Ukraine Troops Attack Slovyansk, Killing Five

Interior Ministry Dubs Slain 'Terrorists'

Last week’s attempted invasion of the protester city of Slovyansk came and went without too much fuss. This time, Ukraine’s Interior Ministry was much more aggressive, reporting five of the protesters killed, and labeling them “terrorists.”

The attack appears to have centered one of the protester checkpoints outside the city, with troops ordered to remove roadblocks, and protesters set fire to stacks of tires along the road to slow the military’s advance.

The Obama Administration has endorsed the attacks on eastern Ukraine cities like Slovyansk as intended to improve “law and order” in the country after a recent regime change which saw the elected government replaced by a pro-US group.

Russia was harshly critical of the attacks, saying that using the military to attack protesters was a violation of international law, and warning that they would not stand by while Ukraine continues operations against ethnic Russians along the border.

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.