Ukraine battles separatists in east as Russian troops identified
Waterloo Region Record
KYIV, Ukraine Ukraine Tuesday unleashed an offensive to dislodge militants from cities in the eastern Donetsk region as the authorities in the capital Kyiv said Russian special forces were identified among the anti-government groups.
Between four and 11 militants were killed and two wounded when Ukrainian troops stormed an airfield in Kramatorsk, taking it under control, Russian state television reported. Ukrainian units backed by armored personnel carriers blocked all approaches to the town of Slovyansk, the state news service RIA Novosti said, citing a pro-Russian activist, Sergey Tsyplakov. Elements of Russia’s 45th Airborne Regiment were spotted in both towns, Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Vitali Yarema said on Channel 5.
The government in Kyiv is taking the battle to the restive east of the country after armed pro-Russian activists occupied administrative buildings in cities including Donetsk, a regional center of more than 900,000 about 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the Russian border. An attempt to head off the mounting insurgency may escalate tensions with Russia, which NATO says has 40,000 troops massed on Ukraine’s border, after its annexation of Crimea last month.
“The aim of these actions is to protect people,” acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said in a statement on his website. “Apart from Russian special forces and terrorists, there’s hundreds of thousands of innocent Ukrainian people deceived by Russian propaganda, and that is why we will take any needed anti-terrorist actions prudently and responsibly.”
The deadly clashes have prompted diverging views from Russia and the United States. Speaking with United Nations Secretary- General Ban Ki-moon, President Vladimir Putin called the events “unconstitutional” and demanded international condemnation of the crackdown, according to a statement emailed by the Russian leader’s press service.
The U.S. is “admiring” the restraint show by Ukraine, with Russia directly and indirectly supporting the provocations, White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters in Washington.
“I think Ukraine had no option,” Ievgen Vorobiov, analyst at the Warsaw-based Polish Institute of Foreign Affairs, said by phone from Kyiv. “The government’s hand was forced into a very uncomfortable decision, even if it fits into the Russian plan. This strike will send Russia a clear signal that the Ukrainian government isn’t ready to pull out of Donetsk and Luhansk.”
The U.S. and Russia plan to proceed with four-party talks in Geneva with European Union and Ukrainian officials in two days, even as the EU and the U.S. are considering widening sanctions against Russian individuals and possibly companies.
Ukraine must stop quashing protests and hold a referendum on devolving power to regions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was quoted as saying by RIA in Beijing Tuesday. He said using force could jeopardize the talks scheduled for April 17 in Geneva.
Putin, who plans to hold a televised call-in news conference on April 17, is getting appeals for help from eastern Ukrainians alongside questions about why Russia isn’t taking action, his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, told reporters Tuesday. Putin has parliamentary approval to deploy troops in Ukraine to protect the rights of Russian-speakers and those of Russian heritage.
Bloomberg