OVER 100 have been killed, including 50 members of local self-defence forces and just over the same number of civilians, in clashes with pro-Kiev troops which started on Monday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the prime minister of the Donetsk People’s Republic said yesterday.
However, while the self-defence forces were being murdered, the Russian Foreign Minister, Lavrov, announced plans to ‘establish dialogue’ with the Kiev coupists.
Lavrov said, ‘Direct contacts between Moscow and Kiev have never ceased, and Russia is ready to establish pragmatic and equal dialogue following the recent presidential election. I mean the implementation of all agreements including on trade, economy and gas issues.’
As he spoke the new ‘President of Ukraine’, Petro Poroshenko, was busy giving orders to step up the murderous attacks on the east of the country. On Monday, Donetsk was being assaulted by jet fighters and helicopter gunships.
Yesterday, a spokesman of the People’s Republic of Donetsk, Alexander Borodai, told journalists who gathered outside a city morgue: ‘We have lost more than 50 militiamen.
‘A lot of people were injured when the Ukrainian army attacked two Kamaz trucks transporting the injured from the area of clashes near the airport. At least 15 people died then.’
On Monday, Donetsk was targeted by a special operation of pro-Kiev forces. After a battle at Donetsk airport, the self-defence forces retreated after having been bombed by Ukrainian aircraft.
National Guard units of the Kiev regime began moving towards the centre of the city, but soviet forces blocked their path with vehicles, and shooting broke out.
‘Two of our Kamaz vehicles were shot both from the air, from helicopters and from an ambush on the ground. The shooting of the wounded runs contrary to all international conventions,’ Borodai added.
About 50 civilians died when Ukrainian troops opened fire at soviet forces who were retreating through residential districts. Several dozen corpses were shown to journalists.
Most victims among the self-defence activists were local citizens. No Russian citizens were among them, he said. There were also casualties among the Ukrainian troops, Borodai said.
The Ukrainian army is now controlling the airport. All roadblocks approaching the city are under the control of the self-defence forces.
Chairman of the Donetsk People’s Republic Supreme Council, Denis Pushilin, also estimated that around 100 people have been killed by Ukrainian troops.
It’s still ‘impossible to pick up all of the dead bodies as snipers are shooting at anyone who tries to come near them,’ Pushilin said.
‘They were wounded. The car was driving them from a battlefield,’ a masked representative of the self-defence forces in Donetsk said of one attack. First snipers shot the driver, then they fired point-blank at the rest from a shoulder-launcher. The survivors were then gunned down by Right Sector militants – no one in the truck survived.’
After claiming victory in the west Ukraine election, Poroshenko said the special operation in eastern Ukraine should continue and become ‘more effective’.