Ukraine Crisis Out of Control...Dozens Dead
Deadly street fighting, helicopters shot down and civilians being used as human shields. That was the picture that emerged Friday in southern Ukraine as violence escalated amid reports that...
By: Above Science
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Ukraine Crisis Out of Control...Dozens Dead - Video
Ukraine Foreign Minister speaks following Council of Europe meeting (recorded live feed)
Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia expected to give news conference following Council of Europe foreign ministers meeting on Ukraine.
By: euronews (in English)
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Ukraine Foreign Minister speaks following Council of Europe meeting (recorded live feed) - Video
Ukraine violence escalated over the weekend and into Monday as pro-Russian militants clashed with Ukraine forces in the east and the Black Sea port city of Odessa. The threat of another natural gas shutoff intensified, too, with Russia and Ukraine failing to agree on terms for paying down Ukraine's gas debt.
Weekend clashes between Ukraine forces and pro-Russian militants extended into Monday as violence spread to the Black Sea port city ofOdessa.
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The street-level unrest parallels escalating diplomatic tensions between Kiev and Moscow over Ukraine's unpaid natural gas bills. After trilateral talks in Poland late last week failed to reach a compromise andRussia threatened to cut off gas supplies to Ukraine on May 31, European Union officials huddled Monday to figure out how to replace Russian gas with other sources.
With a firm deadline in place, a mounting Ukraine debt, and a staunch disagreement on basic contract terms, the scenario bears an unsettling resemblance to the countries' past gas disputes that ended in a midwinter shutoff of supply. The onset of spring makes any current gas crisis less urgent, and there's still hope Western financial and diplomatic support can avert another gas war between Russia and Ukraine. Still, both sides appear to be uninterested in compromise and are running short on patience.
"If we don't receive prepayment for June by May 31, then it is possible Gazprom will reduce gas supplies to Ukraine or provide it with the capacity it has paid for by May 31," Russia's Energy Minister Alexander Novak said Friday during joint talks in Warsaw between Russia, Ukraine, and the European Commission, as reported by Reuters.
For their part, Ukrainian officials are preparing to file a lawsuit against Russia's state-owned gas giant Gazprom for charging what it says are unfair prices.
Russia supplies Ukraine with about half of the gas it uses and supplies Europe with about 30 percent of the gas it imports. Slightly less than half of the Russian gas flowing to Europe goes through Ukraine, according to the International Energy Agency. In 2006 and 2009, Russia cut off gas supplies to Ukraine after bitter price disputes, and some flows to the rest of Europe were also disrupted.
Friday's talks were aimed at avoiding a similar scenario but failed to reach a compromise. The dispute centers over a gas price increase Gazprom imposed from April 1 after months of Ukraine being unable to pay for the Russian gas it consumed. Moscow canceled two discounts it had granted previous Ukrainian administrations, almost doubling the price it charges to$485.50 per thousand cubic meters from $268.50 per thousand cubic meters. That makes it the highest price Gazprom charges any European customer.
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Ukraine crisis: Can Ukraine, Russia avoid another gas shutoff? (+video)
hide captionPro-Russian gunmen carry their weapons in the center of Slovyansk, Ukraine, Tuesday. Gunbattles were fought around the city Monday in what has proven the most ambitious government effort to regain control of areas taken by separatists.
Pro-Russian gunmen carry their weapons in the center of Slovyansk, Ukraine, Tuesday. Gunbattles were fought around the city Monday in what has proven the most ambitious government effort to regain control of areas taken by separatists.
Ukraine says its military has killed 30 pro-Russian separatists as government forces try to retake Slovyansk and other cities near the border with Russia. At least four Ukrainian soldiers have died, and separatists shot down a helicopter in eastern Ukraine.
The helicopter's "crew escaped because they apparently crashed into a riverbed once it was shot down," NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports.
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced the death toll in Slovyansk on Tuesday.
From Donetsk, about 75 miles to the south of Slovyansk, Jessica Golloher filed this report for our Newscast Desk:
"Ukraine's interior ministry is saying that it is continuing its anti-terrorism campaign to root out pro-Russian demonstrators here in eastern Ukraine, with Arsen Avakov posting on his Facebook page that around 800 demonstrators are using large-caliber weapons and mortars in an attempt to push back Kiev's troops.
"This after gunbattles and explosions could be heard north of Donetsk in the pro-Russian stronghold of Slovyansk. The West and Ukraine say Russia is stoking dissent here. Moscow denies the claims and says Kiev needs to pull its troops back in order for there to be dialogue."
The airport in Donetsk was shut down Tuesday, though officials did not provide a reason. From Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson spoke about the closure on Morning Edition.
"This probably has to do with the May 9 Victory Day, which is the celebration of the Soviet victory over the Nazis in World War II," Soraya says. "That is expected to drive up more tensions, and they don't want more people showing up to agitate."
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Ukraine Reports Dozens Killed In Slovyansk Fighting
DONETSK, Ukraine (AP) Ukrainian troops tightened a security cordon around a major insurgent-held eastern city Tuesday, but pro-Russia militia acted with impunity elsewhere in the turbulent region bordering Russia, surrounding a major Interior Ministry base.
Thirty pro-Russia insurgents and four government troops were killed Monday in operations to expunge anti-government forces around the city of Slovyansk, Ukraine's interior minister said Tuesday. Rebels said 10 people fighters and civilians were killed by Ukrainian troops during clashes Monday. They would not elaborate and there was no immediate way to reconcile the figures.
Gunbattles on Monday around the city of 125,000 were the interim government's most ambitious effort to date to quell weeks of unrest in Ukraine's mainly Russian-speaking east.
In the southwest, Kiev authorities also attempted to reassert control over the key Black Sea region of Odessa by appointing a new governor there Tuesday.
This nation of 46 million is facing its worst crisis in decades after its Moscow-leaning president, whose base was in the east, fled to Russia in February following months of protests. Ukraine's eastern regions, where armed insurgents have seized dozens of government buildings and police stations in recent weeks, are now at odds with western and central Ukraine, which seek closer ties with Europe and largely back the government in Kiev.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov gave the death toll on his Facebook page Tuesday, adding that 20 government troops were also injured during fighting in Slovyansk. He said about 800 pro-Russia forces in and around Slovyansk were using large-caliber weapons and mortars Monday.
By Tuesday morning, Ukrainian forces had taken hold of a key checkpoint north of the city, dealing a blow to insurgent lines of communication.
In Donetsk, a major city 120 kilometers (75 miles) south of Slovyansk, the airport was closed during the day to international flights following a government order but reopened later.
In the afternoon, about 30 pro-Russia militants armed with automatic rifles and grenade launchers surrounded an Interior Ministry base in Donetsk, demanding that the troops inside not join any government operations against pro-Russia forces. While it was unclear whether they would attack, besieging a government forces base marked an uptick in the offensive of the militants, who previously had focused on seizing police stations and government buildings.
In the southwest, Kiev authorities announced Tuesday they were firing the acting governor in Odessa and replacing him with member of parliament, Ihor Palytsya. Odessa's police chief was also fired over the weekend.
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Ukraine Tightens Cordon Around Rebellious City