Voices of Ukraine

Dmitry Tymchuk, Information Resistance

04.16.2014
Translated and edited by Voices of Ukraine

Situation in Pchelkino

Source: https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.tymchuk/posts/484147785047215 

6:30 pm EEST (04.16.2014)

According to data received by Information Resistance, approximately 1,500 separatists are currently blocking 16 armored vehicles and 500 servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the railway crossing in the vicinity of Pchelkino township (by Kramatorsk). They started the blockade at 11:00 am (EEST).

The armed insurgents are constantly receiving advice on the phone from their coordinators, and [currently] indicate that they do not have orders to use weapons.

Earlier, 4 armored vehicles with 20 servicemen on board drove past the railway crossing, where they were also blocked by a crowd of locals.

Separatists attempted to persuade Ukrainian servicemen to switch sides. The servicemen took up defensive positions around the perimeter and would not let the separatists approach the vehicles.

The [Ukrainian military] Commander made an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate with the separatists.

Separatists organized checkpoints at the entrances to the townships of Pchelkino and Plotniki. They do not hide the fact that they are waiting for the command to open fire.

Update on Pchelkino

11:54 pm EEST (04.16.2014)

Source: http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/04/16/7022729/
Photo source: Illya Azar

Negotiations in Kramatorsk were between the command of the 25th Separate Dnipropetrovsk Airborne Brigade of Ukrainian Ground Forces on one side, and on the other side – the so-called “little green men.”

They had St. George ribbons on their uniforms. These people were masked and armed.

As a result of these negotiations, Ukrainian servicemen were released from the blockade, and in return, the servicemen gave up the bolts and firing pins without which the weapons cannot shoot. According to the soldiers themselves, they are going back to Dnipropetrovsk.

The servicemen also noted that there were no clashes with locals during their blockade. Moreover, people brought them food, canned food and drinking water.

“We received a command to move from point “A” to point “B,” I don’t know where exactly. Local civilians treat us well. People just stand here and won’t let us through, telling us to go back to our Brigade,” said Oleksiy Mitkov, one of the servicemen.

Civilians that obstructed the movement of armored vehicles in Pchelkino are also saying that the servicemen behaved in a civilized manner, and that they have stopped the troops because they don’t want gunfire near their homes.

“We gathered here to stop these vehicles. We are not comfortable with this. We don’t need a civil war. These boys are ours, how are they going to shoot at us?” says Alla, a local resident.

Not all servicemen were left without their guns, one soldier on every armored vehicle kept a combat-ready automatic machine gun.

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Situation at the Kramatorsk airfield 

6:30 pm EEST (04.16.2014)

Dmitry Tymchuk – https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.tymchuk/posts/484147785047215

The airfield in Kramatorsk is currently being blocked by 50-60 separatists. They broke the fence, but made no attempts to enter the airfield.

Separatists are constantly attempting to provoke Ukrainian troops. Servicemen of the Ukrainian Armed Forces took up their positions. There is a possibility that the extremists will attempt to seize [the airfield] after nightfall.

The sky over Kramatorsk is constantly patrolled by airplanes and helicopters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Situation in Mariupol

00:08 am EEST (04.17.2014)

Update by Dmitry Tymchuk: https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.tymchuk/posts/484214451707215?stream_ref=10

According to Information Resistance data, there is an armed fight in the vicinity of a military base in Mariupol.

At the moment, Ukrainian servicemen have rebuffed two attacks, using their weapons to kill.

The base is currently being attacked by “little green men.” However, according to our information, these are not Russian servicemen but fighters amidst local separatists who have undergone the basic military training, and are wearing the corresponding uniforms without any insignias.

They are under the command of representatives from the GRU.

1:08 am EEST (04.17.2014)

Update by Dmitry Tymchuk – https://www.facebook.com/dmitry.tymchuk/posts/484236075038386

Ukrainian forces in Mariupol repelled the attack. The attackers themselves are clearly shocked, since they did not expect the counteraction. As this event demonstrated, the use of adequate force works way more efficiently than a “highly moral” pacifism.