Ukraine uses helicopters, armored vehicles to suppress in Slavyansk

Military experts fear that Ukraine's outdated weapons could cause unintended harm to innocent civilians.

RIA Novosti news agency on May 7 quoted a source from the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs as saying that Kiev security forces are using armored vehicles and armed helicopters to suppress pro-federalization protesters in Slavyansk, a city in eastern Ukraine.

“An anti-terrorist operation is underway in Slavyansk. During the operation, Ukrainian law enforcement agencies used military vehicles and helicopters,” the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

Ukrainian military helicopter (Photo: RIA Novosti)

A video posted on the official website of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry shows that the military vehicles in question are Soviet-era BTR-80 armored vehicles and Mi-24 armed helicopters.

Last month, Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov ordered a special operation to suppress the wave of support for federalization that has spread in eastern Ukraine since the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovych.

Over the weekend, the Ukrainian army surrounded Slavyansk - considered a hot spot of the separatist wave in the East, fierce fighting here has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds of others.

On April 6, local self-defense forces said that the Ukrainian army had mobilized Grad missile systems at several key locations around the city in preparation for a large-scale attack. According to military experts, the use of such missiles would cause huge casualties.

Igor Korotchenko, a leading Russian military expert, told RIA Novosti that Ukraine's weapons are now outdated and have poor accuracy, so if used, they could cause many unintended casualties.

In a related development, on May 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow had withdrawn its troops from the border area with Ukraine amid Western concerns that Russia would invade the neighboring country.

Speaking after a meeting with Swiss President and current OSCE chief Didier Burkhalter, Mr Putin said: "People have repeatedly told us about concerns about the presence of our troops near the border with Ukraine. We have withdrawn our troops. Today they have been withdrawn to places where they regularly exercise, training grounds."

According to Mr. Putin, direct dialogue between the Kiev government and separatist forces in southeastern Ukraine is the key to ending this crisis. He said that ending all violence is a necessary condition for holding the next presidential election in Ukraine.

He also affirmed that Russia will do everything possible to resolve the Ukraine crisis and choose the "most positive approach" to international peace efforts./.

According to VOV