- Title: UKRAINE: Kramatorsk cleans up after Ukrainian forces take over
- Date: 7th July 2014
- Summary: ROAD BETWEEN SLAVIANSK AND KRAMATORSK, DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE (JULY 7, 2014) (REUTERS) UKRAINIAN FLAG OVER ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS WRECKAGE OF BOMBED COLUMN OF ARMOURED VEHICLES BELONGING TO PRO-RUSSIAN SEPARATISTS VARIOUS OF UKRAINIAN SOLDIERS WALKING AMID WRECKAGE BARREL OF GUN WRECKAGE OF BOMBED COLUMN OF ARMOURED VEHICLES BELONGING TO PRO-RUSSIAN SEPARATISTS BRICK SIGN READING "SLAVIANSK" MAJOR OLEXANDER TKACHUK TALKING ON MOBILE PHONE WRECKAGE OF BOMBED TANK (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) PARATROOPER BRIGADE MAJOR OLEXANDER TKACHUK, SAYING: "On this stretch of the road an assault armoured group of the enemy tried to break through towards Kramatorsk to help. It was stopped on this stretch of the road by actions of my subordinates, by soldiers of our brigade." VARIOUS OF UKRAINIAN TANK BOMBED ARMOURED VEHICLE BARREL OF GUN SEPARATIST SIGN ON BOMBED VEHICLE ARMED UKRAINIAN SOLDIER GUN SIGN READING "DANGER MINES" BOMBED ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER PEOPLE ON ROAD KRAMATORSK, UKRAINE (JULY 7, 2014) (REUTERS) CENTRAL SQUARE UKRAINIAN ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER VARIOUS OF DAMAGE FROM ARTILLERY SHELLING ON APARTMENT BLOCK UKRAINIAN ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER VARIOUS OF WORKERS REMOVING BARRICADES ERECTED BY PRO-RUSSIAN SEPARATISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KRAMATORSK RESIDENT OLEXANDER IGNATENKO, SAYING: "There were guys here who were, shall we say, of a different ethnic origin. Why did they come here, whom did they come to defend, I don't know. It was very scary. I live just down that street, we barricaded windows and slept in corridors for the past four days. It was really scary." EXCAVATOR WORKER / LENIN STATUE EXCAVATOR REMOVING BARRICADES ERECTED BY PRO-RUSSIAN SEPARATISTS VARIOUS OF UKRAINIAN ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER VARIOUS OF DAMAGE FROM ARTILLERY SHELLING ON APARTMENT BLOCKS
- Embargoed: 22nd July 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Ukraine
- Country: Ukraine
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAN7CLZI9SQOQEMMMY9H2OXYTZ
- Story Text: The clean-up started in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk on Monday (July 7) after the government forces took over control of the city from pro-Russian separatists, but signs of destruction were still very much visible.
There were no immediate figures for casualties caused by the government offensive in Slaviansk, launched after President Petro Poroshenko refused to renew a unilateral ceasefire and ordered the resumption of a government offensive on June 30.
Ukrainian forces said they attacked a group of some 40 rebels on military vehicles en route from Slaviansk to Kramatorsk, destroying their vehicles.
"On this stretch of the road an assault armoured group of the enemy tried to break through towards Kramatorsk to help. It was stopped on this stretch of the road by actions of my subordinates, by soldiers of our brigade," paratrooper brigade Major Olexander Tkachuk said.
Ukrainian forces took full control of Kramatorsk and the nearby city of Slaviansk. Many rebels appeared to have retreated towards Donetsk, the east's main industrial hub where separatists first declared a "people's republic".
As the clean-up was underway in Kramatorsk, local residents expressed some relief, saying that they were afraid of the people who held control of the city before the Ukrainian army came.
"There were guys here who were, shall we say, of a different ethnic origin. Why did they come here, whom did they come to defend, I don't know. It was very scary. I live just down that street, we barricaded windows and slept in corridors for the past four days. It was really scary," Kramatorsk resident Olexander Ignatenko said.
Local residents were tearing down the barricades as tanks still remained on the streets. Many buildings were destroyed by missiles and bombs, with broken roofs, windows and holes in the walls creating a depressing image of the city under attack.
In Slaviansk and neighbouring areas, Andriy Lysenko, a senior official of Ukraine's "anti-terrorist operation", said scores of rebels were surrendering and providing information on locations of rebel units and weapons.
Deputy security council chief Mykhailo Koval said blockades were being prepared around the capitals of the two separatist regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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