For Kyiv's beleaguered army it was meant to be a display of strength. Early on April 16 a column of six armoured personnel carriers trundled through the town of Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine. Some 24 hours earlier Ukrainian soldiers had recaptured a small disused aerodrome. Their next target appeared to be Slavyansk, the neighbouring town, occupied by a shadowy Russian militia. Was victory close?
Guardian: Kyiv’s grip on eastern Ukraine weakens as pro-Russians seize army vehicles
Ukrainian paratroopers are surrounded by pro-Russsian activists in Donetsk Oblast's Kramatorsk on April 16.
