UKRAINE: Pro-Russian activists attempt to attack military unit in Mariupol after talks fail

Record ID: 354721

  • Title: UKRAINE: Pro-Russian activists attempt to attack military unit in Mariupol after talks fail
  • Date: 17th April 2014
  • Summary: MARIUPOL, UKRAINE (APRIL 17, 2014) (REUTERS) ***NIGHT SHOTS*** PRO-RUSSIAN ACTIVISTS WITH RED FLAG OUTSIDE UKRAINIAN MILITARY UNIT AMBULANCE PULLING IN PEOPLE WALKING AROUND CAR WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG COLOURED STRIP AROUND IT MAN SHOUTING 'AMBULANCE' IN LOUD SPEAKER/ GUNSHOTS HEARD IN DISTANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNIDENTIFIED MASKED MAN, SAYING: "There are four injured, one
  • Embargoed: 2nd May 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Crime,War / Fighting,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVABID5HG5MWBK5TW8ZAMDG2PZ0Z
  • Story Text: Separatists attacked a base of the Ukrainian national guard in the eastern city of Mariupol overnight and Kiev said three attackers were killed in the shooting that followed, making it the bloodiest incident so far in a 10 day uprising in the east.
    Video footage showed a group of masked people outside a military unit in Mariupol hiding behind a grey van, while gun shots were audible in the distance.
    Pro-Russian activists said a few people were injured during their attempted takeover of the military unit.
    "There are four injured, one has a severe chest injury, one more severely injured person is still there at the (military) unit territory. Medics are trying to pull him out," a man wearing a black mask said.
    Another masked man said that they had called on Ukrainian forces for peaceful talks, but their appeal went unheeded.
    "You need to understand the most important thing - they not only refused to talk to us, the soldiers didn't even spare a word. They first stood across the area and nobody would talk to us. We had a feeling that these people weren't Mariupol residents. We called on them empty-handed for talks, asked them to pass it (the request) over to their boss, we said we didn't want to shoot, not a single shot. But they would shoot into the air," the man said.
    Ukraine's interior minister Arsen Avakov said in a post on Facebook that an armed group of about 300 people had attacked the base in Mariupol on the Sea of Azov with guns and petrol bombs. National guard members first fired warning shots but then opened fire as the attack continued, Avakov said.
    He said preliminary data indicated that three attackers were killed, 13 wounded and 63 detained.
    No guardsmen were killed, Avakov said, but a major security sweep was under way in the area to detain other armed members of the group.
    Avakov said helicopters had been sent in and arms had been seized from the attackers.
    The Mariupol city administration was seized over the weekend by separatists.
    Previously, two people have been confirmed killed in the 10 day uprising, including a member of the Ukrainian security forces.
    Russian media have previously issued reports of deaths among pro-Russian separatists that turned out to be false, although unlike the latest incident in Mariupol those were not confirmed by the authorities in Kiev.
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