Update on the situation in Ukraine. 13 April

As a result of events on 13 April there were people injured in Slaviansk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzha, Mariupol, Kramatorsk, including law enforcement officers, pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists, journalists. The region of activities of separatists has been expanded. In the East of Ukraine more administrative buildings have been seized (for instance, in Mariupol, Makeevka and Enakievo, the home town of former president Yanukovich); in Gorlovka the police and local inhabitants managed to repel attacks. Despite a clear internal and external danger, people in many towns keep going out to the streets in support of territorial integrity of Ukraine; participants of such meetings become victims of their ideological opponents. The National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine announced a large-scale anti-terrorist operation with the participation of army.

According to Arseniy Avakov, the Ukrainian minister of Interior, an anti-terrorist operation in Slov'yans'k (Donetsk Region), resulted in killed and wounded people. An officer of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was killed, five more SBU officers were wounded. “The number of killed and injured among separatists was not possible to identify. They used a ‘live shield’ of peaceful population”, Avakov said. According to local authorities, 1 person was killed and 9 were injured. Besides, one more person was killed in a shooting near a local hospital. There is also information about a car that was shot at; two people were wounded (or even killed) as a result, including a journalist. Nine people were wounded as a result of a fight in front of a local police department.

In Kharkiv on 13 April pro-Russian activists with batons attacked participants of a meeting for unity of Ukraine.

According to witnesses of the attack, “they followed us to the underground platform, ruched in and started to beat with batons everybody who they thought to be suspicious. They forced people to turn their pockets inside out, and if they found any Ukrainian symbols, they beat people brutally.” According to local authorities, at least 10 people were injured. Video of the incident is available here.

In Zaporizhzha a skirmish between the police and pro-Russian activists resulted in a number of injured.

In Кramatork an armed raiding force seized a local police station. Photo and video of the incident is available here. A local activist Stanislav Chornogor was attacked; his video camera was seized.

In Mariupol people in masks with batons and smoke-puff charges attacked participants of a meeting in support of unity of Ukraine. As a result 9 people were injured, six of them are in a resuscitation department of a local hospital