Slavyansk: a city on edge as death toll rises

In the flashpoint eastern city of Slavyansk, fighting between pro-Russian rebels and government forces has left dozens dead, with residents at their wits' end. Duration: 02:16

Published

over 2 years ago

Categories

World

Topics

Politics & Government, Europe, World

Places

Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Kiev, Chechnya, Slavyansk

Transcript

SCRIPT : Scenes like this on the outskirts of Slavyansk have become all too familiar. Pro-Russian rebels took control of the eastern Ukrainian city several weeks ago, and clashes with government forces are frequent. With a curfew in place, residents are at their wits' end. SOUNDBITE 1 Raisa (woman), Slavyansk resident (Russian, 15 sec): "If they want war they should go fight elsewhere, but not here , not in Ukraine. We have not forgotten World War II. Victory Day [over the Nazis] on May 9 is coming, and we're all in mourning." Trains are no longer running. And though shops still have supplies, many people fear the worst. SOUNDBITE 2 Nikolai (man ), Slavyansk resident (Russian, 12 sec): "Whatever happens, it will not end well. Why? Because they've gone too far, way too far. It's not good. It's the people who suffer more than anything." Gradually the Ukrainian troops surrounding the city are tightening their grip. The rebels have set up numerous barricades. For them, there is no doubt that their future is with Russia. SOUNDBITE 3 Yevgeny (man ), pro-Russian rebel ( French, 19 sec): "Many people who live in this region are Russians. My father is Russian. My mother is Belarusian. We have lots of brothers and sisters who live there. And now what? Kiev says it has to close the borders." Slavyansk may be a city of just 100,000 people but it is strategically important. It's a mere 100 miles from the Russian border, and is home to a vast stockpile of weapons from the Soviet era. These rebels on the southern edge of the city are determined not to cede their ground. SOUNDBITE 4 Mikhail (man), pro-Russian rebel (Russian , 14 sec): "How can we talk with this kind of government, how can we negotiate with it if it won't listen to us? It's the government that's responsible for everything. We are simple people, we just want to live in peace." The situation may appear calm for now. But the fighting has already claimed dozens of lives. And these men know the violence in this flashpoint city could reignite at any moment. ------------------------- SHOTLIST: SLAVYANSK, Ukraine, 5 May 2014 (source : AFPTV) - VAR burnt truck - Road sign with a bullet hole SLAVYANSK, Ukraine, 6 May 2014 Source: AFPTV - VAR market -SOUNDBITE 1 - WS Slavyansk station -VAR shoppers buying food -SOUNDBITE 2 - VAR Ukrainian forces at checkpoint on edge of city - VAR pro-Russian barricade in city centre -SOUNDBITE 3 ANDREEVKA, Ukraine, 6 May 2014 (source : AFPTV) - VAR pro-Russian rebels -SOUNDBITE 4 - VAR pro-Russian rebels /// ------------------------------------------------------- AFP TEXT STORY: Rebel toll from Slavyansk raid tops 30: interior minister / Kiev (Ukraine) - 06 May 2014 08:19 - AFP - LEAD INCORPORATES -airport series More than 30 pro-Russian rebels were killed and dozens wounded in Monday's military assault on the eastern Ukrainian town of Slavyansk, which also claimed the lives of four servicemen, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said. "Four of our fighters were killed and 20 were wounded. According to our estimates over 30 terrorists were killed and dozens were wounded," he said, employing the term Kiev uses for the pro-Russian insurgents in control of the flashpoint town. He said that the rebel fighters included several from Russia and Chechnya as well as Crimea, annexed by Moscow in March. The Ukrainian military on Monday stepped up its assault on the rebel-held town as part of an operation to seize back control of parts of the east gripped by a pro-Russian insurgency. On Monday, authorities confirmed the military had suffered casualties of its own and a helicopter gunship was shot down. An AFP reporter inside Slavyansk said the centre of the city of more than 110,000 people was very calm on Tuesday morning but basic foodstuffs and other items were running increasingly short as the military tightens its noose. Kiev and the West accuse Russia of fomenting the chaos in eastern Ukraine in a bid to destabilise the former Soviet Republic in the run-up to planned presidential elections on May 25. Russia denies the charges and accuses the pro-Western government in Kiev -- which it refuses to recognise -- of waging "war on its own people". Moscow on Monday warned of an impending humanitarian crisis in eastern Ukraine as the military steps up what Kiev calls an "anti-terrorism operation". Separately on Tuesday, all flights in and out of Donetsk -- a regional industrial hub of more than one million people -- were suspended, according to airport authorities, who gave no reason for the action.