Armed pro-Russian extremists seize police station, SBU HQ in #Sloviansk, erect roadblocks http://t.co/a6ZhTq2HxU pic.twitter.com/X4oae0gIcZ
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 12, 2014
SBU arrest and alleged organizer of riots in #Kharkiv hired by #Russian Intel http://t.co/Fnm82XqCLG pic.twitter.com/WfFhiat9PC
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 12, 2014
Pro- #Russia militia at checkpoint they have set up on outskirts of #Slaviansk. ‘The police are with us!’ pic.twitter.com/FzPNKoHAEg
— David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) April 12, 2014
'We are not allowing any cars from Kiev into #Slaviansk' say Pro-#Russia militia at checkpoint. #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/oa9bDjQaOL
— David Patrikarakos (@dpatrikarakos) April 12, 2014
In what looks like a special Russian military operation that resembles the Kremlin's Crimean invasion, masked men in army fatigues and bulletproof vests, armed with Kalashnikov assault rifles, seized the police station and district Security Service of Ukraine headquarters in Sloviansk, a Donetsk Oblast city of 125,000 people. Gunmen also seized the Interior Ministry in Donetsk.
Gunmen also set up two checkpoints outside the city, on the roads leading to Artemivsk and Konstantinovka. The gunmen piled sand and tires in the median with a Russian flag on top; at one of the checkpoints, the Kyiv Post saw four armed men dressed similarly to Russian soldiers. They stopped trucks and mini-buses and appeared to be searching for weapons that could be brought in to Sloviansk, perhaps by the government.
The gunmen at the Sloviansk police station also forced two journalists from Echo Moskvy radio station inside the building. The station is known as one of the last independent news outlets in Russia.
Read the whole piece here.
Патриоты в Луганске #Луганск #євромайдан #Украина #Україна #РФ #Россия pic.twitter.com/950FNPyOyh
— Євромайдан (@Dbnmjr) April 12, 2014
#Donetsk regional police HQ under control of separatists. Note USSR flag. via @HromadskeTV http://t.co/h5DUUjiSmB pic.twitter.com/1G3IMNRKX2
— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) April 12, 2014
Why #Slavyansk? Consult map: it's first city inside #Donetsk region on strategic road/rail line from #Kharkiv. #Ukraine
— Lucian Kim (@Lucian_Kim) April 12, 2014
@Lucian_Kim It's also the town which elected to the parliament former PM Azarov's son. And #Slovyansk mayor was very happy about that
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 12, 2014
@myroslavapetsa @Lucian_Kim ...That would be an area to watch, as well.
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 12, 2014
Separatist Protesters Take Over Police HQ In Slovyansk
Video of armed, masked pro-Russian men in fatigues who seized #Slavyansk police station today in eastern #Ukraine https://t.co/2BycFksnaR
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 12, 2014