A pro-Russian militia and police reached an agreement on security measures for Luhansk after nearly two hours of talks on April 16, an Interfax correspondent reported. The main issue at the talks was "security in the city and its region, including the security of the people who are inside the building of the Ukrainian Security Service," militia spokesman Hennadiy Mirabishvili told reporters.
Armed advocates of Ukraine’s federalization who are demanding a
referendum on the status of Luhansk region and more rights for the local
Russian-speaking community occupied the building on April 6.
“An agreement has been reached that the people [pro-Russian
activists] will stay inside the Security Service building while the
police will maintain public order in the city,” Mirabishvili said.
“Those inside the Security Service building are Afghan war veterans,
former paratroopers and marines who know how to handle weapons,” he
said.
“No weapons are being taken out of the building. Security above all,” Mirabishvili said.
It was possible that “today we will have a meeting with the [regional] governor,” he said.
