Storming of Donetsk Oblast administration house captured by protesters postponed

On Tuesday there will be no storming of the local authority building captured by protesters on April 6 in Donetsk Oblast, which was proclaimed as independent Donetsk People’s Republic by the local legislature on Monday, Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema appointed by Ukrainian parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, said on local TV on Tuesday. He was dispatched to the city of Donetsk on Monday “to coordinate activity of law enforcement agencies”.

He said that this decision was made after talks with representatives of protesters staying in the regional administration office. Ukrainian tycoon Rinat Akhmetov also participated in talks, local media noted.

Yarema also noted that the current situation in Donetsk might be settled only in a peaceful way without use of force.

However, Monday evening, deputy secretary of the Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council Viktoria Sumar stated, citing interim Ukrainian President appointed by the Verkhovna Rada and Parliament Speaker Oleksandr Turchynov that the Ukrainian Security Service building in Donetsk was freed from demonstrators in a special operation carried out by police commandoes.

Protesters in the city of Donetsk, who had occupied the regional administrative building on April 6, have formed Donetsk republican people’s council on Monday that declared the act of state independence of Donetsk People’s Republic. The council also decided to hold a referendum on the future status of the self-proclaimed republic not later than May 11.

The Russian Foreign Ministry has earlier urged Ukraine to halt any interior military preparations, which could instigate a civil war in the country. “According to our information, units of the Interior troops and Ukraine’s national guards as well as militants from the illegal armed formation ‘The Right Sector’ are being amassed in the southeastern parts of Ukraine and in the city of Donetsk,” the ministry said. “We are particularly concerned that the operation involves some 150 American mercenaries from a private company Greystone Ltd., dressed in the uniform of the [Ukrainian] special task police unit Sokol,” the ministry said, noting that commandoes were tasked to suppress by force protests in southeastern Ukraine against the policy of current Kiev authorities.

Interior Minister appointed by the Verkhovna Rada Arsen Avakov has later confirmed transfer of police commandoes to eastern and southern Ukraine. “These police commandoes are prepared to resolve operational tasks without taking into account details of current local situation,” the ministry’s press service quoted him as saying.