Ukraine cracks down on separatists
The Ukrainian government warns it will launch an "anti-terrorist operation" in response to unrest in the country's east. The Russian government rejects accusations that it intends to annex more Ukrainian territory.
First fatalities
Ukraine's interior ministry says a Ukrainian officer was killed and there were casualties on both sides in Slovyansk in the Donetsk region on Sunday (13.04.2014). Pro-Russian militants stormed a police station and set up checkpoints. Ukrainian police say they seized around 400 small arms and 20 automatic rifles. In response, the government has launched an anti-terrorism operation.
Demand for separation
For the past week, pro-Russian militants have occupied several government buildings in Donetsk and the surrounding region. They are demanding a referendum on independence for the region, which has a significant ethnic Russian minority.
Anti-terrorist operation
The reaction of the Ukrainian government shows the seriousness of the situation: "An anti-terrorist operation has begun in Sloviansk. Units from all of the country’s force structures are participating. May God be with us," Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on his Facebook page. The population has been asked to evacuate the city center, to stay indoors and away from windows.
Fears of a second Crimean scenario
The Ukrainian interim government fears that Russia could use the unrest to annex more Ukrainian territory. The annexation of Crimea triggered the crisis in February. Russian soldiers took control of the Ukrainian Black Sea peninsula and installed a pro-Russian government, which in turn quickly organized a referendum, which was used as a pretext for the Russian takeover.
Russian soldiers at the border
NATO has published satellite pictures of the Russian-Ukrainian border that allegedly show a large buildup of Russian forces. Russia has by now massed 40,000 troops at the border, according to the military alliance. Analysts worry Russia may be planning to attack the Ukrainian mainland once the opportunity arises.
Russian claims
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has rejected suggestions it will take advantage of the unrest in eastern Ukraine to annex more parts of Ukraine to Russia. But Lavrov said Russia wants Ukraine to remain in its current borders, minus Crimea.
Majority for Ukraine
The situation in eastern Ukraine differs from that in Crimea. Observers say the majority of the population wants to remain in Ukraine, albeit with greater autonomy. Only a minority wants to join Russia. But pro-Russian activists occupying government buildings proclaimed a "People’s Republic of Donetsk."
The West demands action from Russia
An international crisis meeting about the situation in Ukraine is scheduled for next Thursday. Ahead of the meeting, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier has demanded signals of de-escalation from Russia. He said Russia needs to take action to ease tension, such as by withdrawing its troops from the Ukrainian border.