Six armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces that were seized by armed extremists in Sloviansk, Donetsk region, on Wednesday, remain trapped in the city center, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said in a press release on Thursday.
“The crews of these combat vehicles, mostly reservists who were
mobilized recently, have already departed to their permanent bases in
Dnipropetrovsk region,” the ministry said.
“Fifteen armored vehicles that had been encircled by pro-Russian
activists near the village of Pcholkine on the southern outskirts of
Kramatorsk were on their way back to their permanent bases in
Dnipropetrovsk region at 0800 a.m. on April 17,” it said.
As a result of negotiations between servicemen and protesters, some
of whom were dressed in uniforms and masks and were holding weapons, the
soldiers were allowed to leave the area taking their weapons and
military hardware with them,” the ministry said.
“In order to avoid fatalities among the civilian population, these
servicemen handed in the bolt mechanisms from their small arms to the
Airborne Troops commander, who agreed to act as the guarantor of the
non-use of weapons against local residents whom armed extremists use as
human shields. There were no clashes with local residents,” it said.
In a separate development, security has been increased at the
military airfield of Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, the ministry said.
“A unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has reached the premises of
the airfield. Its servicemen have taken comprehensive measures in order
to be able to respond to possible attacks by sabotage and terrorist
groups and attempts to seize this military facility,” the ministry said.
Ukrainian soldiers are controlling the situation around the Kramatorsk airfield.
“The facility is operating normally. Its personnel are fully equipped and completely ready to fulfill their duties,” it said.
According to earlier reports, armed people had attempted to take over the airport on April 15.
Ukrainian security services said then that this attempt had been
successfully suppressed without entailing any fatalities and injuries.
