Ten killed in punitive operation in east Ukraine’s Slavyansk on May 5

SLAVYANSK, May 6 (Itar-Tass) - Ten civilians and representatives of people’s defence force were killed and around 25 people were wounded in a Ukrainian punitive operation in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk in Donetsk Region on May 5. Several wounded people are in heavy condition, a representative of Slavyansk people’s militia told Itar-Tass on Tuesday. In his words, these people were killed in Ukrainian military force’s fire opened in the village of Semenovka where a battle was on between Ukrainian servicemen and militiamen on Slavyansk-Donetsk highway in the morning on May 5. Four Ukrainian armoured personnel carriers opened fire at people’s defence force checkpoints. Meanwhile, the representative of militia rejected several media reports with the reference to parliament-appointed Interior Minister Arsen Avakov that 30 militiamen were killed in the punitive operation. Current situation in the city of Slavyansk is calm. No clashes were reported overnight to Tuesday and in the morning, no shooting is heard. Learn more on itar-tass.com