Ukraine launches special operation against pro-Russian protesters

Photo: AP photo

"The anti-terrorist operation has started. The center of the city has been closed. Don't worry: we will open it when the operation ends," Acting Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Arsen Avakov said in his address to the residents of Kharkiv.

More units of special forces have arrived in eastern and southern regions of the country. "These special forces are ready to solve operational problems disregarding local nuances," said Avakov.

In Kharkiv, the police released the regional administration building without the use of weapons. Seventy people were arrested.

In Kharkiv, on April 7, public activists in the building of the regional administration conducted a meeting of the "regional council." The participants of the meeting expressed their distrust to the deputies of the Kharkiv regional council, who had not been able to come to work to conduct a meeting for two weeks already.

Local activists expressed distrust to the sitting Kiev authorities and announced the establishment of the People's Republic of Kharkiv. The decision on its creation should come into force after it has been approved at a regional referendum.

Thousands of opponents of the new Kiev authorities stayed awake all night in Donetsk. On Monday, the city announced the creation of the People's Republic of Donetsk and even created a new authority - the People's Council. Within a month, the locals want to hold a referendum to become a part of Russia.

In Luhansk, a crowd of protesters was taking the Regional Department of the Security Service of Ukraine for more than 24 hours. Local authorities cut off water supplies and electricity in the building. Entrances to the city were blocked.

The local administration in the city of Nikolaev has been freed as well.  Activists of the Right Sector nationalist movement destroyed the campground near the building of the administration.

"Everything that is happening today is sabotage and provocation. The authorities must show their determination. I believe an anti-terrorist operation should be conducted, and one does not need to wait for anything, because those people in the buildings of the Security Bureau of Ukraine and regional administrations - they got possession of weapons - they are dangerous criminals," a presidential candidate, the leader of the nationalist party Svoboda, Oleg Tyagnibok, described the situation in the east of Ukraine.

In February 2014, Tyagnibok was one of those who called on others on Maidan to seize public administrations in Ukrainian cities.