Pro-Russia militia displays captured Ukrainians

[dipsydoodle]

Source: Guardian

Associated Press= SLOVYANSK, Ukraine (AP) — Already holding a group of foreign military observers, the pro-Russia insurgents in eastern Ukraine captured three Ukrainian security service officers on Sunday and displayed them to journalists bloodied and blindfolded with packing tape.

The insurgents in the city of Slovyansk have increasingly turned to hostage-taking as they seek to cement their control in the east of the country.

>

Ukraine's Security Service confirmed that its officers had been seized by armed men. The officers were on a mission to detain a Russian citizen suspected in the killing of a Ukrainian parliament member, the agency said in a statement.


Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/feedarticle/11313322

[Tommy_Carcetti]

1. The big question is....is RT still calling these people "protesters"?

[dipsydoodle]

2. "Pro-federalization forces" / "self defense forces" by the look of it.

Three Ukraine elite Alpha group agents captured in Donetsk region.

Three members of Ukraine’s special anti-terrorist unit Alpha have been detained during a covert mission in Donetsk region, amid the buildup of Kiev’s military near the cities controlled by pro-federalization forces.

Commander of the “Donetsk Republic” self-defense forces, Igor Strelkov, has confirmed reports that three members of the Alpha special tactical assault group of the Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) have been detained in the city of Gorlovka, in Donetsk region.

Their task reportedly was to abduct one of the self-defense force leaders, Igor Bezler, whose group is controlling the local police department in Gorlovka, but instead they were captured themselves. The prisoners were searched and blindfolded and brought to nearby Slavyansk, where their guns, documents and IDs as well as other belongings were demonstrated to the media during a press conference.

During questioning, the detained officers revealed that a special unit that has infiltrated the city comprised of seven men.

http://rt.com/news/155136-agents-captured-donetsk-ukraine/

[karynnj]

4. At this point they seem to be calling them forces of a "government" that they are

treating as equal to Kiev's. I know some here think that the Rada did not go through full legal procedures to impeach the former President after he left - quite possibly at Russian suggestion. However, most of these Pro-Russian "leaders" are not even local, even when Ukrainian. I can see why Kerry referred to one Lavrov conversation as Kafkaish.

[blackspade]

3. They are not insurgents

They are criminals.
And should be referred to as such.

[karynnj]

5. To make matters worse, Russia is both claiming that it is unfair that Ukraine

has disproportionate numbers of forces compared to these people - threatening that if these people are "attacked" they could invade --- and that Ukraine has failed to establish rule of law in all their country.

[Igel]

6. At least they're not fascist.

Even if they do put language and ethnicity at their core of their claims and want to be united with their fellow Russians because, gee, they're Russians.

Good to see that they're upholding the standards of the Maidan. All those people held hostage, displayed after being beaten as part of their interrogation. Hey, even take an engineering student, torture him, and dump his body.

Except that while we dispute who the snipers were, the Maidan didn't do this. This was the ever lovely forces named after a cute, cuddly bird. Unless you believe what their ex-boss said, who'd be in serious trouble on all sides if he said anything else.

[Duckhunter935]

7. Those

fascists back in the west are much worse than these nice young men just trying to help these lost men try and find the murderer.




I still fail to see how some here support these assholes

[DFW]

8. Russians displaying captured Ukranians in the Ukraine

Can't fault Putin's Pals for being too subtle.........

[malthaussen]

9. Shouldn't that be "kidnapped" Ukranians?

Maybe it's just me, but the use of "captured" in this context seems to be a feeble attempt to lend legitimacy to the action.

-- Mal

[bemildred]

10. Ukraine crisis: Abducted military observers paraded in front of media by heavily-armed pro-Russian s

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-abducted-military-observers-paraded-in-front-of-media-by-heavilyarmed-prorussian-separatists-9293830.html

[bemildred]

11. Separatists Seize Control of State TV in Eastern Ukraine: Report

DONETSK, Ukraine — Pro-Russian separatists on Sunday seized control of the offices of regional state television in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, a Reuters reporter outside the building said.

The reporter said four separatists in masks, with truncheons and shields, were standing at the entrance to the building controlling access, while more separatists in camouflage fatigues could be seen inside.

About 15 police officers were standing a short distance away but were not trying to resist the separatists. A crowd of around 400 people surrounded the building and shouted "Russia!" and "Referendum!," a reference to a vote the separatists want to hold on seceding from Ukraine. The protesters later drifted away, but the separatist guards on the doors remained.

One of the masked men at the entrance, asked why the building had been seized, said: "They show lies, they try to influence the people and they broadcast misinformation."

http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/ukraine-crisis/separatists-seize-control-state-tv-eastern-ukraine-report-n90771

[dipsydoodle]

12. Pro-Russia forces free 1 Western military observer

SLOVYANSK, Ukraine: Pro-Russia insurgents on Sunday freed one of the eight European military observers being held prisoner in eastern Ukraine. Earlier in the day, all eight appeared in public for the first time and, under armed guard, gave assurances they weren't being mistreated.

An Associated Press photographer saw Maj. Thomas Johansson of Sweden get into a car with representatives of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe. They then drove away from the city administration building in Slovyansk, which has become the center of the pro- Russia insurgency in eastern Ukraine.

It wasn't immediately clear why only Johansson was released, but the pro-Russian insurgents had accused the group of being NATO spies and Sweden isn't a member of the trans-Atlantic alliance.

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/International/2014/Apr-27/254572-osce-negotiators-free-one-inspector-held-by-ukraine-rebels-afp.ashx#ixzz307Ftpops

[Benton D Struckcheon]

13. Funny last sentence there.

Really all it was was that it was too freakin absurd to hold a Swede as a NATO spy even by their Alex Jones standards.