UKRAINE: Kiev protesters demand action against pro-Russian separatists in the east

Record ID: 214587

  • Title: UKRAINE: Kiev protesters demand action against pro-Russian separatists in the east
  • Date: 14th April 2014
  • Summary: RESENDING WITH SCRIPT KIEV, UKRAINE (APRIL 14, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE SINGING ANTHEM ON MAIDAN SQUARE/ SQUARE MAN SINGING ANTHEM VARIOUS OF PEOPLE STANDING ON STAGE AND SINGING ANTHEM PEOPLE STANDING ON STAGE AND CHANTING "GLORY TO UKRAINE! GLORY TO HEROES!" THE INDEPENDENCE SQUARE CROWDED WITH PEOPLE FLAGS WAVING OVER THE CROWD (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) COMMANDER OF MAIDAN SELF DEFENCE GROUP, OLEG, SAYING: "(We) demand the mobilisation of forces, immediately, to support the Eastern regions in the struggle against separatists. The deadline is 24 hours from 7.30 p.m. of April 14, 2014." MAN LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) COMMANDER OF MAIDAN SELF DEFENCE GROUP, OLEG, SAYING: "If not, we demand that we not be prevented from (creating), and receive support for, at the highest level, a civil initiative of the Euromaidan activists in the struggle against separatism on the territory of the whole Ukraine" PEOPLE LISTENING VARIOUS OF SCUFFLES (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) UNIDENTIFIED MAN, ALSO COMMANDER OF SELF DEFENCE GROUP ON THE STAGE: "(For) those who want to take weapons today, there are 8 squadrons being created now. They must receive weapons within one day and can go there. These squadrons are being set up within the Ministry of Interior Affairs. The process of their creation has been started today. (They are) being created, being created" THE INDEPENDENCE SQUARE CROWDED WITH PEOPLE
  • Embargoed: 29th April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA9QB75IN6DHO8ZV2ZVIW8F6Y5Q
  • Story Text: Ukrainian activists and self defence group commanders took to the stage in Kiev's Maidan, or Independence Square at the heart of the movement that toppled the former president, and demanded on Monday (April 14) that the government get rid of pro-Russian activists causing chaos in the east.
    A commander of a small self defence group, Oleg, took to the stage setting a new deadline for the pro-Russians to give themselves up.
    Ukraine's interim president Oleksander Turchinov set a Monday morning deadline of 9am local time for the rebels to lay down their weapons. It passed without intervention.
    Armed pro-Russian separatists seized more buildings in eastern Ukraine on Monday and expanded their control.
    A rebel leader, in an appeal issued through journalists, asked Putin to "help us as much as you can".
    The Kremlin said the Russian president was listening.
    The Maidan self defence commander said he was prepared to arm himself and others and go down to the east to fight the separatists.
    "(We) demand the mobilisation of forces, immediately, to support the Eastern regions in the struggle against separatists. The deadline is 24 hours from 7.30 p.m. of April 14, 2014," Oleg said
    "If not, we demand that we not be prevented from (creating), and receive support for, at the highest level, a civil initiative of the Euromaidan activists in the struggle against separatism on the territory of the whole Ukraine," he added.
    Another commander tried to calm the situation down saying the interior ministry was already organising platoons to defend the east.
    He said volunteers were welcome to join the ministry of interior forces being mobilised.
    "(For) those who want to take weapons today, there are 8 squadrons being created now. They must receive weapons within one day and can go there. These squadrons are being set up within the Ministry of Interior Affairs. The process of their creation has been started today. (They are) being created, being created," said the unidentified self defence commander on stage.
    The uprising in eastern Ukraine began eight days ago but has accelerated sharply in the past 48 hours, with separatists seizing ever more buildings, including arsenals filled with weapons. They have met little opposition.
    Kiev says the separatists are organised by Moscow, seeking to repeat the seizure of the Crimea region, which Moscow occupied and annexed last month.
    Russia says the armed men are all locals acting on their own, but Western officials say the uprising is too well-coordinated to be entirely spontaneous, and bears too many similarities to the Russian operation in Crimea.
    Eastern Ukraine seems to be rapidly spinning out of the control of the central government. The governor of Donetsk, a multi-millionaire appointed by Kiev, has not been seen since April 11. A man calling himself Donetsk's new police chief has appeared wearing the orange and black separatist ribbon.
    The Ukrainian defence ministry acknowledged that it has had difficulty mobilising the armed forces in the east, where some units have been blockaded in by rebellious locals.
    European foreign ministers agreed on Monday to widen sanctions against Moscow and the White House said Washington was seeking ways to impose more "costs" on Russia, for what Kiev and its Western friends call a Russian plot to dismember Ukraine.
    The Ukraine crisis has led to the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War. Washington said a Russian fighter aircraft had made 12 low altitude passes over a U.S. warship in the Black Sea over the weekend, which it called a "provocative and unprofessional Russian action".
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2014. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register