Suspected gunman held after attack on Slavyansk checkpoint - self-defense forces
20 April 2014, 18:25 -- One of the suspects in the attack on the checkpoint in the east Ukrainian city of Slavyansk early on Sunday, in which four people were killed, has been detained, an aide to commander of the self-defense forces told RIA Novosti.
The young man had lost contact with his squadron and tried to leave Slavyansk heading towards Kharkov by catching a ride, the representative of the self-defense forces said, adding that the suspected gunman, 22, is a member of the Ukrainian far-right movement Right Sector.
Self-defense forces said earlier Sunday they had found shells and foreign-made explosives, as well as insignia of the Right Sector group at the scene of the attack on the checkpoint.
Slavyansk mayor asks Russia to send peacekeepers in wake of deadly night attack
Head of the self-defense units of Ukraine's eastern town of Slavyansk, Vladimir Ponomaryov, who was appointed Slavyansk mayor by the town's residents, has asked Russia to send peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine to protect civilians from National Guard and Right Sector militants.
'They kill our people. They don't talk to us but just kill,' Ponomaryov said at an emergency press conference in the wake of last night's armed clashes on the outskirts of Slavyansk.
'The town has actually been besieged by the Right Sector,' he said.
Only Russia can protect civilians from the Right Sector, Ponomaryov said, that's why he decided to ask Russian President Vladimir Putin to send peacekeepers to the eastern Donetsk and Lugansk regions, the RIA Novosti news agency reports.
The leader of the self-defense forces in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk said Sunday up to seven gunmen who attacked a local checkpoint overnight were injured or killed by return fire. Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, also known as the acting Slavyansk mayor, has confirmed that one member of the self-defense forces was killed and two others were injured in the shootout.
Nevertheless, Ukraine's Interior Ministry has stated Sunday three people, including two local citizens, were killed and three others were injured in overnight shootout at a checkpoint in the eastern city of Slavyansk, RIA reports.
Federalization supporters in Kharkov, Donetsk, Gorlovka, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk have refused to recognize the legitimacy of the current Ukrainian government and are urging interim authorities to hold referendums similar to the one held in Crimea last month, which led to the republic's reunification with Russia. In response, Ukrainian authorities launched a special operation to crack down on the protests.
Russia outraged by deadly shootout in Slavyansk, insists on Kiev fulfilling Geneva agreement - Moscow
Moscow is outraged by the armed incident that occurred Saturday night in Slavyansk in which innocent civilians died as a result of an attack by Right Sector militants, the Russian Foreign Ministry says. '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 says.
'It is surprising that the tragedy occurred after the signing on April 17 in Geneva of the final statement of the four-sided meeting of representatives of Russia, the USA, EU and Ukraine which calls for refraining from any violent actions, intimidation or provocations. The Russian side insists on the strict fulfillment by the Ukrainian side of its commitments concerning the de-escalation the situation in southeast Ukraine,' the ministry says, Interfax reports.
'The Eastern ceasefire was violated in Slavyansk on April 20. As a result of an armed attack by the so-called Right Sector innocent civilians died. Local residents seized the vehicles of the attackers in which they discovered arms, aerial maps of the area and Right Sector paraphernalia,' the statement says.
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