You're reading: SBU: Pro-Russian forces still active despite counter-terrorism operation

 The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) has made a report on the measures taken by the Ukrainian military men as a part of the counter-terrorism operation, adding that pro-Russian activists continue to destabilize the situation in east Ukraine.

“The activity of the pro-Russian forces doesn’t drop, the situation
still is tense. The separatists intensify activity meant for the further
destabilization of the situation in the region,” Security Service
spokeswoman Maryna Ostapenko said at a press briefing in Kyiv on May 5.

She said the main forces involved in the counter-terrorism operation
“reinforce measures on the state border not to let Russian militants
enter the Ukrainian territory and to prevent assault of the interior
troops in Donetsk.”

Information about “disclosure of the nest of the snipers in the
residential areas of Horlivka, Semenivka and Sloviansk (Donetsk region),
weapon ambush around the hotel complex “Tsarytsyne”, health center
“Shakhtobudivnyk” and hospital in Sloviansk” is being verified.

The SBU spokeswoman reported about disclosure of the scheme of
defense and mining of the streets in Sloviansk, Kramtorsk and the
village of Druzhkivka, revealing of the subversive separatist groups
near the city of Luhansk, the village of Makarivka and the town of
Krasny Lyman.

“The plans of the militants to take soldiers of the Armed Forces of
Ukraine hostage near the village of Karpivka have been frustrated.
Capture of the administrative buildings in Horlivka, the attack on the
units of the National Guard, blocking of the columns of the Armed Forces
near Kramatorsk, attack on the armored personal carrier units of the
anti-terrorist subdivisions in Sloviansk and Krasny Lyman have been
prevented,” Ostapenko said.

Besides, Kramatorsk, in addition to its center, is under control of
the counter-terrorism center, while pro-Russian activists still
capturing police departments, security services and city executive
committees in Sloviansk and Kramatorsk.

“There are formations of the armed groups of the separatists with a
total up to 100 persons in [the town of] Krasny Lyman. There is also
information about arrival of 150 Cossacks from Crimea to Sloviansk to
help separatists,” she said.

Ostapenko reminded that early on May 3, due to the special operation,
the armed sniper nest of the militants in the town of Kostiantynivka
that was based on the TV aerial has been defused. There are injured
among the Alfa special police force fighters, she reported.