Ukraine’s offensive to recapture an eastern city controlled by pro-Russia forces sharply escalated the crisis yesterday sparking a clash at Odessa that left 31 dead.
The Kremlin said the move by Kiev’s interim government effectively killed the Geneva pact aimed at cooling the unrest, but pledged to continue efforts to try to calm the tensions.
By nightfall, Ukrainian troops and armoured personnel carriers had blocked all major roads into the eastern city of Slovyansk, the centre of the pro-Russia insurgency.
Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov claimed that “many” insurgents had been killed or wounded but the offensive also underlined the military’s vulnerability. Both sides said two Ukrainian helicopters were shot down by the insurgents, killing two crew members.
Russia has massed tens of thousands of troops in areas near Ukraine’s border. Kiev officials claim Russia is preparing to invade and that it is fomenting the unrest in the east, where insurgents have seized government buildings in about a dozen cities in towns. Moscow denies the allegations, but Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned Russia would respond to attacks on Russian citizens or interests in the east.
Unlike eastern Ukraine, Odessa had remained largely untroubled since the February toppling of President Viktor Yanukovych, who fled to Russia. But a clash erupted last night between pro-Russians and government supporters in the key port on the Black Sea coast.
Police said the deadly fire broke out in a trade union building.
In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman said the Ukrainian offensive “effectively destroyed the last hope for the implementation of the Geneva agreement” of two weeks ago that aimed to defuse the crisis. But Dmitry Peskov also said Russia “continues to undertake consistent efforts on de-escalation”.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Barack Obama warned that Russia could be hit by new sanctions from Washington and the EU if it continues disruptive actions in Ukraine. Previous sanctions are showing signs of significant effect on the Russian economy.