Author Archives: RomanInUkraine

Nervous Kyiv, Bomb Shelters Ready

KYIV — Upon hearing a long, protracted siren, all citizens at home should turn on their radios, learn the location of the nearest bomb shelter, and inform their neighbors.

They should then close all their windows, turn off the gas and water supply at the mains, gather up necessities including personal medication, and walk without panicking to the shelter indicated. Those not at home should take shelter in the city’s cavernous underground subway system.

These instructions on how to act in the event of a military emergency were posted on notice boards across the Ukrainian capital overnight on April 15-16, heightening fears that Russia might invade.

“ATTENTION EVERYBODY! Sirens and a continuous ringing sound from other signal devices indicate a communication on civil defense,” they read.

The notices were then abruptly taken down less than a day after their appearance.

“There was an order to take them all down,” a street sweeper removing the notices in downtown Kyiv told RFE/RL.

It is unclear why the notices were removed, although pedestrians speculated it was so as not to scare residents.

The notices, and their removal, was just the latest sign that interim authorities in Kyiv are jittery about a possible Russian invasion — but unsure what to do about it.

Bomb Shelters

For months, the authorities in Kyiv have been taking tentative steps to prepare for a possible Russian invasion.

In late March, with mounting speculation of an imminent Russian invasion, Kyiv authorities carried out inspections on over 526 bomb shelters and said they were working on a new siren warning system.

Volodymyr Bondarenko, chairman of the Kyiv city administration, told RFE/RL’s Ukrainian Service on March 27 that the most effective shelters could provide safety for 1.5 million residents.

Vika Libash, a mother of two in Kyiv, welcomed the notices in the capital. “I think it’s the right thing to do so that people know what to do in the event of a siren or signal,” she said. “I really think it’s important so that there isn’t panic. You need to do it for schoolchildren as well.”

Libash added that the notices were probably taken down because they were jarring and unusual for younger residents of the capital. But she recalled how, in her youth, she was constantly being warned of an impending war.

Of course, back then, she laughed, in the 1970s, the enemy was the United States.

Crimean Authorities Impose Censorship in Connection with Dzhemilev and Mejlis

Crimean Tatar editorial staff of the State Television and Radio Company (STRC) Krym (Crimea) were verbally ordered to “stop showing” the leader of the Crimean Tatar people Mustafa Dzhemilev, as well as Mejlis members, an informed source at the STRC confirmed in a statement to Ukrainska Pravda. According to the report, Crimea’s new “authorities” have decided to use sanctions against the Crimean Tatar leader, and attempted to impose censorship in connection with reporting on the Mejlis activities.

http://euromaidanpr.com/2014/04/22/crimean-authorities-impose-censorship-in-connection-with-dzhemilev-and-mejlis/

Ukraine alert as politician ‘killed’ / Funerals of Separatists

Oleksandr Turchynov said the body of politician Vladimir Rybak was found near rebel-held Sloviansk.

“The terrorists who effectively took the whole Donetsk region hostage have now gone too far,” he said. . . .

In another incident, a Ukrainian military surveillance plane was hit by small arms fire over eastern Ukraine, the defence ministry said.

The aircraft, an Antonov AN-30, suffered minor damage over Sloviansk when it was targeted by automatic gunfire, according to the ministry. No-one was hurt and the plane returned safely to Kiev.

The funerals have meanwhile taken place of three men shot on Sunday during a raid on a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists near Sloviansk.

The local separatists said the attack was carried out by ultra-nationalist Right Sector militants but Kiev called it a “provocation” staged by Russian special forces.

The bodies of those killed lay in open coffins at the funeral ceremony at the Church of the Holy Spirit in the centre of Sloviansk.

When the coffins were carried out of the church, the crowd outside shouted “Glory to the Heroes of the Donbass!” over and over again – Donbass being the name for the Don River basin. Church bells rang out.

The people I’ve been speaking to here are convinced that it was Ukrainian ultra-nationalists who carried out Sunday’s attack. One woman told me she was proud to be Ukrainian, but that instability and violence was pushing people here to want closer ties to Russia.

Why Crimeans Didn’t Resist

I live in Crimea and would like to briefly tell you how I became acquainted with the green men and how we were captured by them. I would like to tell you this story because mainland Ukraine keeps asking us why we did not resist.

This happened a few days before the “referendum.” I worked for, you could call it, a strategic enterprise. It was a regular working day, same routine as always. I was sitting in my office after lunch and suddenly I heard some sort of clicks. It wasn’t clear what they were. I came out of the office and saw people lying on the floor in the hallway, and a shadow passing into the reception area. I was frightened and locked the office door. A minute later I heard: “Open up, bitch, or I’ll shoot!” So I quietly approached the door and opened it. In front of me I saw a Kalashnikov and a green man.

In a second, the screaming man flew into the room (and I must say this was a professional operation, I didn’t even have time to react), grabbed me by the collar and threw me against the wall. I received the “honor” of being hit by the butt of a Kalashinkov for a reason unknown to me. I am a mere 50 kilograms in weight; he was three times larger. He was without a mask and in full uniform, even with grenades. He told me: “To the exit!” and pushed my back with the machine gun.

http://euromaidanpr.com/2014/04/22/terrifying-moment-when-one-crimean-realized-resistance-was-futile/

Ukraine: Three Russian military intel officers detained

Ukraine has captured three Russian military intelligence officers and estimates there are at least 100 more Russian military personnel directing unrest in eastern Ukraine, says Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, director of Ukraine’s national security service.

“We detained three GRU officers,” Nalyvaichenko said Tuesday, referring to the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate by its Russian acronym. “They are being interviewed in Kiev and have given us very important information and evidence.”

Ukraine has arrested 21 Russian officials involved with what he called groups of criminals that have taken government buildings and terrorized the citizenry in cities such as Donetsk, Slovyansk and Kharkiv, Nalyvaichenko said, speaking from an office in Kiev in a YouTube appearance for invited reporters that was arranged by the Atlantic Council, a Washington think tank.

Russia denies that its military is in eastern Ukraine, but has admitted that its soldiers were in Crimea helping pro-Russian militants take over the province.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/04/22/ukraine-russia-military-officers-detained/8010779/