Armed men attempted to storm the Mariupol City Council building in the Donetsk region on Thursday morning, but the so-called self-defense forces countered these attempts, Myroslav Rudenko, a leader of the local self-defense forces, told Interfax.
“Early in the morning, unidentified people opened fire at our
checkpoints in Mariupol and then attempted to occupy the city council
building. Nevertheless, the self-defense forces have regained control
over this building now,” Rudenko said.
Preliminary reports indicate that up to five people sustained
injuries in Mariupol, Rudenko said. “They suffered non-critical
injuries: someone’s arm was broken, others sustained head injuries.
However, no one has been injured seriously. All those injured received
aid either on the spot or at the nearest first-aid station,” he said.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov had announced earlier on
Thursday that security forces had conducted a successful operation to
liberate the Mariupol City Council building from activists who had
seized it earlier.
