First two helicopters are off towards Slavyansk, two others just landed here pic.twitter.com/Dl7c29LLxB
— Olaf Koens (@obk) April 15, 2014
#NATO keeps us all secure. We should all invest to keep NATO strong. Financially & politically in building strong & effective partnerships
— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) April 15, 2014
#Russia’s aggression against #Ukraine shows that we cannot take our security for granted
— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) April 15, 2014
We are discussing a package of measures providing all allies with the security they need, in the air, at sea, and on land
— AndersFogh Rasmussen (@AndersFoghR) April 15, 2014
LIVE UPDATE Ukrainian troops storm Kramatorsk airfield, Sloviansk http://t.co/1ZNLh5bqkE #Ukraine
— KyivPost (@KyivPost) April 15, 2014
Correspondents for the Associated Press and the AFP news agencies reported seeing a column of armored vehicles and tanks north of Slovyansk on April 15.
The appearance of the Ukrainian forces comes one day after acting President Oleksander Turchynov vowed to use force if necessary to assert Ukrainian government control over at least 10 cities in eastern Ukraine where pro-Russian groups have seized administrative buildings.
Turchynov has condemned as "terrorists" the pro-Russian groups occupying government buildings and security headquarters in eastern Ukraine.
The Russian ITAR-TASS news agency cited the pro-Russian acting mayor of Slovyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, as saying the city is surrounded by Ukrainian government forces.
He said "self-defense militias" were reinforcing barricades at entry points to the city.
"Trigger Happy" - Russian TV says "tanks from Kiev" are on the move in eastern Ukraine: pic.twitter.com/THMHVsQByr
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) April 15, 2014
Russian paramilitary leaders in eastern #Ukraine caught on tape communicating with #Moscow http://t.co/EUidXBgxIW pic.twitter.com/vRKiXlmQJ0
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 15, 2014
!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!
This just in from our news desk:
Shooting has been reported at the Kramatorsk airport.
Russia's Interfax news agency cited the head of the pro-Russia Donbas volunteer group, Sergei Tsyplatkov, as saying two members of his force have been wounded.
The Reuters news agency cites a witness as saying two helicopters landed and Ukrainian troops disembarked at the airport.
Anti-terrorist operation finally started in Eastern #Ukraine. Separatist-controlled airfield in Kramatorsk stormed,APCs surrounded Sloviansk
— Olga Tokariuk (@olgatokariuk) April 15, 2014
#Ukraine troops storm #Kramatorsk airfield, #Sloviansk; unconfirmed reports of casualties (LIVE UPDATES) http://t.co/dak99BA6w8 @KyivPost
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 15, 2014