Separatists attack Ukrainian checkpoint; 11

reported killed
By Michael Birnbaum, Fredrick
Kunkle and Abigail Hauslohner, Updated: Thursday, May 22,
K!", Ukraine # $ene%ed clashes bet%een pro&$ussian separatists and Ukrainian
security 'orces Thursday le't at least (( soldiers dead as )iolence escalated across
beleaguered eastern Ukraine three days be'ore crucial elections*
+ournalists 'rom the Associated ,ress counted (( bodies o' Ukrainian troops scattered
around a Ukrainian military checkpoint that %as attacked by pro&$ussian insurgents
in the eastern -onetsk region, %hich separatists declared a .so)ereign/ republic last
%eek* 0itnesses said 11 Ukrainian troops %ere %ounded in the attack near the )illage
o' Blahodatne, A, reported* The )illage is about 12 miles south%est o' -onetsk, the
regional capital*
0e do ha)e people killed on our side,/ Andriy ,arubiy, the head o' the Ukrainian
3ational 4ecurity 5ouncil, told reporters in Kie)* He said Ukrainian security 'orces
%ere attacked and some %ere killed in 'ighting near the )illage* He declined to gi)e a
casualty 'igure but said another battle %as ongoing near $ubi6hne, a to%n in the
7uhansk region, a second area declared a so)ereign republic a'ter a chaotic
re'erendum there on May ((*
A rebel group claimed responsibility 'or the attack near Blahodatne and said one o' its
'ighters %as also killed, A, said* Three charred Ukrainian armored personnel carriers
and se)eral burned trucks %ere seen at the site* $esidents said the attackers used an
armored bank truck, %hich the unsuspecting Ukrainian soldiers %a)ed through the
checkpoint, only to be mo%ed do%n at point&blank range, the ne%s agency reported*
The residents8 account could not be independently con'irmed*
n the to%n o' Horli)ka, about 29 miles northeast o' -onetsk, a masked rebel
commander said his 'ighters .destroyed a checkpoint o' the 'ascist Ukrainian army
deployed on the land the -onetsk $epublic*/ He displayed an array o' sei6ed %eapons,
calling them .trophies,/ in a courtyard o' the rebel&occupied Horli)ka police
head:uarters, A, said*
Ukrainians are scheduled to go to the polls 4unday in presidential and mayoral
elections that could determine the )ery makeup o' the country and its alignment
bet%een $ussia and the 0est* The separatists, %ho ha)e sei6ed go)ernment buildings
and clashed %ith troops, are boycotting the elections*
There %as a huge operation being prepared today in many directions, and e)ery
attempt has been repelled,/ ,arubiy said* At least ;< separatists also commandeered
an electric train in 7uhansk and attempted to reach the to%n o' 4)ato)e, he said*
Ukrainian security 'orces captured the train and turned it back, he said*
Acting Ukrainian ,rime Minister Arseniy =atsenyuk told >ournalists the Kie) that the
interim go)ernment is pressing 'or an urgent U*3* 4ecurity 5ouncil session to sho%
that $ussia is escalating the con'lict and trying to disrupt the elections*
,ro)ocations by the $ussian side in Ukraine are regarded as attempts to disrupt the
presidential elections on May 22 and to destabili6e the situation in the eastern region
o' our country,/ the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement*
The Foreign Ministry said Ukrainian border guards repelled an attack 0ednesday by
.se)eral groups o' armed militants/ %ho %ere trying to enter Ukraine 'rom $ussia in
the 7uhansk region*
-escribing one o' the attacks, the nterior Ministry said in a statement that three
trucks and a sport utility )ehicle attempted to cross the border at (<:<< p*m*
0ednesday %ithout stopping at checkpoints* The border guards 'ired %arning shots,
and the cars sped back into $ussia, it said*
The ministry said that an hour later, a group o' people armed %ith assault ri'les,
grenade launchers and sniper ri'les attempted to storm a separate border post, also in
the 7uhansk region* Fi)e border guards %ere in>ured, the ministry said, and the guards
destroyed .t%o sniper groups*/
The Foreign Ministry also said that a $ussian Mi&? helicopter )iolated Ukraine8s
airspace 0ednesday*
n Kie), the head o' an international e''ort to 'oster a national dialogue called 'or an
in'ormal cease&'ire ahead o' the 4unday elections*
To the go)ernment and also to those %ho use )iolent means in the east to oppose the
go)ernment, 8d appeal to lay do%n arms at least 'or the time needed to conduct these
elections,/ said 0ol'gang schinger, a @erman diplomat %ho has headed three
roundtable discussions in Ukraine in the last t%o %eeks*
3either side has gi)en any indication that it %ould step back ahead o' the )oting*
"aleriy Boloto), head o' the sel'&proclaimed ,eople8s $epublic o' 7uhansk, declared
martial la% in the territory on Thursday, the Kyi) ,ost reported* t %as unclear %hat
martial la% %ould entail, but Boloto) said it %ould remain in e''ect until Ukrainian
troops %ithdre% 'rom the area* 7uhansk separatists declared a cur'e% earlier this
month*
n Mosco%, mean%hile, the -e'ense Ministry issued another statement about $ussian
troop %ithdra%als, saying it has sent 'our trainloads o' %eapons and (2 transport
planes a%ay 'rom the border area %ith eastern Ukraine*
The ,entagon said 0ednesday that it has seen $ussian troop mo)ements along the
Ukrainian border but that it %as not clear %hether they %ere part o' a pullout* $ussian
,resident "ladimir ,utin told reporters in 4hanghai on 0ednesday that he had
decided to pull his troops back .as an additional step to help create a 'a)orable
en)ironment 'or the upcoming presidential election*/
He called the elections .a positi)e step/ but also said that .it %ill be )ery di''icult 'or us
to build relations %ith those %ho come to po%er %ith puniti)e operations still
under%ay in southeast Ukraine*/
$ussia8s conciliatory stance comes as Ukrainian leaders reported progress in a third
session o' roundtable national unity talks, held 0ednesday in the shipyard city o'
Mykolai)* Although the talks ha)e sometimes appeared like theater, %ith
grandstanding speeches broadcast on li)e tele)ision, they ha)e gi)en moderate
regional representati)es a chance to publicly )ent their grie)ances*
A top $ussian 5!A said Thursday that sanctions imposed by the 0est on Mosco% are
harm'ul 'or business in countries that imposed them and in $ussia*
%ould encourage politicians to sol)e political problems * * * 'irst o' all through
diplomatic measures and not to cause damage to our economies,/ AleBey Mordasho),
chie' eBecuti)e o' the metals 'irm 4e)erstal, told an economic 'orum in 4t* ,etersburg*
The United 4tates and the !uropean Union slapped tra)el bans and asset 'ree6es on
members o' ,utin8s entourage a'ter $ussia anneBed Ukraine8s autonomous 5rimea
region in March* They ha)e %arned o' more crippling sanctions i' $ussia tries to grab
more Ukrainian land or attempts to derail the elections*
Kunkle reported 'rom -onetsk and Hauslohner 'rom Mosco%* -aniela -eane
contributed to this report 'rom 7ondon*