Secessionists Fortify East Ukraine as Offensive Looms

Leaders Vow to Secure Rest of Donetsk, Luhansk Provinces

The expected Ukraine invasion of breakaway eastern provinces didn’t materialize today, and the secessionists are not taking the lull for granted, using it as a chance to fortify the areas expected to get hit first.

Secessionists stormed a police station in Horivka now, and their leaders are talking up securing all of the important infrastructure across the Donetsk and Luhansk Provinces.

The protests erupted in Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv initially, but Kharkiv was quickly overrun by the Interior Ministry’s forces. Since then, the protesters have taken a much more defensive stance, preparing to fight off incursions.

The protesters are not uniform in their demands, with many calling for autonomy within Ukraine and others seeking accession into the Russian Federation, following the Crimea example. They are all in agreement that they will resist the Ukrainian military, however,

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.