UKRAINE: Pro-Russia separatists in eastern town of Slaviansk raise a Russian flag on top of the city hall and appeal to President Vladimir Putin for help

Record ID: 450867

  • Title: UKRAINE: Pro-Russia separatists in eastern town of Slaviansk raise a Russian flag on top of the city hall and appeal to President Vladimir Putin for help
  • Date: 14th April 2014
  • Summary: SLAVIANSK, UKRAINE (APRIL 14, 2013) (REUTERS) CITY HALL EXTERIOR LENIN STATUE IN SQUARE FLAG FLYING ABOVE BUILDING PRO-RUSSIA SEPARATISTS IN MILITARY FATIGUES STANDING AT BUILDING ENTRANCE SIGN ON BUILDING ARMED MEN WALKING INTO BUILDING ARMED MAN WALKING INTO BUILDING JOURNALISTS ASSEMBLED FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRO-RUSSIAN PROTEST LEADER, VYACHESLAV PONOMAREV, SAYING: "A junta, which illegitimately seized power through a coup d'etat organised on the instruction and of the leadership of the United States and the European Union, which shot in the back of our compatriots as seen around the world in live TV transmissions, and has betrayed and sold its own people for hundreds of dollars - you have no right to act on our behalf." ARMED MAN INSIDE BUILDING (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PRO-RUSSIAN PROTEST LEADER, VYACHESLAV PONOMAREV, SAYING: "Dear President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, we ask you to look personally into the current situation and help us, help us as much as you can. In a sign of unity of the two brotherly nations we will raise next to the flag of Donetsk Republic the flag of the Russian Federation." JOURNALISTS FILMING GOVERNMENT BUILDING EXTERIOR WITH CROWD OF PEOPLE GATHERED CROWD STANDING ARMED MEN IN MILITARY FATIGUES STANDING AT BUILDING ENTRANCE CROWD STANDING AROUND STATUE IN FRONT OF BUILDING, CLAPPING AND CHEERING MEN WALKING OUT OF BUILDING AS OTHERS STAND GUARD WITH GUNS ARMED MEN STANDING GUARD AT BUILDING ENTRANCE CROWD CLAPPING AND CHEERING RUSSIAN FLAG BEING RAISED ON BUILDING RUSSIAN FLAG FLYING ATOP BUILDING PEOPLE OUTSIDE OCCUPIED BUILDING ARMED MAN AT BUILDING ENTRANCE WOMAN STANDING NEXT TO ARMED MEN ARMED MAN WEARING FACE MASK ARMED MEN AT BUILDING ENTRANCE
  • Embargoed: 29th April 2014 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Crime,General,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA4SB03GHLX0827U2YCJD0BQX1B
  • Story Text: Pro-Russian separatists on Monday (April 14) ignored an ultimatum to leave occupied government buildings in eastern Ukraine while another group of rebels attacked a police headquarters as a threatened military offensive by government forces failed to materialise.
    Rebels in the town of Slaviansk, which was expected on Monday to be the focus of a broad government "anti-terrorist" operation involving the army, issued a bold call for Russian President Vladimir Putin to help them.
    Though Ukraine's interim president Oleksander Turchinov said on Monday that the offensive was going ahead, he sacked the state security chief in charge of the operation, signalling possible discord behind the scenes.
    Turchinov also took a risky step to try to undercut rebels' demands, by holding out the prospect of a referendum on the future shape of the Ukrainian state. He suggested this could be held at the same time as a presidential election on May 25.
    As the 9 a.m. (0600 GMT) deadline issued by authorities in Kiev expired, a Reuters reporter in Slaviansk saw nothing to show the rebels were obeying the ultimatum.
    A rebel leader in Slaviansk said the Kiev government had no right to speak for the people.
    "A junta, which illegitimately seized power through a coup d'etat organised on the instruction and of the leadership of the United States and the European Union, which shot in the back of our compatriots as seen around the world in live TV transmissions, and has betrayed and sold its own people for hundreds of dollars - you have no right to act on our behalf," pro-Russian protest leader Vyacheslav Ponomorev told journalists in Slaviansk.
    "Dear President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, we ask you to look personally into the current situation and help us help us as much as you can. In a sign of unity of the two brotherly nations we will raise next to the flag of Donetsk Republic the flag of the Russian Federation," he added..
    The Russian flag was later raised atop of the city administration.
    Also in Slaviansk, about 150 km (90 miles) from the Russian border, a small airfield which was occupied by Ukrainian air force planes on Sunday (April 13) was empty on Monday and pro-separatist forces said they were now in control of it.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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