Moscow - The leadership of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic has confirmed that the local militia opposing the Ukrainian security forces has left Sloviansk, Russia's Channel One reported on Saturday, July 5.
“Sloviansk is under Ukrainian security forces’ control. The militia had to leave the city early in the morning. The headquarters of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic has confirmed this to us,” a news program host said.
The news TV channel Rossiya-24 said Donetsk militia had fought their way out of Sloviansk, and their headquarters has been relocated to Kramatorsk.
“There was concentrated fire first, after which tanks and infantry units entered Sloviansk, street fighting started, and the militiamen decided to retreat,” Channel One said.
“Despite dense fire, the convoy broke through to neighboring Kramatorsk, and some vehicles were destroyed on the way,” it said.
Channel One reported also that in Luhansk region “militiamen are so far holding to their positions, countering the armed forces’ attacks, and at the same time trying to help ordinary people trapped in the combat area.”
Witnesses reported earlier in social media that significant numbers of militiamen had left Sloviansk.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov confirmed this information on Facebook.
“Intelligence reported in the morning that Girkin [the commander of the militiamen in Donetsk region, known also as Igor Strelkov] and a considerable number of militants have fled Sloviansk, sowing confusion among the few who stayed there. They’re rolling toward Horlivka.”
Some witnesses said also that a convoy of military vehicles, including tanks, armored personnel carriers, and Ural trucks, arrived in Kramatorsk from Sloviansk last night.
