Skip to main content

Ukrainian forces reclaim port city from rebels

The Ukrainian flag fluttered over the regional government headquarters in the strategic port city of Mariupol on Friday after government forces reclaimed the city from pro-Russian separatists in heavy fighting and said they had regained control of a long stretch of the border with Russia.

The advances are significant victories for the pro-European leadership in a military operation to crush the rebellion, which began in east Ukraine in April, and hold the country together. Parallel peace moves are moving slowly, however, and Russia is threatening to cut gas supplies to Ukraine from Monday in a row over prices.

In central Mariupol, police cordoned off several streets, where roadblocks of sandbags and concrete blocks, once manned by rebels, were riddled with bullet holes, and the burnt-out hulk of an armoured personnel carrier with rebel insignia smouldered.

"At 10:34 a.m. (0734 GMT), the Ukrainian flag was raised over City Hall in Mariupol," Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Facebook. That was less than six hours after the attack began on the city of 500,000, Ukraine's biggest port on the Azov Sea.

A ministry aide said government forces had attacked after surrounding the rebels and giving them 10 minutes to surrender. At least five separatists and two servicemen were killed before many of the rebels fled.

A group of about 100 Mariupol residents, who had gathered in the centre to show their opposition to the government's actions, exchanged obscenities and crude gestures with Ukrainian soldiers driving through town in a column of armoured trucks.

"The government brought everything here, including a cannon ... people were not allowed to come and witness how the government was shooting its own citizens," 52-year-old Andrei Nikodimovich said.

Mariupol, which has changed hands several times in weeks of conflict, is strategically important because it lies on major roads from the southeastern border with Russia into the rest of Ukraine, and steel is exported through the port.

Regaining full control of the 2,000-km (1,200-mile) frontier is also vital for the government because it accuses Moscow of allowing the rebels to bring tanks, other armoured vehicles and guns across the border.

Avakov said government forces had won back control of a 120-km (75-mile) stretch of border that had fallen to the rebels, but it was unclear who controlled other parts of the frontier.

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said Russia had sent tanks, heavy weapons and rocket launchers to Ukraine in recent days in support of separatists in the east of the country. The confirmation by the United States of reports that Russian tanks had crossed the border into Ukraine is likely to deepen strains with Moscow.

"We assess that separatists in eastern Ukraine have acquired heavy weapons and military equipment from Russia, including Russian tanks and multiple rocket launchers," State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement.

Harf told a briefing earlier that a convoy of three T-64 tanks, several MB-21 "or Grad" multiple rocket launchers and other military vehicles had crossed from Russia into Ukraine in the last three days.

"This is unacceptable," she said. "A failure by Russia to de-escalate the situation will lead to additional costs."

IMPASSE AT GAS TALKS

_0">

The rebels rose up in the Russian-speaking east and southeast after Russia annexed Crimea in March following the overthrow of pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovich, who had triggered protests by spurning trade and political pacts that would have deepened ties with the European Union.

_1">

The new president, Petro Poroshenko, intensified the military operation against the rebels after he was elected on May 25, but is also trying to win support for a peace plan.

_2">

On Friday, one separatist leader, Denis Pushilin, said he could be open to the idea of talks provided there were mediators, including Russia, present. "If an international organisation were also involved, that would be a plus too," he said in an interview on Russian television.

_3">

Poroshenko's aides say progress has been made at initial meetings with a Russian envoy and that any immediate threat of a Russian invasion has receded. But tensions have risen at talks on how much Ukraine should pay for Russian natural gas.

_4">

Ukraine said it was preparing for gas supply cuts on Monday, the deadline for it to settle $1.95 billion in unpaid bills. This could disrupt supplies to the European Union, as about half of its sizable gas imports from Russia flow via Ukraine.

_5">

Political ties have also been strained by the appearance of several tanks in east Ukraine. Avakov accused Russia on Thursday of allowing the rebels to bring them across the border and Poroshenko told Russian President Vladimir Putin by phone that the situation was "unacceptable".

_6">

Evidence that Russia is directly assisting the rebels militarily would implicate Moscow in the uprising, making a mockery of its denials of a role in the fighting.

_7">

_8">

_9">

(Additional reporting by Pavel Polityuk and Natalia Zinets in Kiev, Vladimir Soldatkin in Moscow and Lesley Wroughton in Washington; Writing by Timothy Heritage and Alessandra Prentice; Editing by Kevin Liffey and Dan Grebler)

_10">

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o