- Title: UKRAINE: Pro-Russian separatists in Slaviansk prepare for possible storm
- Date: 22nd April 2014
- Summary: SLAVIANSK, UKRAINE (APRIL 22, 2014) (REUTERS) PEOPLE OUTSIDE BUILDING IN SLAVIANSK SELF-DECLARED MAYOR OF EASTERN UKRAINIAN CITY OF SLAVIANSK, VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, PREPARING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SELF-DECLARED MAYOR OF EASTERN UKRAINIAN CITY OF SLAVIANSK, VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, SAYING: "We are preparing to repel an attack, because we are receiving information that shows that the city of Slaviansk might be stormed even tonight." MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SELF-DECLARED MAYOR OF EASTERN UKRAINIAN CITY OF SLAVIANSK, VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, SAYING: "A journalist has been detained, as I understand. To be honest, I didn't have time this morning to solve this problem and meet him to talk to him. What can I say? We have our own documents, our own leads that point to people who are unwanted here in our city. If we find those people, obviously we detain them, we talk to them, and only then we can figure out how dangerous they are for us and our town's residents." JOURNALIST LISTENING MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) SELF-DECLARED MAYOR OF EASTERN UKRAINIAN CITY OF SLAVIANSK, VYACHESLAV PONOMARYOV, SAYING: "I know Rybak from Donetsk...(JOURNALIST SHOUTING 'FROM HORLIVKA') From Horlivka? I don't have such information at the moment." CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS EXTERIOR OF BUILDING
- Embargoed: 7th May 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5H24GD16XN7LMFFBVANLLF3LV
- Story Text: Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk said on Tuesday (April 22) they were preparing for a possible storm by authorities.
"We are preparing to repel an attack, because we are receiving information that shows that the city of Slaviansk might be stormed even tonight," Vyacheslav Ponomaryov, the self-declared mayor of Slaviansk, told journalists at a news conference.
Ukraine's acting president Oleksander Turchinov called for an "anti-terrorist" operation to be relaunched in the east of the country on Tuesday after the body of a local politician from his own party was found showing signs of torture.
Ukraine's security forces had largely suspended what was a fairly limited operation to respond to the takeover of the eastern town by pro-Russian separatists after an accord with Moscow last week aimed at defusing the crisis.
Turchinov said in a statement that two "brutally tortured" bodies had been found near Slaviansk.
In a statement from regional headquarters in Donetsk, police said the body of a man who died a violent death had been found in the Seversky-Donets river and that it resembled Volodymyr Rybak, a local councillor in the town of Horlivka, near Donetsk.
Formal identification would need further work, police said.
Local media said Rybak was abducted in Horlivka, a nearby locality, last week.
Ponomaryov was asked about Rybak during the news conference.
"I know Rybak from Donetsk...(JOURNALIST SHOUTING 'FROM HORLIVKA') From Horlivka? I don't have such information at the moment," he said.
Ponomaryov also took a question about reports that a journalist was being held by pro-Russian separatists.
"A journalist has been detained, as I understand. To be honest, I didn't have time this morning to solve this problem and meet him to talk to him. What can I say? We have our own documents, our own leads that point to people who are unwanted here in our city. If we find those people, obviously we detain them, we talk to them, and only then we can figure out how dangerous they are for us and our town's residents," Ponomaryov said.
Various news outlets reported that Vice News journalist Simon Ostrovsky had been detained in Slaviansk. Vice News issued a statement on its website saying: "VICE News is aware of the situation and is in contact with the US State Department and other appropriate government authorities to secure the safety and security of our friend and colleague, Simon Ostrovsky." - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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