In Sloviansk, Eastern Ukraine, separatists began riots targeted at Roma residing in the city. The armed separatists burst into houses inhabited by Roma, beat and robbed them regardless of gender or age, UNIAN reports. According to this report, they have beaten even women and children. Separatists said that they operate under the direct order of their ‘people’s mayor Vyacheslav Ponomarev’. The armed men loaded the property of Roma families in the truck, eyewitnesses say.