Thursday, May 1
Thursday, May 1
17:16 GMT:
The headquarters of the radical Right Sector group in Dnepropetrovsk has ordered a “complete mobilization,” urging supporters to arrive at the
city’s Interior Ministry department “fully battle-equipped,” says a Right Sector-distributed statement, as quoted by Itar-Tass.
“The Interior Ministry has promised to arm the militia and to provide them with vehicles for relocation to the region’s eastern border [with the
Donetsk region],” the statement says.
16:17 GMT:
About 100 unarmed anti-government activists in Donetsk region's city of Krasnoarmeysk have occupied the city’s police headquarters, RIA Novosti
reports. The move comes after a raid on a protesters’ checkpoint outside the city overnight, in which the checkpoint was destroyed and, as local
self-defense forces claim, 11 protesters were taken hostage. The local Interior Ministry department reported the incident and the seizing of weapons
from the self-defense activists but could not specify their current location or the identity of the assailants.
15:55 GMT:
Ukraine is to return to compulsory military service canceled by ousted President Viktor Yanukovich in 2013, according to an order from the
coup-imposed acting Ukrainian President, Aleksandr Turchinov. The edict says that all male Ukrainians aged 18-25 and fit for military duty must serve
in the Ukrainian Armed Forces in connection with the “escalation of the situation” in the southeast of the country. Earlier in October of 2013,
Yanukovich’s government promised that the 2013 conscription would be “the last” in Ukraine’s history and that in 2014 the army would be formed
solely on a contract basis.
14:25 GMT:
Thousands of people in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa marched through its central streets with placards reading: “Odessa is a Hero City,”
“Fascism won’t pass” and “Referendum!” The May 1 demonstration, led by WWII veterans, was greeted by cars hooting and joined by many people
as it wound its way through the city, Reuters reported.
A tent city was set up by activists from the public movement, People’s Alternative, at the march’s final destination, the city’s Kulikovo Field.
The activists collected signatures in support of a referendum on decentralization of power and foreign policy making in Ukraine, and on granting
official status to the Russian language in the region. The protesters vowed not to leave the tent city “until the authorities meet our demands for a
referendum and release of our comrades arrested by the Ukrainian security service.”
13:49 GMT:
Anti-government protesters in Donetsk have occupied the Prosecutor's Office, raising a flag of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Republic there. Conflicting
reports said up to 45 people had been injured in clashes before the police guarding the building laid down their shields and retreated. The police
allegedly used rubber bullets, according to RT's Paula Slier reporting from Donetsk.
13:34 GMT:
Media reports of Kiev authorities planning an assault on seized administrative buildings in eastern Ukraine using “Right Sector battalions” cause
“deep concern,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
The storming of the buildings, occupied by anti-government activists, with the help of the radicals would lead to a “catastrophe,” the statement
said.
“Such irresponsible and aggressive actions of the current ‘Ukrainian government’ – should they be unleashed – would lead to catastrophic
consequences. Repressive measures against their own people would indicate Kiev authorities’ inability to fulfill the obligations they agreed to
according to the Geneva agreement of April 17,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
13:30 GMT:
The Ukrainian border patrol say they have detained a 22-year-old Russian citizen in Lugansk, who they believe was going to take part in events aimed
at destabilizing the situation in the region. He was allegedly in possession of anti-Ukrainian leaflets. The young man is member of the neo-Nazi
“Slavyane” movement. He will now be denied entry to Ukraine for three years.
12:58 GMT:
The Ukrainian intelligence agency (SBU) has exposed an extremist group, which allegedly planned to carry out a series of explosions during Victory Day
celebrations on May 9 in order to escalate the crisis in the country, according to the agency’s press-service.
SBU has announced that as part of the criminal investigation into the case, it detained the leader of the pro-Russian movement “The Great Rus”,
Yury Apukhtin.
12:39 GMT:
Protesters in Donetsk threw stones at the prosecutor’s office in an attempt to storm the building. Those inside the building responded with stun
grenades and tear gas.
12:20 GMT:
Self-defense forces in Slavyansk have released two of the three detained Ukrainian intelligence officers, Interfax reports. The officers have signed a
deal not to participate in the military operations in Ukraine’s east, and have been released in exchange for detained self-defense soldiers.
12:12 GMT:
Activists and police in Donetsk have agreed upon joint efforts in guarding checkpoints leading to the city. Police have also promised to release the
protesters detained a day earlier.
Anti-government protesters are now on their way to the Prosecutor’s Office.
11:55 GMT:
Several thousand people have gathered in Kharkov’s city center for a pro-federalization meeting, Gazeta.ru reports. Two thousand police officers are
providing security at the event.
Activists are demanding the release of their fellow protesters from prisons, renewal of Russian TV broadcasts, and cancellation of the military
operation in eastern Ukraine.
11:16 GMT:
RT’s Paula Slier, currently in Donetsk, says more than a thousand people have gathered outside the local police building. Activists want to raise
the Donbass flag over it and people are chanting "Taruta out." Taruta was appointed governor of the Donetsk region by the coup-imposed government in
Kiev.
11:00 GMT:
The Canadian Prime Minister, Steven Harper has said that the frigate, HMCS Regina is to leave its post in the Arabian Sea, to join the NATO mission in
Ukraine, according to CBC.
“Canada is working alongside NATO and our partners to find out how HMCS Regina can be of assistance. Until this is known, it is impossible to say
where the frigate will be sent to, or when it will leave the Arabian Sea and join up with the NATO fleet”, Harper said.
NATO’s General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen had said that the organization needed extra ships in Eastern Europe to increase their combat
readiness given the current situation in Ukraine. The alliance has also decided to increase the number of air patrols, as well as sending ships to the
Baltic and Eastern Mediterranean Sea’s. He also stated that the organization had not yet decided whether to create any bases in Eastern
Europe.
edit on 1-5-2014 by the2ofusr1 because: (no reason given)