Donetsk – Seven unknown masked gunmen have seized the building of Donetsk City Council, an Interfax-Ukraine reporter has said.
The building was seized early on Wednesday after Mayor Oleksandr Lukianchenko met with a representative of the OSCE mission.
Shots were not fired during the seizure, and gunmen entered the building without any resistance.
They asked all present to leave the building and are currently removing documents from the offices. Journalists were categorically prohibited from filming what was happening.
At the same time, the OstroV online newspaper, citing an employee of the city council, reported that the armed men say they do not pose any threat to staff of the building and propose that they remain in their workplaces. Talks are currently being held with to find out their demands and resolve the situation. The gunmen are now on the ground floor and stairwells.
The KID online newspaper reported that gunmen have ribbons with the Oplot inscription on their sleeves.
First, there were about five people, but their number is growing. They are removing office equipment and documents from the building, without blocking movement inside the city council. Despite this, no evacuation is being carried out, and the staff are freely entering and leaving the building.
“The building is not cordoned off, but there are small armed groups in balaclavas at the corners. They may have sniper rifles,” the newspaper wrote.
