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Video:
Footage taken by Ruptly's stringer in Mariupol minutes before being
shot
RT's stringer in Mariupol has been injured while trying to film and is now in hospital. Doctors say that in spite of his bulletproof vest he has sustained an injury to the stomach
READ MORE: http://on.rt.com/esu9b1
Bloody Mayhem: Unarmed anti-govt activists try to stop Ukrainian troops storming Mariupol
A journalist working for RT's RUPTLY video agency is among the injured as fighting broke out in Ukraine's South-east city of Mariupol. At least 2 people have been reported killed. According to locals, the unrest began when people attempted to prevent the army from re-taking control of the police HQ. The building was being occupied by anti-government activists.
Read more: http://on.rt.com/esu9b1
Tanks,
armed assault in Mariupol city center, casualties reported
Kiev’s forces are using heavy weaponry and tanks in the eastern city of Mariupol to storm the local Interior Ministry building, where police have barricaded inside. After residents began flocking to the scene, Kiev fighters opened fire on civilians.
Many people came to mark Victory Day, but as the reports of shooting started coming in, they moved on to show support for a few dozen policemen who had barricaded inside the building, refusing to take orders from Kiev.
Federalization supporters screamed “Fascists!” as the Kiev forces approached.
One of the armored vehicles then opened fire at a group of unarmed civilians, according to a self-defense forces’ representative.
Two people died and eight were wounded in the shooting, local witnesses reported, as cited by Interfax.
Ten people with gunshot wounds have been taken to one of the hospitals in Mariupol, local media reported.
Also, according to the 0629.ua news portal, “a tank was seized at the crossroads of Lenina and Torgovaya streets by the representatives of the Donetsk People’s Republic.”
Mariupol’s residents have put up barricades in the streets, burned tires and turned over cars.
“At 12.50, 14 tanks were spotted coming from the agricultural base towards Mariupol. According to medics, there are two dead and 8 wounded,” 0629.ua portal stated.
The outlet also reported that “on the Lenin avenue, two people were seriously wounded – one in the head and another in the stomach. A huge pool of blood is next to the “Arbat” café. It’s not known whether the wounded people have survived. Witnesses say they were driven away in a passenger car. The fighting is on next to the main police department, gunfire is heard. Two armored vehicles blocked the Artyom street.”
The main Interior Ministry building is on fire, 0629.ua news portal reported.
RT’s stringer in Mariupol has been injured while trying to film and is now in hospital. Doctors say that in spite of his bulletproof vest he has sustained an injury to the stomach.
According to the city’s health officials, there is a gun battle underway in the center and at least 4 people have been hospitalized with gunshot wounds, local 0629.ua news website reports.
"About 1,500 people left the parade and went to the local interior ministry HQ. People in camouflage confronted them, shooting into the air using lethal weapons," a witness told Interfax.
The witness also stated that another group of city residents set a car tire on fire next to the city council building.
Earlier, self-defense forces in Mariupol reported that armed people had tried to seize the local city department of the Interior Ministry.
“Camouflaged people are storming the building of the city’s interior ministry department. A bus with soldiers has driven up – they are from a military unit located in the vicinity of Mariupol. Policemen who refuse to obey Kiev regime’s orders are being detained,” a representative of the self-defense forces told Interfax.
The self-defense forces also said that “policemen of the city department refused to obey Kiev’s orders and guard the building of the city council, which had been seized a day earlier by the Ukrainian security services. As a result, Kiev authorities decided to storm the building of the city Interior Ministry department, policemen are shooting back, the building is surrounded.”
The information on the number of casualties is now being checked, the self-defense forces representative said.
Self-defense forces say the government forces used heavy weaponry while storming the local branch of the Interior Ministry. “Armored vehicles approached the building and opened fire with heavy weapons. The building is old and has thick walls, so you can’t penetrate it with machine gun fire,” a representative of the self-defense forces told Interfax news agency.
“On the central street of the city, I saw tanks and armored vehicles with the Ukrainian flags at around 11.40 am [local time]. Then, the city residents started to gather near the city executive committee building. Then some of the protesters tried to go to the district department of interior, but it seemed that the Kiev regime military was beginning to shoot at those who attempted to approach. I don’t know if they were shooting to kill, but at their legs – that’s for sure,” local resident Grigory told RT.
City streets are now on lockdown for transport and pedestrians, as armored vehicles are approaching from the airport outside the city.
City streets are now on lockdown for transport and pedestrians, as armored vehicles are approaching from the airport outside the city.
"Yesterday we were told that some provocations were being prepared, but people didn't believe it, so a Victory Day parade was scheduled for 9am today," a local resident, who identified herself as Victoria, told RT.
Ukrainian MP Oleg Lyashko claims that forces loyal to the Kiev coup-installed government have orders“not to take anyone alive.” He wrote in his Facebook account that “the perimeter around the Interior Ministry department building in Mariupol is completely blocked by the armed forces. Terrorists are barricaded inside and are now returning fire. An order has been issued not to take anyone alive.”
Risky
game of double or
quits in the Donbass
9
May, 2914
Earlier
today, in what appears to be a risky game of "double or quits",
the leaders of the Donbass, have decided to go ahead with the
referendum scheduled for May 11th. For the second time in 24 hours I
am rather surprised as I had expected them to use the opportunity
given by Putin's request to postpone the referendum. Apparently they
feel that they have invested too much in terms of time, energy and
money to agree to a postponement. Either that, or they feel that
even though conditions are bad now, they will only be even worse in
the foreseeable future.
What
is certain is that the junta warlord in charge of violence - Parubii
- had already rejected any notion of stopping the current offensive
even before the Donbass leaders had met to discuss their response to
Putin's request. In fact, combat operation have already resumed in
Mariupol where unidentified black-clad gunman have attacked the local
resistance forces. Needless to say, the OSCE had nothing useful to
say about any of it.
As
for two official Imperial "spokespersons" Jen Psaki and
Anders Fogh Rasmussen - they immediately rejected Putin's plan for
negotiations saying it was not enough and that NATO did not see any
change in the Russian force posture. As for "Iats" - he
rejected it all as "hot air". Nothing new on the western
front.
It
is really hard for me to make sense of the situation in the Ukraine,
but with apparently only Russia interested in exploring a negotiated
solution and with a highly-polarizing Victory Day celebration coming
up tomorrow, a dramatic escalation of violence in the next couple of
days appears likely to me.
The
Saker
NOTE: "Moscow has portrayed the interim government in
Ukraine as being led by neo-fascists".
Vladimir
Putin arrives in
Crimea for Victory Day
celebrations
President
attends second world war commemorations held for first time since
Russia took over region from Ukraine
9
May, 2914
Vladimir
Putin has arrived in Crimea as the region holds its first Victory Day
commemorations since Russia's
takeover.
The
day, marking victory over Nazi Germany in the second
world war,
has become a key display of Russian patriotism. It was marked in
Moscow by a military parade in Red Square, where the Russian
president had earlier told a crowd of soldiers and war veterans that
those who defeated fascism must never be betrayed – a message with
a poignant ring since Moscow has portrayed the interim government
inUkraine as
being led by neo-fascists.
The
patriotism reached fever pitch in Sevastopol before his arrival as
Russian fighting vehicles, Putin's favourite biker gang and
militiamen who helped Crimea break away from Ukraine paraded through
the city.
Tens
of thousands of people chanted "Russia!", "Victory!"
and "Thank you!" as 1,000 troops, 60 military vehicles,
thousands of veterans and other groups passed by over two hours.
Putin is expected to watch an air and naval show featuring 70
aircraft, to symbolise the 70th anniversary of Sevastopol's
liberation by Soviet forces, which lost more than 200,000 in
fighting.
"We're
all happy to be part of Russia. Hooray for veterans!" shouted
seven-year-old Mikhail Rybak as onlookers cheered him on. "It's
good that we got away from Maidan, that we're safe," he added,
referring to the Euromaidan demonstrations in Kiev that toppled the
Ukrainian president, Viktor Yanukovych, and led to Russia seizing
Crimea in March.
A
reported 97% of voters chose to join Russia in a subsequent
referendum which did not have an option to remain part of Ukraine.
The vote was boycotted by most Crimean Tatars, who make up about 15%
of the peninsula's population. Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea
fleet – and previously that of Ukraine – has been based since the
breakup of the Soviet Union, is the heart of pro-Russian sentiment in
Crimea.
Speaking
on Red Square, Putin praised the Soviet Union's fight against
fascism, saying: "Our country was the one that beat the Nazis
back to their lair," and "saved Europe from
slavery". The Kremlin and Russian media have portrayed the
pro-Russian uprising in eastern Ukraine as a similar battle against
the "fascist junta" in Kiev, which they argue is dominated
by Russophobic ultra-nationalists. Many of those present in
Sevastopol echoed this sentiment.
Violence
was reported shortly before Putin's arrival in the Ukrainian port
city of Mariupol. A Ukrainian news website, Insider, said eight
pro-Russians had been killed.
There
is international concern that Russia could seize parts of eastern
Ukraine, where pro-Russia separatists have taken control of several
towns and key buildings in the city of Donetsk.
Several
thousand people gathered in Donetsk's Lenin Square for the victory
celebrations. The mood was heavily influenced by the current
situation, with several speakers comparing the victory over the Nazis
to the "fascist junta" in Kiev.
The
few living second world war veterans on the stage were joined by
fighters from the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk, many
of whom were armed with Kalashnikovs, sniper rifles or, in one case,
a giant mallet.
Officials
said on Friday that the referendum planned for Sunday was not about
independence or joining Russia, but merely about giving the region
more autonomy.
However,
speeches from the stage were unequivocal.
"We
are Russians, and Russia is our homeland," said Denis Pushilin,
the de facto head of the separatist movement. "Russians here are
not occupiers. They are our brothers."
Russia
has called for the referendum to be postponed.
On
Tuesday, the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, called Russia's
decision to hold a military parade in Crimea a "shame"
given the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, but that did not dampen the
patriotic euphoria in Sevastopol on Friday.
Mikhail's
mother, Yelena, who said her grandfather had been killed in the
second world war, called Putin a wise leader and said the new
government in Kiev was discriminating against Russian speakers.
"Seeing
all this military equipment, we feel such pride and patriotism, we
feel ready to give our lives for our country," she said.
Her
husband, Roman, said Crimea joining Russia had given residents "hope
in a good, dignified future. Crimea has come into Russia's
protection; protection against the fascism and economic changes that
await Ukraine."
"Patriotism
is in our blood, but now it is waking up," said Mikhail
Tkachenko, who was wearing his grandfather's Red Army jacket and said
he had previously served in the Ukrainian army. "Freedom is
understood differently by everyone. In western Ukraine they
understand it differently than we do here."
A
huge variety of civilian groups also took part in the parade, from
battle re-enactors to local self-defence militias, and the Night
Wolves, a biker gang whose
leader Alexander "Surgeon" Zaldostanov is a personal friend
of Putin.
One member of the gang who would only give his nickname, "Scythian",
said he had come from the Volga river city of Saratov to celebrate
the "special holiday" in Sevastopol. He said he hoped
south-eastern Ukraine would be the next region to join Russia.
"I'm
for the Soviet Union. I'd like all the former republics to rejoin,"
he said.
Dozens
of Cossacks, the historical military caste that has been making a
comeback in southern Russia, also marched in the parade. "All of
Ukraine will soon be ours. We need to fight the Bandera supporters
and Jews who have come to power in Kiev," said Viktor, who hoped
he and his fellow Cossacks would soon have the same policing duties
as their brethren in Russia.
Yevgeny
Vakulenko, a member of the Rubezh self-defence militia, said he had
manned a checkpoint outside the city during the occupation of Crimea
by Russian troops and local volunteers.
He
said that as part of Russia, Sevastopol would see "a flowering
of the city, complete reconstruction. As part of Ukraine the city was
on the brink of poverty."
The
dream of a reunited USSR was shared by Valentin Volenkov, a 27-year
veteran of the Soviet air force who was gathering bouquets and cards
given in gratitude by passersby. "What is one finger on its own?
It's weak. But five fingers together are a fist," he said. "I'm
glad Belarus and Kazakhstan didn't leave us," he added,
referring to the Customs Union that Putin has promoted as a
Russian-led potential rival to the European Union.
As
an accordion player, Volenkov said he loved Ukrainian songs, "but
because of a few idiots in power we had to split up with our
friends".
The
Russian deputy prime minister, Dmitry Rogozin, was meanwhile at a
parade in the breakaway Transnistria region of Moldova, where Russia
has stationed troops since 1990. He told a crowd of 2,000 that "the
plague of fascism is thriving" and referred specifically to
the deaths
of mainly pro-Russians in Odessa, Ukraine, last week.
Eastern Uraine prepares for referendum on independence from Ukraine
Putin arrives in Crimea for Victory Day events as deadly Ukraine clashes erupt
9
May, 2914
Sevastopol,
Crimea (CNN) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on
Friday to take part in Victory Day celebrations in Sevastopol, in
what is his first visit to the disputed territory since Russia
annexed it from Ukraine.
The
President arrived in the port of Sevastopol by sea, in an event
televised by Russian state TV, and watched flanked by senior officers
as Russian warships took part in a naval display in the Black Sea.
The
military parades, held each year to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany,
come amid soaring tensions in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russian
separatists are planning a weekend referendum on autonomy.
At
least three people have been killed and 25 more injured in clashes
between separatists and Ukrainian government forces in the
southeastern city of Mariupol, the Donetsk regional health department
said Friday. The city was also the scene of deadly clashes on
Wednesday.
Putin's
fighters, missiles, warships Ukraine alleges Russia intercept found
Ukraine and Russia face off at Eurovision
Crowds
packed the shores of Sevastopol, which hosts a key Russian naval
base, to witness the show of Russia's military might.
Besides
the warships, dozens of military aircraft roared overhead, in what
Russian state news agency ITAR-Tass said was the first such aerial
display in the city's history of Victory Day events.
Putin
paid tribute to Sevastopol's long military history as he addressed
members of the military on the shore.
He
shook hands with many of them after his remarks, before walking over
the barriers where he was greeted by screaming crowds.
An
earlier military parade through the city also attracted big numbers,
the turnout probably boosted by rumors that Putin might attend.
The
Russian President's first appearance of Victory Day was in Moscow,
where the annual display of nationalistic fervor was heightened by
Russia's annexation of Crimea.
Tanks,
rocket launchers and even intercontinental ballistic missiles were
paraded through the capital's Red Square in a Soviet-style show of
military might, as tens of thousands of people watched and cheered,
waving Russian flags.
In
televised remarks there, Putin hailed his nation's "all-conquering
patriotism."
Chaotic
transition
A
large majority in Sevastopol, as well as across the Crimean
peninsula, voted in favor of seceding from Ukraine and joining Russia
in a controversial referendum in March. Moscow's annexation of the
Black Sea territory, which was part of Russia until 1954 and has a
majority ethnic Russian population, followed swiftly on.
Sevastopol
residents told a CNN team that they were proud and happy to be part
of Russia again.
Their
enthusiasm comes despite a messy, sometimes chaotic, process of
transition and the continued presence on the streets of local
"self-defense" units, or militias, known as the "men
in green."
Not
everyone is delighted by Russia's annexation of Crimea, however. The
indigenous ethnic minority Tatar population opposed the move.
One
local Tatar leader, Abduraman Egiz, told CNN he was beaten up by a
group of "men in green" after they demanded to see his
identification documents.
"We
as the community, we cannot guarantee the security of our people,"
he said.
Authorities
in Ukraine have scaled back Victory Day events in the capital, Kiev,
and elsewhere, anxious to avoid any big celebrations or
demonstrations of support for Russia that could spark violence.
Odessa
and Kharkiv have canceled all big public events, while Luhansk has
asked groups to avoid gathering in the city. The city of Donetsk,
however, is pushing ahead with an official program of events, and an
unofficial march and rally are planned.
In
Kiev, the events will be limited to the laying of flowers by Prime
Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and acting President Oleksandr Turchynov,
a small veterans' rally and concert.
Where
unrest has occurred in E. UkraineWhere unrest has occurred in E.
Ukraine
Ukraine
alleges Russia intercept found Putin claims troops moved from border
Cities in Ukraine changing hands often
Gunfire,
smoke in Mariupol streets
A
live video stream from the southeastern Ukrainian city of Mariupol on
Friday showed a tense situation with gunfire and black smoke in the
streets.
A
pro-Russian activist reported that government troops were clashing
with separatists there.
The
media office of the Interior Ministry told CNN that there was
fighting in Mariupol and that the national guard had entered the
city.
As
of now, they are not providing any information to the media because
the "situation changes every minute," officials said. They
could not provide any information on injuries.
One
member of parliament posted on his Facebook account that separatists
had blockaded themselves inside the police headquarters, surrounded
by Ukrainian forces. Three "casualties" were reported among
the separatists, and some Ukrainian officers were hurt, lawmaker Oleg
Lyashko said.
CNN
cannot independently verify that account at this time. But live video
streamed from Mariupol showed what appeared to be bloody footprints
and blood splatters at several scenes in the city center, while
people were taking cover at the sound of what appeared to be bursts
of gunfire.
Irina
Voropaeva, who is one of the leaders of the pro-Russian camp in
Mariupol, told CNN there are two hotspots in the city at the moment.
She
said it was unclear what was unfolding at the main police station.
But, she said, the Ukrainian military is in the city center and she
has been told that the city hall building is on fire. She added that
she could see smoke and hear explosions.
Mariupol
has become a flashpoint in the standoff between Ukrainian forces and
the separatists. Five pro-Russian activists were killed overnight
Wednesday when Ukrainian forces attacked barricades on the outskirts
of Mariupol, a spokeswoman for the pro-Russian camp said.
Referendum
postponement call
Less
than two months after Crimea was wrested from Ukraine's grasp, there
are fears that other parts of the country could go the same way.
Pro-Russian
separatists in eastern Ukraine said Thursday that they had decided to
go ahead with a Sunday referendum on greater local powers, defying a
call by Putin to postpone the vote.
Putin
had urged the pro-Russian sympathizers to delay the referendum to
give dialogue "the conditions it needs to have a chance."
But
representatives from the council of the self-declared Donetsk
People's Republic and separatists from Luhansk told reporters they
had voted to press ahead to ask eastern Ukrainians there if they want
sovereignty from Kiev.
The
West has strongly opposed the move.
French
Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said Friday that his country has
condemned the pro-Russian separatists for holding "illegal
referendums."
Fabius,
who spoke by phone with Yatsenyuk, reiterated France's determination
to find a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine.
The
immediate priority is de-escalation, to engage in a national dialogue
and to prepare for the upcoming May 25 elections, Fabius said in a
statement.
"On
the local 'referenda,' we strongly emphasize that they should not
take place -- neither on 11 May nor at any later date," said
Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for the European Union's top diplomat,
Catherine Ashton.
"Such
unauthorized local 'referenda' have no democratic legitimacy and can
only lead to further escalation."
Diplomatic
maneuvers
U.S.
Secretary of State John Kerry spoke by phone with both Russian
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Yatsenyuk on Thursday, State
Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said.
In
his conversation with Lavrov, Kerry focused on the importance of
de-escalation, disarming separatists and taking steps to evacuate
seized public buildings, Psaki said.
Kerry
also talked about the international community's support for dialogue
within Ukraine and the presidential elections planned for this month,
she said.
An
international pact reached among Russia, Ukraine and its Western
allies in Geneva, Switzerland, last month that called for the rebels
to disarm and vacate buildings seized in the volatile eastern region
has not yet materialized.
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