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Ahead of Ukraine Vote, Fighting Continues in East

by VOA News May 23, 2014

Fighting continued Friday between pro-Russian separatists and government forces in eastern Ukraine, two days before a presidential election.

Separatist forces reportedly ambushed the Donbass battalion, a pro-Kyiv volunteer unit, near the village of Karlivka in the Donetsk region. The Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the Donetsk regional administration as saying one person was killed and nine wounded in the fighting.

The battalion's commander, Semyon Semenchenko, said that half of his men had been wounded in the battle and that others had been taken prisoner or killed.

The press service of the so-called Donetsk People's Republic said two separatist fighters had been killed in the fighting near Karlivka.

At least thirteen government troops were killed in a separatist attack Thursday in Donetsk, raising fears of violence before Sunday's vote. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon condemned the violence, saying all parties should redouble efforts to ensure a free, fair and safe election.

Ukrainian officials blame Russia for trying to escalate the conflict and disrupt the election, which Moscow has reluctantly supported.

Speaking Friday at an international economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia will 'respect' the outcome of Ukraine's presidential election and work with the new leadership resulting from the vote. But he added that that he hopes the election will immediately be followed by a suspension of all military actions and the start of a 'dialogue.'

Putin also blamed the West for the conflict in Ukraine, describing the ouster of Viktor Yanukovych as Ukraine's president in February as a 'coup' backed by the U.S. and European governments, and the current situation in Ukraine as 'a full-scale civil war.'

Earlier Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov blamed the West's so-called 'dangerous megalomania' for triggering the crisis. Addressing a Moscow conference, Lavrov also said the West was trying to contain Russia using Cold War-era tactics.

Hopes pinned on election

Sunday's presidential election is seen as a crucial step toward resolving a political crisis that threatens to split Ukraine.

Ukraine's government is deploying tens of thousands of police to secure the vote. But that task could be difficult in the east, where rebels have seized over a dozen cities.

Russia has accused Kyiv of stepping up military operations in rebel-held areas and failing to implement measures to end the crisis.

Meanwhile, Russia's defense ministry said 20 trains and 15 planes full of troops have been moved out of the border area with Ukraine.

NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Thursday there has been 'limited' Russian troop activity near the Ukrainian border that 'may suggest some of these forces are preparing to withdraw.'

Still, another NATO military official told VOA on Friday that the bulk of the previously deployed Russian forces remain in the vicinity of the border.

'If we see any meaningful, comprehensive and verifiable withdrawal, NATO would welcome it. This would be a first step from Russia into the right direction,' said the official, who spoke to VOA from Brussels on condition of anonymity.

'Any withdrawal does not erase or reverse what has happened in recent months. Russia has violated the trust of the international community by illegally invading Ukraine," he said. "The security dynamic in Europe has been fundamentally changed."

Jeff Seldin contributed to this report from the Pentagon.