KIEV, May 5 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian security forces are in control of most of the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Region, excluding the city center, the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) said Monday.
"Kramatorsk is controlled by the anti-terrorist center, with the exception of the city center," spokesperson Marina Ostapenko said at a press briefing.
The militia continues to hold the buildings of the Interior Ministry, Security Service and others in Slaviansk and Kramatorsk, she added.
Meanwhile, a representative of the Kramatorsk militia told RIA Novosti that there are currently no Ukrainian troops in the city. "We are receiving reports that armored vehicles are moving towards the city, we are now going to check it, but they are not in the city yet," the informant said.
Recently, a member of the Federation Council, Igor Morozov, citing informed federalization supporters, said that Berkut fighters from Poltava refused to obey the Kiev authorities, who had ordered them to sweep Kramatorsk.
"I’m on the line with the rebels in Kramatorsk, they have proven information that Kiev wants a Poltava unit of Berkut to sweep Kramatorsk,” he said, adding that the Berkut fighters refuse to comply with this order.
A special commission departed from Kiev to Poltava, which intends to force the Berkut unit to execute the order, Morozov said, citing the federalization supporters.
"The rebels in Kramatorsk are asking all media sources to cover the orders from Kiev to engage Berkut fighters in a punitive operation,” he said.
According to Morozov, the situation must be immediately discussed with the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. All necessary measures must be taken to ensure that the special unit would not participate in military operations against civilians. "Also, the OSCE should appeal to the International Military Tribunal in The Hague," Morozov added.
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.
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.
