-Russia separatists take armor, humiliating Ukraine forces – Yahoo News". Yahoo! News.
  33. ^ "Ukraine disbands army unit after fiasco push into east". Yahoo News. Agence France-Presse. 17 April 2014.
  34. ^ "Сепаратисты в Славянске объявили "охоту" на украиноязычных – СМИ : Новости УНИАН". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 18 April 2014.
  35. ^ Mark Rachkevych (19 April 2014). "Ukraine recaptures two airborne combat vehicles on eve of truce<!— Bot generated title ->". Kyiv Post.
  36. ^ "Українські військові переконали екстремістів повернути ще 4 БМД | Українська правда". Ukrayinska Pravda.
  37. ^ Міноборони: У сепаратистів залишилися 4 БМД. Ukrayinska Pravda, 23 April 2014
  38. ^ Стрєлков: "Ополченці" вбиватимуть українських військових, якщо ті надалі виконуватимуть свої обов'язки. Ukrinform, 26 April 2014
  39. ^ "International Renaissance Foundation: Stop Ethnic Violance in Slovyansk! –". Romea.cz.
  40. ^ a b "Pro-Russian Separatists Loot, Assault Romani in Sloviansk". Ukrainian Policy. 19 April 2014.
  41. ^ a b "Яценюк поручил привлекать к ответственности за распространение антисемитизма и ксенофобии : Новости УНИАН". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 19 April 2014.
  42. ^ "Новости Донбасса :: Сепаратисты объяснили погромы ромов в Славянске". Novosti.dn.ua.
  43. ^ "У Слов'янську сепаратисти викрали активістку ''жіночої сотні Майдану'' | Українська правда". Ukrayinska Pravda.
  44. ^ a b c Lister, Tim (20 April 2014). "Mysterious fatal shooting in eastern Ukraine". CNN.
  45. ^ "US stands with Ukraine in face of 'humiliating threats': Biden – Yahoo News". Yahoo! News. 22 April 2014.
  46. ^ a b "Ukraine forces accuse Russia of staging shooting". Reuters. 20 April 2014.
  47. ^ a b James Reynolds (20 April 2014). "Ukraine unrest: Russian outrage at fatal Sloviansk shooting". BBC.
  48. ^ "Ukraine: 'Five Killed At Separatist Checkpoint'". Sky News. 20 April 2014.
  49. ^ "Російські ЗМІ заздалегідь підготували відео про стрілянину у Слов'янську? | Українська правда". Ukrayinska Pravda.
  50. ^ Gregory, Paul Roderick (April 2014). "Putin Propagandists Caught Red-Handed Again: Pro-Russian Self-Defense Forces Capture Snipers' Diapers". Forbes.
  51. ^ "Hashtag 'Yarosh's business card' blows the internet away". Euromaidan PR. 20 April 2014.
  52. ^ "Самопроголошений "народний мер" Слов'янська попросив Путіна ввести у регіон війська – ЗМІ : Новини УНІАН". Unian.ua. 20 April 2014.
  53. ^ "Самопровозглашенный мэр Славянска ввел комендантский час : Новости УНИАН". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 21 April 2014.
  54. ^ Post Store. "Pro-Russian separatists block monitors from buildings in east Ukraine, diplomats say". The Washington Post.
  55. ^ Photos Link Masked Men in East Ukraine to Russia
  56. ^ "News Republic". News Republic. 22 April 2014.
  57. ^ Matthew Keys. "Matthew Keys: [ALERT] Vice News journalist being held in Ukraine – App.net Broadcasts". Broadcast.app.net.
  58. ^ a b c Brian Ries2 :36 UTC (22 April 2014). "American Journalist With Vice News Captured in Eastern Ukraine". Mashable.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  59. ^ Canada (23 April 2014). "Ukraine has 'freed' eastern city, Kiev says as crackdown resumes". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  60. ^ "Сепаратисты Славянска обещают пытать заложников, чтобы сорвать выборы : Новости УНИАН" (in Russian). Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  61. ^ a b "Senior security official: Anti-terror operation suspended as Russian troops amass on border". Kyiv Post. 24 April 2014.
  62. ^ [Militant pro-Russian separatist known popularly as 'Topaz' has been arrested by the SBU. Topaz had previous fled house arrest to take part in the insurgency in Donetsk. He was arrested while giving an interview with Russia's LifeNews channel. Journalists for LifeNews were later deported. http://www.unian.net/politics/911829-sbu-zaderjala-topaza-i-deportirovala-iz-ukrainyi-jurnalistov-rossiyskogo-kanala.html "Власть решила полностью заблокировать Славянск в рамках второго этапа АТО"]. Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 25 April 2014. {{cite news}}: Check |url= value (help)
  63. ^ "Местные жители озлобились на сепаратистов: под Славянском избиты дети – ОстроВ". Ostro.org. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  64. ^ "Ukraine crisis: Sloviansk resident tells of 'oppression'". BBC. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  65. ^ "РИА Новости публикует снимки, запечатлевшие войска Украины у Славянска | РИА Новости". RIA Novosti. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  66. ^ "Російська пропаганда заявила про плани України ''стерти Слов'янськ з землі'' | Українська правда". Ukrayinska Pravda. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  67. ^ ""Праву руку" ватажка терористів Слов'янська затримали з грошима Кремля в аеропорту – Політика – ТСН.ua". Tsn.ua. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  68. ^ "Сепаратисти в Слов'янську захопили ринок, заправки і крадуть дорогі авто – очевидці – Новини України на 1+1 – ТСН.ua". Tsn.ua. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  69. ^ a b "Government forces 'move on Sloviansk'". BBC News. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  70. ^ "Pro-Russian rebels in Slaviansk say Ukraine tries to retake town, gunfire heard". Trust.org. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  71. ^ a b "Ukrainian troops begin special operation in Slavyansk". Russia: RT. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  72. ^ Сепаратисти "взяли" українського льотчика. Ukrayinska Pravda, 2 May 2014
  73. ^ "Militia spokesman says sweep operation underway against civilians in Slavyansk". Information Telegraph Agency of Russia. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  74. ^ a b Ukraine forces move against separatists; copters shot down, killing 2. Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2014
  75. ^ Турчинов: спецоперация в Славянске разворачивается медленнее, чем хотелось бы. ITAR-TASS, 2 May 2014
  76. ^ a b de Larrinaga, Nicholas (3 May 2014). "Two Ukrainian Mi-24s shot down by MANPADS". IHS Jane's Defence Weekly.
  77. ^ "National Guard commander tells Sloviansk practically cleared of terrorists". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  78. ^ "Вертольоти під Слов'янськом збиті з ПЗРК російського виробництва – заступник міністра оборони" (in Ukrainian). Корреспондент.net. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  79. ^ "Журналист Павел Фельгенгауэр: использование ПЗРК доказывает, что боевое ядро в Славянске – это российский спецназ" (in Russian). Телеканал "Дождь". 2 April 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  80. ^ "Dozens die in Odessa, rebels down Ukraine helicopters". Reuters. 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  81. ^ Kyiv Post (5 May 2014). "Interior Ministry: Four Ukrainian soldiers killed, 30 wounded in anti-terrorist operation in Sloviansk (LIVE UPDATES)". Kyivpost.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  82. ^ "За оцінками МВС, убито понад 30 терористів | Українська правда". Pravda.com.ua. 6 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  83. ^ "Donetsk's Own Coup d'Etat". Ukrainian Policy. 12 May 2014.
  84. ^ Christopher J. Miller. "Rebel ambush near Kramatorsk kills seven Ukrainian paratroopers; one rebel dead (UPDATED)". Kyivpost.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  85. ^ Допис by Dmitry Tymchuk. "Під Краматорськом силовики потрапили в засідку. Є загиблі | Українська правда". Pravda.com.ua. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  86. ^ ЛIГАБiзнесIнформИнформационное агентствоwww.liga.net. "В Нацгвардии сообщили об уничтожении 54-х террористов в Славянске". News.liga.net. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  87. ^ http://radio24.ua/news/showSingleNews.do?objectId=16921
  88. ^ "Inside homes shattered by Ukraine’s unofficial civil war: Destruction from weeks of fighting revealed as country’s richest man calls for end to violence". Daily Mail. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 21 May 2014.
  89. ^ http://obozrevatel.com/politics/36574-zamestitel-strelka-vyidvinul-ultimatum-ukrainskoj-armii-24-chasa-na-vyivod-vojsk--videofakt.htm
  90. ^ http://tsn.ua/ukrayina/stryelok-poradiv-meshkancyam-slov-yanska-tikati-z-mista-351196.html
  91. ^ a b Rachkevych, Mark (26 April 2014). "Alleged Russian Colonel Strelkov makes public appearance as self-proclaimed chief of 'Donbass People's Militia'". Kyiv Post.
  92. ^ "Ukraine's Separatist Phantom Comes Out of the Shadows". The New York Times. 26 April 2014.
  93. ^ "Ukraine: Photos show undercover Russian troops". CNN. 21 April 2014.
  94. ^ a b c Shuster, Simon (24 April 2014). "Exclusive: Meet the Pro-Russian Separatists of Eastern Ukraine". Time.
  95. ^ Babiak, Mat (22 April 2014). "Insurgents Identified: The Green Men of VKontakte". Ukrainian Policy.
  96. ^ C. J. Chivers; Noah Sneider (3 May 2014). "Behind the Masks in Ukraine, Many Faces of Rebellion". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  97. ^ Gassyeva, Dina (4 May 2014). "Добровольцы из Южной Осетии намерены помочь юго-востоку Украины" (in Russian). RIA Novosti. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  98. ^ "Новости Донбасса :: В Донецк прибыли боевики из Осетии?". Novosti.dn.ua. 9 March 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  99. ^ "Формируются батальоны добровольцев для отправки на Юго-Восток Украины | Русская весна". Rusvesna.su. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  100. ^ "Російський ''чеченський спецназ'' їде в Україну ''захищати'' південний схід | Українська правда". Pravda.com.ua. 4 May 2014. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  101. ^ "Среди террористов в Славянске замечены чеченские боевики – СМИ : Новости УНИАН". Unian.net. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  102. ^ "Глава Нацгвардии: Террористы в Славянске хорошо обучены, не славянской внешности - Украина". zn.ua. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  103. ^ Kyiv Post (6 May 2014). "Poroshenko says toxic chemicals were used in Odesa trade union fire; Deshchytsia, Lavrov to have working dinner (LIVE UPDATES)". Kyivpost.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  104. ^ Catherine A. Fitzpatrick (9 May 2014). "Russia This Week: Surge of Nationalism on Victory Day (5-9 May) | The Interpreter". Interpretermag.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  105. ^ Goble, Paul (8 May 2014). "Grozny Forcing Chechens to Fight for Russian Side in Ukraine". The Interpreter.
  106. ^ a b "Kadyrov Denies Chechen Military Involvement in Ukraine Fighting". Rferl.org. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  107. ^ http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-79996632/
  108. ^ "Moscow's "Voice of the People" in Slovyansk". khpg.org.ua. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  109. ^ Salem, Harriet. "Eastern Ukrainians Vote for a New Uncertain Future in Rebel Organized Referendum | VICE News". News.vice.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  110. ^ "У Слов'янську зник зв'язок із журналістом Сергієм Шаповалом". Telekritika.ua. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  111. ^ http://inforesist.org/separatists-are-demoralized-they-can-be-finished-off/?lang=en
  112. ^ "Терористи у Слов янську захопили львівського журналіста | УКРІНФОРМ". Ukrinform.ua. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  113. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r "Tally of persons kidnapped by Russian-backed insurgents in Ukraine's east grows to 16". Kyiv Post. 23 April 2014.
  114. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mintz, Zoe. "Full List of Journalists Captured in Ukraine: Simon Ostrovsky Among 7 Reporters Kidnapped". IB Times.
  115. ^ a b c d e Ostrovsky, Simon (25 April 2014). "'I Had It Pretty Easy, Because I Was Let Go': Simon Ostrovsky on His Detention in Sloviansk". VICE NEWS.
  116. ^ "Дружина Гапича: Женю гамселив "Беркут", питали про Майдан | УКРІНФОРМ". Ukrinform.ua. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  117. ^ 19. "Press | Published by Interpreter_Mag". Pressimus. Retrieved 4 May 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  118. ^ Brian Ries:46 UTC (29 April 2014). "BuzzFeed Reporter Kidnapped in Ukraine: 'I Was Pretty Freaked Out'". Mashable.com. Retrieved 4 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  119. ^ Kim Sengupta (26 April 2014). "Ukraine crisis: Death toll rises in a nation fearful of more bloodshed – Europe – World". The Independent. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  120. ^ T17:03+02:00 17:03 08.05.2014 (20 October 2012). "Dead body of Prosvita's leader in Donetsk region captured by 'Donetsk People's Republic' found in Luhansk region". En.interfax.com.ua. Retrieved 14 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  121. ^ Russian channels for its propaganda used sportsman from Kiev. Ukrayinska Pravda. 22 April 2014
  122. ^ The Right Sector activist in Sloviansk appeared to be a fitness coach Kiev. Segodnya. 22 April 2014
  123. ^ a b "These People Are Still Being Held by Armed Separatists in Ukraine". VICE News. 3 May 2014.
  124. ^ a b c d e f g h "German defence ministry-unable to contact observer mission in east Ukraine". Reuters. 25 April 2014.
  125. ^ "Českému pozorovateli ve Slavjansku šlo o život, pohrozili mu, že poslouží jako živý štít" (in Czech).
  126. ^ "Командующий самообороной Славянска Игорь Стрелков: Задержанные наблюдатели – кадровые разведчики //". Kp.ru. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  127. ^ Leonard, Peter (27 April 2014). "Observers held in Ukraine speak under armed guard". Associated Press. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  128. ^ 04.25.14. "OSCE Observers Taken Prisoner by Pro-Russian Forces in Ukraine". Thedailybeast.com. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  129. ^ "Ополченцы задержали 40 украинских диверсантов в Славянске". Lifenews.ru. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  130. ^ "Сепаратисти Горлівки кажуть, що захопили трьох "альфівців"". Theinsider.ua. 27 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  131. ^ Donetsk separatists took three Alpha agents. Euronews. 27 April 2014
  132. ^ Mark Rachkevych (23 April 2014). "Police: Body of Pro-Ukrainian Horlivka City Councilman found dead in river". Kyiv Post.
  133. ^ a b Olearchyk, Roman (23 April 2014). "Kiev implicates Russia in politician's murder". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  134. ^ "На блок-постах возле Славянска стоят вооруженные чеченцы – очевидец : Новости УНИАН". Ukrainian Independent Information Agency. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  135. ^ Paul Roderick Gregory (1 May 2014). "Paul Roderick Gregory: Putin's Ukrainian executioners worse than Stalin's". Kyivpost.com. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  136. ^ "Simon Ostrovsky, U.S. journalist held in Ukraine, now free – World – CBC News". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  137. ^ "Журналист с двойным гражданством оказался информатором "Правого сектора" Подробнее на НТВ.Ru: http://www.ntv.ru/novosti/923739/#ixzz2zlBXo34u". NTV. 23 April 2014. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  138. ^ "American Journalist Under Investigation By Armed Gunmen in Slavyansk". The Interpreter.
  139. ^ ""Народный мэр" Славянска не собирается отпускать американского журналиста". Gazeta. 23 April 2014.
  140. ^ "Simon Ostrovsky Has Been Released". VICE News. News.vice.com. 24 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  141. ^ "Latest from the Special Monitoring Mission in Ukraine – based on information received up until 25 April 2014". Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2014.
  142. ^ Interfax-Ukraine (25 April 2014). "Kyiv official: Contact lost with OSCE mission members in Donetsk region, they could be abducted by terrorists". Kyiv Post.
  143. ^ "Рўрµсђрѕсђрёсѓс‚Рё захорїрёр"Рё Сѓ Рўр"Рѕрі'Сџрѕсѓсњрєсѓ агс‚Рѕр±Сѓсѓ С–Р· Рїсђрµрґсѓс‚агрѕрёрєр°Рјрё Рћр'Рўр"". Mvs.gov.ua. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  144. ^ "Separatist leader in Ukraine city says Kiev "spy" is in detained group". Trust.org. 25 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  145. ^ "Sloviansk "people's mayor" confirms detention of bus with servicemen, civilians". Kyiv Post. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  146. ^ 5 :28 (25 April 2014). "Press | Published by Interpreter_Mag". Pressimus. Retrieved 4 May 2014. {{cite web}}: |author= has numeric name (help)
  147. ^ Alpert, Lukas I. (25 April 2014). "Military Observers Taken Hostage, Ukraine Says". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  148. ^ "Police say pro-Russians accidentally set fatal Odessa fire with Molotov cocktails (LIVE UPDATES, VIDEO)". Kyiv Post. 17 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  149. ^ Ukrainska Pravda, Штурмом міліції в Горлівці керував російський підполковник [Police captured in Horlivka led Russian Colonel], 14 April 2014.
  150. ^ "Press | Published by Interpreter_Mag". Pressimus. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  151. ^ "Eastern cities Artemivsk, Mariupol latest targets in Ukraine anti-terror operation". Kyiv Post. 24 April 2014.

Template:2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siege_of_Sloviansk&oldid=609840887"