In Donetsk, the pro-Russian Vostok Battalion surrounded the headquarters of the Donetsk People’s Republic and forced everyone out. The battalion insists it is not a coup, but a police operation.
Christopher Miller, editor of The Kyiv Post and contributor to Mashable, and others are on the scene.
Picture of tense standoff outside #Donetsk building. Vostok guys from Russia accusing locals in HQ of looting pic.twitter.com/vOmuvIcmfx
— Alec Luhn (@ASLuhn) May 29, 2014
Vostok Battalion has besieged the DPR HQ. Thunder rolls overhead ominously. pic.twitter.com/XoiXy9EkqI
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 29, 2014
This front loader just pushed aside the barricade of tires and then cleared the road of a truck used as a roadblock. pic.twitter.com/vVVVKbhT0w
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 29, 2014
Barricades in front of #Donetsk govt bldg occupied by separatists for ~2 months are coming down. Vostok in control. pic.twitter.com/aRXNEP6Tbh
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 29, 2014
9th floor of the administrative building #Donetsk is empty pic.twitter.com/k5KTgTEaMS
— Antoine E.R.Delaunay (@aerdelaunay) May 29, 2014
In central #Donetsk: truckloads of former barricades driven away after apparent seizure of rebel HQ by Vostok Bat. pic.twitter.com/GccJpOULK1
— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) May 29, 2014
Inside 11-fl Donetsk admin building Vostok battalion giving tours. Here’s some of loot rebels had stolen from Metro pic.twitter.com/f9H2YGDReE
— Courtney Weaver (@courtneymoscow) May 29, 2014
On 10th fl of Donetsk People’s Republic, locked door with sign NKVD (name of stalin’s secret police) pic.twitter.com/Ui4lOS8ZSH
— Courtney Weaver (@courtneymoscow) May 29, 2014
This is the state of most of the Donetsk Administration Building pic.twitter.com/rf8f3r7cVB
— Courtney Weaver (@courtneymoscow) May 29, 2014
Roland Oliphant with The Telegraph tweeted the DNR’s leadership knew about this action and claim the operation is about looters. Apparently, looting carries a death sentence.
Maybe not a coup. But certainly seems to be something a little night of the long knives about this. House keeping?
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 29, 2014
“Looting” is a rather frightening accusation around here. Up in Slavyansk Igor Strelkov had two of his men shot for it the other day.
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) May 29, 2014
Donetsk has been a deadly city since May 26, a day after Petro Poroshenko was elected president of Ukraine. Over 45 pro-Russians died after the rebels seized the airport and train station. Looters tore apart a Metro Cash & Carry hypermarket near the airport and company spokesman Olesya Olenytska said the police did not stop it. The store was closed due to major fighting and no one was in the building. The owners closed the store on May 26.
“In order to assure the safety of our customers and employees, the Metro store located on 7 Zlitna Street near Donetsk airport has been temporarily closed as of May 26, 2014 until further notice. The rest of three Metro stores in Donetsk region continue working in normal mode, serving our customers,” Olenytska stated.
Miller noted Donetsk turned into a ghost town after the airport was seized and many buildings boarded up doors and windows.
Central #Donetsk a ghost town this evening. Some shops even boarded up their windows. Eerie how quiet, empty it is. pic.twitter.com/7TuEeQ8PEp
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 27, 2014
The Vostok Battalion
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