KIEV, May 5 (RIA Novosti) – A special operation in eastern Ukraine is ongoing, and the political situation in the region remains tense, the press service of Ukraine’s National Guard said Monday.
"The anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine continues, the political situation in the region remains tense. We are still dealing with seizure of governmental buildings, radio and television broadcasting centers, divisions of law enforcement agencies and other illegal actions," the statement said.
National Guard troops under orders of the Minister of Internal Affairs have secured a regional radio transmission center, three relay stations in the Kharkiv region and two checkpoints near the city of Kupyansk.
Last week, acting Ukrainian President Oleksander Turchinov ordered security forces to resume a special operation in the country’s east to crack down on pro-federalization protests that have been spreading across southeastern Ukraine since a regime change in Kiev in February.
On Friday, Ukraine saw the bloodiest violence since the February overthrow of President Viktor Yanukovych, with dozens killed in clashes across the country. The highest casualty toll was reported in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa, where 46 people died and over 200 were injured. A two-day period of national mourning was announced in the country following the tragedy.
Moscow earlier described Kiev’s actions as a punitive operation that has jeopardized the implementation of the Geneva accords reached last month on the de-escalation of the Ukrainian crisis.
