A battle started on the outskirts of Sloviansk (Donetsk region), Dmitry Tymchuk director of Ukraine’s Centre of Military and Political Research, said on Facebook.
According to him, at dawn a group of terrorists made an attempt to leave the city, which was prevented by Ukrainian siloviki involved in the counterterrorist operation. In the morning the standoff continued at one of the checkpoints. There has been no information about any victims yet.
Overnight into Wednesday Ukrainian forces resumed military actions in Sloviansk. Their attack was followed by two explosions, witnesses say. The residents of Sloviansk were warned of the beginning of the storm by ringing of a church bell.
People are scared and refrain from leaving their homes, UNIAN and TSN report. Not to face a stray bullet, some of them even spend nights at their work places.
On May, 2 another stage of the counterterrorist operation started, and Ukrainian soldiers surrounded the city. Later it became known that a group of Russian insurgents were going to break out. Separatists urged the local citizens to take to the streets and act as a human shield.
Moving around the roads has been minimized, rail communication is limited, the Interior Ministry reports.
www.belsat.eu/en, following liga.net, unian.ua, tsn.ua
