(VOVworld) – Slavyansk city in eastern Ukraine was on high alert for new attacks. Local protest leader Vyatcheslav Ponomarev said the attacks would possibly target guard posts and government buildings currently controlled by protesters who support the self-styled Donetsk People's Republic. His warning followed a gun exchange in Slavyansk killing 3 militiamen and the gunman. This has been the first violent incident since an agreement was reached between the EU, Russia, the US, and Ukraine to ease tensions in Ukraine by not using force, threats, or provocations.
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| Gunmen surround a police station in Slavyansk. (Photo: Reuters) |
According to Russia’s Foreign Ministry, the shooting in Slavyansk showed that the Kiev government doesn’t want to disarm new extremist and fascist groups. This has raised fears that Ukraine’s acting government is not committed to the Geneva agreement to calm the situation.