A protester throws a petrol bomb at the trade union building in Odessa. Photograph: Stringer/Reuters
Summary
We're going to wrap up our live blog coverage for the day. Here's a summary of where things stand: • After months of low-level clashes in Ukraine, the crisis broke into widespread lethal violence Friday, with dozens of fatalities in the country's deadliest day since the ouster of president Viktor Yanukovych in February. • The Ukrainian interior ministry reported that 31 people were killed in a fire
at the Odessa trade union building, where pro-Russia protesters had
taken cover after street clashes with a pro-Kiev crowd. An unknown
number of others were killed in the fighting in the streets.
• Both sides in the Odessa clashes were armed with bats, stones, homemade explosives and more,
Howard Amos reported from the scene. He said the pro-Russia side fired
live ammunition and threw stones from the roof of the trade union
building. • Earlier Friday, a Ukrainian military offensive on the opposition-held town of Slavyansk left an unknown number of separatists dead. Moscow called the Ukrainian military operation a criminal act. • The Ukrainian government reported that at least four military members died, including two when separatists downed two military helicopters, in at least one case reportedly with a surface-to-air missile. • In an appearance at the White House with German chancellor Angela Merkel,
US president Barack Obama warned that "Russia’s actions in Ukraine pose
a direct challenge to the goal... [of] a Europe that is whole, free and
at peace." • Merkel and Obama warned of "sectoral sanctions" on Russia to come if the planned 25 May Ukrainian elections were disrupted. "This is not necessarily what we want, but we are ready and prepared to go to such a step," Merkel said.
• Merkel and Obama decried the continued detention of seven OSCE observers by pro-Russia forces in Slavyansk. "It is disgraceful and it is inexcusable," Obama said. "Russia needs to work to secure their immediate release." • In an emergency UN security council meeting, the US ambassador accused Russia of "looking for a pretext to invade" Ukraine. Her Russian counterpart accused Kiev of "criminal misadventures." • Russia's actions in Ukraine "shatter that myth" of permanent peace in Europe
"and usher in bracing new realities," US defense secretary Chuck Hagel
said, calling on Nato to increase its military preparedness.
Reporter Howard Amos continues to report from the scene of the Odessa fire.
"Just spoke to a mother and father who came to see what was happening
and found the dead body of their 17 year old son lying in the street,"
he tweets.
Mother said that her son,
one of the pro-Russian activists, was not a separatist. She said he had
fallen from the burning building.
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Follow Howard for further updates.
More from Howard Amos at the scene:
A hundred metres from trade union building 8 corpses are being examined by medics and police in headlights of car. Gruesome.
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Howard Amos is back at the scene of the fire in Odessa. "Police have cordoned off the building," he tweets. "They say fire crews are still working inside."
Both sides today in Odessa were armed with bats, stones, Molotov cocktails, homemade grenades and air pistols.
Not clear who had the real guns. But they were definitely being used by cornered pro-Russians inside the trade union building.
Back outside the burnt out trade union building. Ukrainian national anthem playing from car stereos. pic.twitter.com/E7JQP2Bph9
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Parents of some of the dead are here to identity them.
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
Updated
The Russian foreign ministry has released a statement on the
deaths in Odessa, which it blames in part on far-right nationalists. The
Kremlin has consistently blamed unrest in Ukraine on hard-right groups.
Western powers have consistently blamed Russia.
The ministry statement (translation by @AlanYuhas):
Moscow perceives
yet another manifestation of the Kiev authorities' criminal
irresponsibility, indulging in reckless national-radicalism, including
Right Sector, which is organizing a campaign of terror against
supporters of federalization and real constitutional change in Ukrainian
society.
We categorically condemn this. Together
with acting Kiev authorities' ongoing punitive operation in Slavyansk,
the tragedy in Odessa became yet another confirmation of criminal use of
power and intimidation … In Russia were disturbed to receive this
information of new crimes in Odessa and call on Kiev and its western
sponsors to put an end to the violent lawlessness, and to realize their
responsibilities before the Ukrainian people.
A transcript of the Obama-Merkel news conference has been released. Here's what the president said about the pro-Russia militias operating in east Ukraine:
And
as Ukrainian forces move to restore order in eastern Ukraine, it is
obvious to the world that these Russian-backed groups are not peaceful
protestors. They are heavily armed militants who are receiving
significant support from Russia. The Ukrainian government
has the right and responsibility to uphold law and order within its
territory, and Russia needs to use its influence over these paramilitary
groups so they disarm and stop provoking violence. [...]
Here is Obama on the broader implications of Russia's actions:
These are challenging
times. Russia’s actions in Ukraine pose a
direct challenge to the goal that brought Europe and the United States
together for decades -- and that is a Europe that is whole, free and at
peace. Just as our predecessors stood united in pursuit of that vision,
so will we.
US defense secretary Chuck Hagel said Friday that NATO
should reconsider its relationship with Russia in light of its incursion
into Ukraine, which should bury the idea that the end of the Cold War
brought permanent peace to Europe, the Associated Press reports:
"Russia's actions in Ukraine shatter that myth and usher in bracing new
realities," Hagel said in a speech that captured the Obama
administration's deepening concern that decades of effort to draw Russia
closer to the West may be failing.
Hagel made no mention of boosting American troop levels in Europe; his
focus was on how NATO can become better prepared to deal with a security
landscape that is being reshaped by Russia's annexation of Crimea and
its moves in eastern Ukraine.
In a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars,
Hagel expressed satisfaction with the way European allies have responded
to Russian actions in Ukraine.
"But over the long term," he said, "we should expect Russia to test our
alliance's purpose, stamina and commitment." He called this a
"clarifying moment" for a NATO alliance that had grown used to the idea
of a benign Russia to its east.
The clashes reportedly began after protesters gathering in support of a unified Ukraine were attacked by pro-Russian activists armed with clubs and air pistols.
But the confrontation quickly escalated into a series of skirmishes
as the two sides played a deadly cat and mouse game in the centre of the
city.
Police largely stood aside as the two sides hurled Molotov cocktails,
cobblestones and bricks at each other. Girls as young as fourteen were
smashing cobblestones to break them up into missiles of a manageable
size.
Combatants on both sides were armed with body armour, helmets and
shields and carried baseball bats, chains, metal bars and air pistols.
Today Ukraine has had its bloodiest day since 20 February, when 73 people died in clashes between
Kiev protesters and police. More than 100 people were killed in Kiev in
fighting in February. The killings set the stage for the departure of
former president Viktor Yanukovych, the installation of the new
government, the Russian incursion in Crimea and Ukraine's current
crisis.
Ukraine's interior
ministry has already twice revised its number for how many people died
in a fire in Odessa Friday. Landing most recently on 31. That number did
not seem to include people killed in earlier clashes in the city. The
ministry
reports more than 50 were wounded.
In
an unrelated, earlier clash between the Ukrainian military and very
well-armed pro-Russia rebels in Slavyansk, two Ukrainian servicemen died
and acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said "many" rebels were killed and wounded.
A
pro-Russia attack on a Ukrainian military position on the outskirts of
Slavyansk has left two servicemen dead, the defense ministry said.
As pro-Russia groups started seizing government buildings across east Ukraine, there has been sporadic violence against locals and with the Ukrainian military, but the death toll has not risen into double digits since clashes began in early April.
A pro-Russia attack on a Ukrainian military position on the outskirts of Slavyansk has left two servicemen dead, Reuters quotes the defense ministry as saying:
"Heavy fighting is continuing. The deaths of two Ukrainian soldiers
have been confirmed at the current time," the ministry said in a
statement, accusing the separatists of using civilians as human shields.
It said the two were members of the airborne brigade.
Howard Amos, who spent this afternoon and evening in Odessa on the scene of clashes between pro-Kiev and pro-Moscow protesters, has filed a report on what he saw.
He
says some pro-Kiev protesters tried to help people inside the burning
trade union building escape, in a chaotic scene with gunfire and rocks
coming from above:
Some people fell from the burning building as they hung on to
windowsills in an attempt to avoid the fire that had taken hold inside.
Pro-Ukrainian protesters made desperate efforts to reach people with
ropes and improvised scaffolding.
"At first we broke through the side, and then we came through the
main entrance," said one pro-Ukrainian fighter, 20, who said he was a
member of the extreme nationalist group Right Sector.
"They had guns and they were shooting … Some people jumped from the roof, they died obviously," he said.
Riot police arrived on the scene as hand-to-hand fighting was already
underway inside, but did not enter the building and stood formed up in
ranks outside.
Bloody and dazed pro-Russian protesters were eventually escorted out
of the building, and were immediately surrounded by angry mobs. Many
were handed over to police, and loaded on to police vans.
"The aim is to completely clear Odessa [of pro-Russians]," said
Dmitry Rogovsky, another activist from Right Sector whose hand had been
injured during the fighting. "They are all paid Russian separatists."
The seizure of the trade union building was the violent culmination of a day of street battles in this Black Sea resort city.
A graphic video has been uploaded to YouTube purporting to show the aftermath of the Odessa trade union building fire.
The camera moves from room to room in the dark, charred-out building,
coming upon body after body, as someone counts corpses in Russian. Viewer discretion is advised. The video is here.
The Ukrainian Interior ministry says 38 people died [see UPDATE BELOW with revised death toll] in the fire in the Odessa trade union building. The ministry says eight died jumping from the building and 30 died from smoke inhalation.
UPDATE: The ministry has revised down the number of those killed from smoke inhalation from 30 to 27. Developing.
See earlier reporting from the scene by Howard Amos here. Howard will be filing a story for the Guardian shortly.
UPDATE 2: A conflicting report of 31 killed via the Guardian's Shaun Walker, passing along a new interior ministry number, and the Telegraph.
Updated
Odessa police: 31 killed in building fire
Note: The interior ministry originally reported 38 killed in the
fire. This post begins with that number, with updates showing how the
number has changed.
Reuters cites Ukrainian police as saying that the number killed in the fire in the trade union building in Odessa is 38. Russia Today is carrying a similar report. RIA Novosti says 38 were killed.
UPDATE: The interior ministry has changed the number dead twice. The latest number is 32. See updates here.
Updated
Harriet Salem is reporting for the Guardian from Slavyansk:
#Sloviansk at nightfall, shouting, dogs barking and sparodic gunfire. Me, muddy, wet, but safe.
— Harriet Salem (@HarrietSalem) May 2, 2014
More gunfire, two
ambulances drive down the road. Staying on the floor and away from the
windows. Lights off policy operating in #Sloviansk
— Harriet Salem (@HarrietSalem) May 2, 2014
The New York Times' CJ Chivers is among numerous journalists at the scene reporting renewed gunfire in Slavyansk.
Silence broken in #Slovyansk tonight. Fighting starts again near bridge in Andreyevka, seized by UKR mil today. Unclear if casualties yet.
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) May 2, 2014
Current and former US officials are accusing Russian president Vladimir Putin of hypocrisy in calling on the Ukrainian military to withdraw from Slavyansk and the east.
.@AmbassadorPower we know how they would respond as we saw in Chechnya.
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) May 2, 2014
A pro-Russian activist aims a pistol at
supporters of the Kiev government during clashes in the streets of
Odessa May 2, 2014. Photograph: STRINGER/REUTERSU.S. President Barack Obama (R) and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel come out from the Oval Office for a joint news
conference in the Rose Garden at the White House May 2, 2014 in
Washington, DC. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty ImagesAn injured pro-Russian activist looks on
during clashes with supporters of the Kiev government in the streets of
Odessa May 2, 2014. Photograph: STRINGER/REUTERS
"Russia is looking for a pretext to invade" Ukraine, US ambassador Samantha Power told the
UN Security Council emergency meeting called Friday by Russia.
Power's remarks followed an address by Russian ambassador Vitaly
Churkin, who blamed the Ukrainian government for unrest in the east. "If Kiev's criminal misadventures do not end,
catastrophic consequences for Ukraine will be inevitable," Churkin warned.
Power responded by accusing
Russia of "destabilizing, threatening" Ukraine and for "its inexcusable
failure" to fulfil the Geneva agreement. She outlined arguments against
Russia's language of "peaceful protesters" by pointing out the
"baseball bats" and "knives" of pro-Russian militants and attacks on
journalists and pro-Ukrainian locals.
"They are trying to
exactly replicate the charade [enacted] in Crimea. … that Ukraine has
taken steps to restore order is expected, justified, and what other
states would have done [long ago]," Power said.
Britain's ambassador reiterated the point that
"peaceful activists do not have the means … to shoot down Ukrainian
military helicopters," and France's ambassador asked "What right do we
have to interfere in affairs of besmirched state trying to recover its
sovereignty?" China gave a milquetoast statement that stressed Ukraine's
regions' rights and international efforts to preserve peace.
Reporter Howard Amos is live tweeting an attempt to help people escape the burning trade union building in Odessa. Amos has tweeted a photograph of two dead bodies and says he has seen "at least five" bodies.
Guys hanging from the window sill on 3rd floor, apparently to escape smoke inside: pic.twitter.com/CXmaKGHMD7
— Howard Amos (@howardamos) May 2, 2014
They're trying to throw ropes up to the guys hanging out of windows (5 by my count now). Not getting close.
Pro-Russian defenders lobbing stones from top of building into crowd below.
Saw one guy fall from second window trying to escape from fire on a rope.
There are a couple of hundred riot police. They are doing nothing.
Updated
The fight rages on in Odessa. Pro-Kiev forces are laying siege to a building identified as a trade union headquarters, where pro-Moscow forces had holed up
after the street clashes earlier. Police report at least three people have been killed during the fighting, according to Reuters. A live stream of the protests can be seen here.
Reporter Howard Amos is at the scene.
The Obama-Merkel news conference has wrapped. Here's a summary (for a general update on the Ukraine crisis click here; for the latest from Odessa here): • The US and Europe will remain united in support of Ukrainian sovereignty, the leaders said. There was still time for Moscow to help craft a diplomatic solution to the crisis, they said.
• Obama said Russia's disruptive role in eastern Ukraine created a broader security threat.
"Russia's actions in Ukraine pose a direct challenge to the goal that
brought Europeand the United States together for decades," Obama said,
"and that is a Europe that is whole, free and at peace." [Update: quote
corrected from transcript]
• The planned 25 May elections were presented as a trigger date for a new round of sanctions
on Russia. If the elections are disrupted, the leaders said, "sectoral"
sanctions would follow. "This is not necessarily what we want but we're
ready, and prepared," Merkel said. • Obama implied, however, that new sanctions might not target Russia's energy sector. Energy flows from Russia to Europe continued "at the height of the Cold War," he pointed out. • The leaders decried the treatment of captive OSCE observers at the hands of pro-Russia forces.
Obama said the US and Germany are "united in our outrage over the
appalling treatment of OSCE observers... It is disgraceful and it is
inexcusable."
• Obama said unidentified militants in east Ukraine "receive report from Russia."
He said they are armed and trained, "with the capacity to shoot down
helicopters. Generally protesters ... do not have that ability."
• Merkel called on Moscow to cooperate in defusing the crisis. "Mr Putin needs to play a role … and his arguments need to be weighed," she said.
Updated
Reporting for the Guardian, Alec Luhn flags a difficult-to-pin-down statistic from the UN security council meeting, supplied by ambassador Samantha Power:
At UNSC, US rep gives new, higher numbers on crisis in Eastern #Ukraine: 32 government buildings occupied in 17 cities, 21 by armed men
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 2, 2014
"One of the biggest concerns that we've seen is the Russian propaganda that has been blasting out nonstop, suggesting somehow that the Ukrainian government is responsible for the unrest in eastern Ukraine," Obama says.
The
notion that the unrest in the east is a spontaneous exercise, Obama
says, is belied by "all the evidence ... of trained, armed" men, "with
the capacity to shoot down helicopters. Generally protesters ... do not
have that ability", he says.
He returns to the captive OSCE observers. "Somehow Kiev is responsible for that?" Obama says.
"Our
only interest is for Ukraine to be able to make its own decisions,"
Obama says. "The last thing we want," he says, is chaos in the middle of
Europe.
Obama-Merkel meeting: We
aren't adopting economic sanctions, but we might! Don't push us! We're
on edge! Now who wants some working lunch?
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 2, 2014
Updated
Merkel goes on to say that "Mr Putin needs to play a role …
and his arguments need to be weighed. … The European Union and the
United States need to act in concert, as they have from the start."
Obama
adds that "I've said from the start that Russia has legitimate
interests in Ukraine … and his views need to be taken into account. …
[but] to violate the territorial integrity of a sovereign country – that
is not acceptable. … Ukraine cannot accept that they are simply an
extension, an appendage of Russia, and that the Kremlin has veto power
over what happens in Kiev."
Updated
Merkel says "we're serious about the principles" and "we will move to the third stage" of sanctions. "This is not necessarily what we want but we're ready, and prepared," she says.
Obama steers the conversation about sanctions away from the energy sector.
"When it comes to sectoral sanctions we're looking at a full range of issues," Obama says.
Energy
flows from RUssia to Europe continued "at the height of the Cold War,"
he points out. "The idea that you're going to turn off the tap... is
unrealistic."
He mentions arms sector, the finance sector and trade relations.
Obama: if elections disrupted, 'sectoral sanctions' next
"What you've seen in the course of the last several months is
remarkable unity between the United States and the European Union,"
Obama says in response to a question.
We've offered a diplomatic
approach, he says. We've supported the government in Kiev, including
economically. And we've warned of costs for Russia, and have begun to
implement sanctions. "The next step is going to be a broader-based, sectoral sanctions regime,"
Obama says. "If in fact we see the disruptions and the destabilization
continuing so severely that it impedes elections on May 25, we will not
have a choice but to move forward... with more severe sanctions."
"The goal is not to punish RUssia. THe goal is to give them an incentive to pursue a better course," he says.
Updated
Merkel thanks Obama and picks up where he left off on Ukraine, using more moderate language.
The
25th of May is not that far away, she says, referring to the planned
Ukrainian elections. If the elections fail, she says, additional
sanctions will result.
She characterizes the situation as less of a
crisis than Obama did. It's a bit of bad cop-good cop. She says that
Europe will defend the Ukrainian people's right to sovereignty. But she
says Moscow still has time to achieve a diplomatic solution.
Updated
Obama: Russia's actions 'pose direct challenge' to peaceful Europe
"These are challenging times," Obama said. "Russia’s actions in
Ukraine pose a direct challenge to the goal that brought Europe and the
United States together for decades -- and that is a Europe that is
whole, free and at peace. Just as our predecessors stood united in
pursuit of that vision, so will we."
Updated
Obama says US 'united' with Germany on Ukraine
Obama and Merkel appear in the Rose Garden.
The American
president reels off a list of topics the two have discussed: cooperative
security, surveillance, energy, trade deals, Syria, Iran, the
president's recent trip to Asia. "Most of our time was spent on the situation in Ukraine," the president says. He praises Merkel for "speaking out forcefully" on the situation.
"We are united in our determination to impose costs on Russia for its actions," including through sanctions, Obama says.
He says the allies will uphold their Article 5 commitments in Nato and will support the Ukrainian people and economy.
Of
armed militants among the separatists in east Ukraine, it's "obvious
they are not peaceful protesters," Obama says: "They are heavily armed
militants" who receive support for Russia.
He says the US and
Germany are "united in our outrage over the appalling treatment of OSCE
observers." "It is disgraceful and it is inexcusable. Russia needs to
work to secure their immediate release."
"We want to see a diplomatic solution," Obama says. But if Moscow does not change course, "it will face increasing costs."
• Pro-Russia forces attacked a unity rally in Odessa, prompting violent clashes with stones, Molotov cocktails and firearms. At least one person was shot dead, local police said. • A Ukrainian military operation around Slavyansk earlier Friday left at least two Ukrainian troops dead and "many" opposition members dead, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said. • Moscow said the operation violated the 17 April Geneva deal.
Russia has called for a UN security council meeting over Ukraine's
attack on Slavyansk, Reuters reports citing news agency quotes. • German chancellor Angela Merkel is meeting with US president Barack Obama at the White House on Ukraine, NSA surveillance and other matters. The two are addressing the media now. • Negotiations to free OSCE observers taken hostage by pro-Russia forces are at a "highly sensitive stage," the German foreign minister said.
Updated
US president Barack Obama and German chancellor Angela Merkel are due for a news conference in the White House Rose Garden. They're expected to appear soon.
Howard Amos, a reporter based in Moscow, has this twitpic on Odessa.
In his address to the country, acting president Turchynov said that two Ukrainian soldiers were
killed and seven injured in today's operation in Slavyansk. Oksana Grytsenko for the Guardian writes:
He also said about
"many" killed on the other side. "Criminals received big losses during
the operation: many were killed, wounded and arrested," he said without
giving details.
Turchynov also promised an amnesty to all those armed separatists, who did not commit grave crimes and agreed to surrender. He
also called on Moscow to "stop its hysterics, threats and intimidation over events taking place in Ukraine".
Reports say at least one person is dead in Odessa. Euromaidan PR,
the pro-Kiev, group says one pro-Ukraine activist who died, was shot in
the head by "pro-Russian thugs". RT, the pro-Moscow TV channel, also
says one man was shot dead but gives no specifics.
UPDATE: Reuters has this report, citing local police:
One man was shot
dead in clashes between pro-Russian protesters and supporters of
Ukrainian unity in the largely Russian-speaking port city of Odessa,
local police said on Friday.
Police said in a
statement protesters had thrown petrol bombs, paving stones and
"explosive devices" during the clashes in the southern city, and that
the man had been shot in the chest, puncturing his left lung.
He died before the ambulance reached him.
Geoffrey Pyatt, the Ukrainian ambassador to the US, finds it hard to accept the violence in Odessa.
Hard to reconcile the
terrible images from Odessa today with the beautiful, cosmopolitan city I
got to visit a few weeks ago. Doesn't add up
— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) May 2, 2014
US defence secretary Chuck Hagel has called on Nato's European
members to increase their defence spending in light of Russia's action
in Ukraine. He told the Wilson Center thinktank in Washington that
Russia's actions in Ukraine have made Nato's value abundantly clear. He
also defended Nato enlargement in eastern Europe - cited by many as a
reason for Russia's muscular approach to Ukraine.
#SecDef Hagel: #NATO enlargement did not invite #Russian aggression. Instead it affirmed independence & democratic identity of new members.
— US Mission to NATO (@USNATO) May 2, 2014
James Miller of Interpreter, an online magazine on Russia, says
Moscow has effectively gobbled up eastern Ukraine thanks to a highly
effective propaganda campaign that includes shutting down independent
media voices. In this piece for Vice News, he writes:
Russia
may eventually invade Ukraine — it will be difficult to assert total
control without a significant number of Russian troops on the ground
there. But Ukraine has already lost part of the east to Moscow without
Russia having to fire a shot, because the Kremlin's disinformation war
has proven to be as effective as a traditional invasion, and far less
risky. And thanks to the speed of 21st century information, nothing is
stopping Russia from continuing to take its propaganda-offensive to the
rest of eastern Europe.
Hundreds
of pro-Russian militants swinging batons and wearing helmets attacked a
rally of 1,500 people in Ukraine's southern port
city of Odessa demonstrating for national unity, an AFP journalist said.
Police
intervened to try to break up the violence, which left dozens wounded
on both sides. Odessa, which has around 1m inhabitants, had up to now
been relatively spared the unrest wracking east Ukraine.
However, the city is located close to the border with Moldova and
its breakaway state of Transdniestr, where Russia has troops stationed
since a short war in 1992. Ukraine's Western-backed government accuses Russia of fomenting the rebellion on its territory.
On Monday, dozens of pro-Russian thugs armed with bats, bricks
and knives attacked another pro-Ukrainian rally in the eastern city of
Donetsk, wounding 14.
Oleksandr Turchynov, Ukraine's acting president, says the operation
in Slavyansk did not make as much progress as hoped for because of the
use of human shields. He also said Ukrainian border troops pushed back
"armed saboteurs" who attempted to cross into Ukraine overnight.
The Ukrainian ambassador to Nato, Ihor Dolhov, has told the Debating Europe website
that Ukraine does not want outside military help even if Russia
invaded. The key quote from Dolhov, who was responding to posted
questions.
We do not want any country or
organisation to deploy military forces on our territory. We are
self-sufficient in this regard. Ukraine has a strong army, and if –
though nobody wants this to happen – but if Ukrainian borders are
crossed by Russian troops, we will protect our country.
Russia calls for UN security council meeting
Russia has called for a UN security council meeting over Ukraine's
attack on Slavyansk, Reuters reports citing news agency quotes.
There are reports of clashes between pro-Ukraine and pro-Russian forces in the Black Sea port of Odessa.
Footage shows riot police struggling to separate the two sides as teargas was fired, and petrol bombs hurled.
The pro-Kemlin broadcaster RT says pro-Ukraine forces captured a fire engine during an anti Kiev rally.
There is more footage of the clashes here.
Nikolai Holmov, who tweets under the name Odessa blogger, suggests pro-Ukraine forces were behind the violence.
The Guardian's Luke Harding is pessimistic about the crisis after reporting from eastern Ukraine for the last three weeks.
Reflecting on his trip in a series of tweet he says he fears Russia could invade eastern Ukraine later this month.
1) There is every
possibility Russia will invade. The crunch moment will come after the
separatist "referendum"on May 11, and before May 25
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
Scenario goes like this:
"Donetsk People's Republic" proclaims itself legitimate power in east
and invites in Russian "peacekeepers"
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
#Moscow says it is obliged to defend this new, young state from "fascist aggressors" in Kyiv
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
2) Russian invasion more likely because armed hardline separatists enjoy only marginal support in east
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
There's deep resentment
of Kyiv, and strong pro-Russia mood. But majority wants autonomy or
federalisation within Ukraine, not secession
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
3) it will be impossible to hold presidential elections on May 25 in much of the east, esp Donetsk and Luhansk provinces
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
We're already in a
situation of mob rule, where showing Ukrainian flag risks beating or
worse. So electoral process can't function here
— Luke Harding (@lukeharding1968) May 2, 2014
Updated
Ukraine denies it is breaking Geneva deal
Ukraine has rejected Russian attempts to blame Kiev for breaking
a deal agreed in Geneva last month, Reuters reports.
"Instead Russia is supporting in many ways terrorist groups that are
operating in the eastern regions of Ukraine, who are putting civilians
in danger, seizing hostages and creating an atmosphere of terror and
violence," the Foreign Ministry said.
In a statement, the ministry also added that Ukraine was ready to
negotiate with a Russian envoy to try to find a way out of the crisis,
but that Kiev had not been informed of his arrival in eastern Ukraine.
AFP says three teams of journalists have been released after being briefly held, and in some cases roughed-up, in Slavyansk.
US reporters for CBS television news and the online site
Buzzfeed, and a team with Britain's Sky News were grabbed at rebel-held
checkpoints as they tried to enter the town.
The CBS reporter, Clarissa Ward, told her network that after
being abducted she and her colleagues were taken to different locations,
and at one point blindfolded. A male member of the team was beaten.
One pro-Russian rebel commander explained to them that the
insurgents' nerves were frayed by the military onslaught and assured
them they would come to no harm. Eventually they were freed.
Buzzfeed's Mike Giglio, an experienced correspondent who used to
work for Newsweek, tweeted that he endured a similar experience.
He said the rebels were overhead talking about keeping them as hostages, and one person in his group was punched twice.
Once the rebels decided to release them, they were "politely"
served tea. But the militants stole his flak jacket and helmet, saying
they were "something for us to remember you by".
A Sky spokeswoman, meanwhile, confirmed to AFP: "A Sky News crew
was detained for a number of hours this morning in eastern Ukraine. We
are glad they have since been released and are safe and well."
Last month, the rebels in Slavyansk grabbed another American
journalist, Simon Ostrovsky of VICE News, and kept him for four days.
He, too, said he was beaten initially. After being called a
"provocateur", the 33-year-old was released.
Giglio has tweeted more details about his ordeal.
Blindfolded on drive to
where pro-Russia militia held us, but heard them cock guns as we
approached their own checkpoints--internal mistrust
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 2, 2014
EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has given a cautious response to today's violence.
Speaking during a press conference with German Foreign Minister
Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin she said: "It is absolutely vital that we do not see continuing violence, it's
absolutely vital that we see occupations of buildings reduced.
"It is absolutely vital, as I have said to everyone, that we see the
functioning of the Rada, the parliament, as being the place where all
representatives of Ukraine can work together."
Similarly,
Steinmeier called for the urgent implementation of the Geneva deal
last month between Ukraine, Russia, the United States and the
European Union.
Earlier the Kremlin said Ukraine's action today had destroyed any last hope of the agreement working.
Another video boasts of help on its way from the separatists, via Maxim Eristavi.
'Hundreds of us are coming to help South-Eastern Ukraine' -
armed men calling themselves 'Crimea home-guard'
https://t.co/GklMVgLbOD
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) May 2, 2014
Alec Luhn for the Guardian writes on Moscow's angry reaction to today's clashes around the eastern city of Slavyansk.
President Vladimir Putin's spokesman
said the Geneva agreement to defuse the situation in eastern Ukraine
is no longer viable after Kiev launched a military operation against
a rebel-held city on Friday.
Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry
called in a statement for Kiev to end the operation, warning that the
US and the EU are “closing the door to a
peaceful solution to the crisis.”
“Basically, at the same time that
Russia is taking pains to de-escalate and regulate the conflict, the
Kiev regime has begun shooting up peaceful towns with military
helicopters and has started a punitive operation, essentially
destroying the last hope for the viability of the Geneva agreement,”
spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.
“Earlier, when he was still in Minsk,
Putin called the possible operation a criminal action. Unfortunately,
the development of events completely confirms this appraisal,”
Peskov added.
In a statement on Friday, Russia's
defence ministry said the Ukrainian military operation was launching
rocket strikes on protesters, accusing it of employing
ultra-nationalists from the group Right Sector and “English-speaking
foreigners” it suggested were American mercenaries.
“As we have warned many times before,
the use of the army against its own people is a crime and is leading
Ukraine to catastrophe,” the statement said.
“By supporting the organisers of the
Kiev coup in their strategy of violently putting down protests, the
US and EU are taking on a huge responsibility, essentially closing
the door to a peaceful solution to the crisis,” it added.
Fears remain that fighting in eastern
Ukraine could trigger a Russian invasion. In a telephone conversation
with German chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday, Putin said Kiev
should pull its forces back from the eastern and southern regions of
the country. Russia has been massing tens of thousands of its own
troops on the border amid warnings it could intervene to protect
Russian speakers in Ukraine.
Ukraine has banned Russian flights to Donetsk and Kharkiv.
Aeroflot just lost my
suitcase on flight from Donetsk to Moscow. Now they've suspended
upcoming flights citing Kiev ban. Suitcase stranded.
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) May 2, 2014
Reuters has details about today's clashes in Slavyansk, a stronghold of the pro-Russian separatists.
Reuters journalists in Slaviansk, the most heavily fortified bastion of
pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, heard shooting break out and
saw one helicopter opening fire before dawn. Ten hours later, the city
was largely quiet, with shops shut and armed separatists in control of
the streets.
On the square outside city hall in Slavyansk, about 100 people
gathered on Friday and said they were appealing to Putin to send troops
to help them. Businesswoman Tamara Voshchanaya said:
"What can you think when the
sound of cannon makes you jump out of bed, when helicopters are flying
over and shooting at our guys?
We are ready to stand firm, we will not abandon the guys. Give us
weapons, and we too will go against the Right Sector," referring to a Ukrainian nationalist group.
On the town's southern outskirts, eight Ukrainian armoured personnel
carriers cut off the road but faced a cordon two deep of local
residents shouting at them to go home.
Some rebels threw up new barricades of felled trees.
The Ukrainian defence ministry said in a statement that two Mi-24
attack helicopters had been shot down by shoulder-launched anti-aircraft
missiles while on patrol overnight around Slavyansk.
Two airmen
were
killed and others wounded.
A third helicopter, an Mi-8 transport aircraft, was also hit and a
serviceman wounded, the ministry said. The SBU security service
said this helicopter was carrying medics. Ukrainian officials said
their troops overran rebel checkpoints and Slavyansk was now "tightly
encircled".
Mike Giglio, a BuzzFeed reporter who was taken at a checkpoint near Konstantinovka, has also been released.
All the journalists and crew taken with me, including my brave translator Lena, are released and safely back in Donetsk as well.
— Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) May 2, 2014
Christopher Miller, editor of Kiev Post, has a picture purportedly showing men suspected of shooting at a Ukrainian helicopter.
Clarissa Ward from CBS News tweets following the release of her and
her crew after being seized by pro-Russian separatists at a checkpoint
in Slavyansk.
One of our crew was beaten but we are all ok. Thanks for concern
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) May 2, 2014
Updated
The Russian foreign ministry has called on the west to give up its
"destructive" policy on Ukraine and has urged Kiev to stop
its "punitive operation" in the east, reports Reuters. "This will allow a
real process of de-escalation to begin," the ministry said in a
statement. Russia said the west was effectively preventing a peaceful
resolution to the crisis by backing Kiev.
Summary
Here's a summary of the latest developments:
Ukraine launched a military assault on pro-Russian forces in the eastern city of Slavyansk. Troops from Kiev seized control of nine checkpoints in an early morning assault, but have not advanced further into Slavyansk.
Pro-Russian forces shot down two Ukrainian helicopters, killing two pilots, both sides have said.
At least one pro-Russian insurgent was also killed. Ukraine's security
service claimed the shooting down of a helicopter by anti-aircraft fire
showed that "foreign experts" are fighting alongside pro-Russian
separatists
The Kremlin accused Ukraine of destroying any hope of success of last month's Geneva peace agreement. It said Ukraine was using air power against a civilian population.
The separatist-appointed mayor of Slavyansk, has vowed that his men will not surrender. Vyacheslav Ponomarev said unspecified "help" was on its way.
Pro-Russian separatists have taken over the control centre for Donetsk
railways, all but stopping trains from running. A spokesman for the Donetsk railway said the rebels had seized the command post near Yasynuvata, just north
of Donetsk, and had cut all electricity.
Efforts to
free a group of international observers held by pro-Russian rebels in
Ukraine have reached a critical phase, according to German Foreign
Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Meanwhile, a CBS journalist and her crew were briefly help in Slavyansk.
CBS reporter Clarissa Ward says she has been freed after reports that she was seized at a checkpoint in Slavyansk.
We've been released.
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) May 2, 2014
There has been no more word on the fate of other journalists reportedly taken.
In a new video message Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the
separatist-appointed mayor of Slavyansk, has vowed that his men will not
surrender and that "help" is on its way, according to journalist Maxim
Eristavi.
The Kremlin has accused Ukraine of using air power against a civilian population, according to Reuters. Ukrainian soldiers stay near of a checkpoint
seized by them not far of Slavyansk, Ukraine. The Ukrainian Defence
Ministry said that two crew members were killed and an unspecified
number of soldiers were injured after separatists shot down two Mi-24
assault helicopters with surface-to-air missiles. A third, Mi-8
transport helicopter, was hit by bullets but escaped unharmed, the
ministry said. Photograph: Roman Pilipey/EPA
Hostage negotiations reach critical stage
Efforts to free a group of international observers held by
pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine have reached a critical phase, according to the German foreign minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
AFP reports:
Speaking to reporters after talks with Swiss counterpart Didier
Burkhalter, Steinmeier said he could not elaborate on efforts to free
the men, given the "highly sensitive stage of the ongoing negotiations".
Neutral Switzerland is currently at the helm of the Organisation
for Security and Cooperation in Europe, which sent the observers to
Ukraine to monitor a peace deal reached in Geneva last month that has
been rejected by the pro-Russian rebels.
The Swiss government has been striving to defuse the Ukraine
crisis, which has raised Western tensions with Russia to their sharpest
since the Cold War.
"Our goal is the unconditional release of the hostages in Slavyansk," said Burkhalter.
Eight OSCE observers, four of whom are Germans, were captured
last Friday in the flashpoint town of Slavyansk in mainly
Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine.
They were presented to the media Sunday as "prisoners of war" in what Germany said was a "repugnant" display.
Berlin has been pushing Russian President Vladimir Putin to persuade the pro-Moscow rebels to free the observers.
One of the hostages, a Swede who was said to suffer from
diabetes, was freed late Sunday, but the Germans, a Pole, a Dane and a
Czech remain in custody.
The rebels also captured four Ukrainian OSCE representatives, but they have not been seen in public since.
Steinmeier called the Ukraine crisis a "huge challenge for all
concerned", saying clashes Friday showed the violence in the embattled
country was far from over.
Burkhalter said there were plans to launch a new drive to resolve
the crisis and that high-level contacts were under way, but did not
elaborate.
Pro-Russian separatists have seized the control centre for Donetsk
railways, all but stopping trains from running, a
spokesman for the Donetsk railway said, according to Reuters.
The rebels had seized the command post near Yasynuvata, just north
of Donetsk, and had cut all electricity, a spokesman for the Donetsk railway said. "Movement has all but
stopped."
On Thursday separatists took over the offices of the prosecutors office in Donetsk, as the Independent's Kim Sengupta reported:
By
late afternoon the takeover of the prosecutor’s office in Donetsk was
complete. ‘Heavies’ in balaclavas and combat kits began easing out the
exuberant and mainly young mob who had stormed the building; the leaders
began shouting orders for an inventory to be made of what was inside.
“Not one more piece of paper or anything from a computer leaves this
place. Same with the uniforms, we will be needing them” snapped a man we
later learned was called Nicolai, as he looked around with distaste at
the broken doors and smashed furniture. “What they don’t understand is
that this is the peoples’ property now.”
The takeover of the
building was a significant victory for the separatists who had already
been holding the regional administration offices for weeks, as well as
having effective control of a number of other state institutions. The
Peoples’ Republic of Donetsk was quick to seize on the symbolism of this
triumph taking place on May Day; a day where a vast crowd had roared
out their rejection of Ukraine and loyalty to Russia and the Donbass.
Putin's office says attack destroys Geneva deal
Ukraine's action against Slavyansk has destroyed the last hope of the Geneva agreement, according to a statement from the office of Vladimir Putin.
RIA
Novosti, quotes Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying: "While
Russia is making efforts to de-escalate and resolve the conflict, Kiev
launched a punitive operation, effectively destroying the last hope for
the viability of the Geneva agreements."
More unverified footage has emerged purporting to show an injured
Ukrainian helicopter pilot being led away by pro-Russian forces in
Slavyansk.
Freelance journalist Graham Phillips has footage of Ukrainian troops
at checkpoints outside Slavyansk. In one clip Phillips, who works as a
stringer for the pro-Kremlin broadcaster RT, quotes the troops saying
that they have no orders to move into the city.
In another troops claim the situation in Slavyansk is "bad".
Walking into Ukrainian positions, soldiers say they have no orders to move into city at present, locals skeptical. https://t.co/gcmAf7xTOd
— GrahamWPhillips (@GrahamWP_UK) May 2, 2014
I ask the Ukrainian soldiers outside #Sloviansk what they think of this situation, short answer 'it's bad' - https://t.co/Eo85ybLZKO
— GrahamWPhillips (@GrahamWP_UK) May 2, 2014
AFP has a useful breakdown of the places where pro-Russian forces are most active.
Slavyansk
The epicentre of rebel activity and the scene of much of the
reported violence and abductions. On 12 April, pro-Russian gunmen seized
the police building in this town of an estimated 120,000 to 140,000
people, raiding its arsenal. They then took over the town hall and the
SBU security services building the same day. The interior ministry in
Kiev estimates 30-50 Ukrainian security services personnel are held
there, as well as seven Europeans from the OSCE.
Donetsk
This city of one million people is the hub of the Donetsk region,
which includes Slavyansk, and is the heart of what rebels call their
"Donetsk Republic". The regional administrative building was seized
April 6 and the city hall on April 16. Violent scenes on April 28 when
men armed with knives, baseball bats and iron bars attacked a pro-Kiev
rally.
Lugansk
This city of 465,000 inhabitants, which is also the regional
heart of the Lugansk region, is proclaiming itself the core of a
self-styled "Lugansk Republic". Its SBU security services building was
grabbed on 6 April by some 1,000 pro-Russian protesters. On 29 April, a
crowd of hundreds, with gunmen leading, took over the regional
administrative building, prosecutor's office and local television
station. They laid siege to regional police headquarters but withdrew
when the police chief agreed to resign. On 2 May, rebels left the
prosecutor's office.
Kramatorsk
Just next to Slavyansk and 100 kilometres (60 miles) from
Donetsk, this town of 160,000 inhabitants saw its town hall taken over
on 12 April during a rally by more than 1,000 pro-Russian demonstrators.
On 15 April, a bomb alert that turned out to be false cleared the
building, but militants took over the nearby SBU building. On April 21,
pro-Russian militants forcibly took back the town hall. A Ukraine
military base lies outside the town and has fended off several attacks.
AP says today's attack on Slavyansk isUkraine's first major assault against
pro-Russian forces who have seized government buildings in the country's
east.
Here's a map showing the location in context:
Journalists seized
There are unconfirmed reports that more journalists have been seized by pro-Russia separatists.
Mike
Giglio, a BuzzFeed reporter, was taken at a checkpoint near
Konstantinovka, according to the editor of the Kiev Post, Christopher
Miller.
Stopped and diverted at
Slovyansk checkpoint by pro-Russian activists. They're waiting for
orders- send us to prison or let us proceed
— Clarissa Ward (@clarissaward) May 2, 2014
Updated
Two helicopters shot down
Both sides are now saying that two Ukrainian helicopters were shot down and their pilots killed, AP points out.
The Ukrainian security service said one of the helicopters
was shot down with a surface-to-air missile, which it said undercut
Russia's claims that the city is under control of civilians who took up
arms.
Stella Khorosheva, a spokeswoman for the pro-Russia militants, said one
of their men was killed and another injured. She offered no further
details.
The official spokesman for the military wing of the pro-Russia forces,
who will give only his first name, Vladislav, said fighting had broken
out at several points around the city. He said government armoured
vehicles were seen on roads leading into Slavyansk and claimed that
Ukrainian troops had made incursions into the city itself.
Details of these claims could not be independently confirmed.
On the road leading into Slavyansk from Kramatorsk to the south, an
Associated Press reporter saw six Ukrainian armoured vehicles parked on
the side of the road.
Reuters quotes a statement from
Ukraine's ministry of defence as saying: "As a result of the shooting,
two troops from the Ukrainian army were killed." Ukrainian soldiers stand at a checkpoint,
which they seized in the early morning in the village of Andreevka, four
miles from the centre of the southern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk, on
Friday. Photograph: Vasily Maximov/AFP/Getty Images
Updated
Eliot Higgins, who monitors the use of weapons on YouTube for his Brown Moses blog,
highlights more footage claiming to show the moment a helicopter was
shot down over Slavyansk. He has also uncovered a clip purporting to
show a wounded helicopter pilot shot down with anti-aircraft weapons.
Video claims to show the moment a Ukranian helicopter was shot down by pro-Russian forces in Slavyansk https://t.co/ai9VPNoRF7
— Brown Moses (@Brown_Moses) May 2, 2014
Video claims to show the wounded pilot of a helicopter downed by pro-Russian fighters with a MANPADS in Slavyansk https://t.co/2E0VcZtjjI
— Brown Moses (@Brown_Moses) May 2, 2014
Ukraine's security service, the SBU, claims the shooting down of a
helicopter by anti-aircraft fire showed that "foreign experts" are
fighting alongside pro-Russian separatists in Slavyansk, according to the Insider.
AFP, citing Ukraine's defence ministry, says two helicopters were shot down, and two pilots were killed.
An AFP reporter on the scene saw a column of eight armoured vehicles breaching a rebel-held checkpoint just south of Slavyansk.
The raid marked a dramatic escalation in the crisis and
jeopardised negotiations to release seven European OSCE inspectors being
held by Slavyank's insurgents.
Helicopters were seen circling low over Slavyansk, which has
become the epicentre of rebel activity in the increasingly chaotic east
of Ukraine.
One resident, Vladimir Pader, told Russian television: "Everyone -
both rebels and Slavyansk residents - is determined not to surrender
the city."
Eight armoured vehicles and several soldiers were seen taking
position at a checkpoint just to the south of the town of 160,000 and
warned off anybody trying to approach.
Sporadic small-arms fire and explosions were heard coming from
the outskirts, while central Slavyansk remained relatively calm. Rebels
had set at least one roadblock on fire to produce cloaking smoke.
Updated
Ukraine's interior minister Arsen Avakov says Kiev's forces have retaken nine checkpoints from "terrorists" in Slavyansk.
In
a Facebook update he claimed a helicopter pilot was killed when
separatists including "professional mercenaries" fired anti-aircraft
weapons.
He said the operation was aimed at freeing hostages, retaking government buildings and restoring law and order to Slavyansk.
Freelance journalist Graham Phillips tweets a photograph of helicopter said to be involved in the attack.
Am here myself now, earlier my man on the ground in #Sloviansk took this photo, Ukrainian army helicopter over city. pic.twitter.com/nVpGENWQHX
— GrahamWPhillips (@GrahamWP_UK) May 2, 2014
Updated
Slavyansk is tense but quiet for now, according to New York Times
reporter CJ Chivers, who earlier heard gunfire and explosions, and
witnessed a helicopter flying low over the south-east of the city.
Very little gunfire in
Slovyansk now. City tense but quiet. Many men at barricades. At one
hospital, staff says one wounded. At other, none.
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) May 2, 2014
In the latest of a series of tweets from the city, Chivers says
Ukrainian forces have taken control of a TV broadcast tower, citing
anti-government fighters. But so far he says there has not been an
assault on Slavyansk as the separatists have claimed.
Antigov fighters say UKR
mil took TV broadcast tower @ edge Slovyansk overnite. Tower visible
from here. Forces not far apart, but quiet now
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) May 2, 2014
Antigov militia in
Slovyansk on allert, readying to fight. Clearly expecting larger attack.
So far general attack on city hasn't happened.
— C.J. Chivers (@cjchivers) May 2, 2014
Updated
Opening summary
Welcome to live coverage of the crisis in Ukraine after pro-Russia
separatists in Slavyansk claimed Kiev had launched a "large-scale
operation" to retake the city.
Here's a summary of the latest developments:
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