Slavyansk: the zone of responsibility is growing

It just seemed an ordinary task, but setting up a new check point in real looked like a special mission. Journalists together with protesters on making it possible.

According to the commanding officer, recent armed clash near Semenivka saw casualties from both sides,although Ukrainians army suffered losses 10 times as protesters. It wont take much guessing who is ready to fight again and would rather not. To make things worse, rumor has it there is non-stop bickering between Pravij Sector, pro-Kiev police, army units.

Perfect time for some pro-action and here we go at 3 p.m, few combat vehicles and scouts on motorbikes. The new greenery from the trees works as a perfect camouflage.

With rebel commandos scouring surroundings and snipers monitoring the road, others are working hard, excavating, putting together concrete blocks. Meanwhile few protesters and journalist make a short trip down the same road- just a few days back there was a Ukrainian army check point. They reach a crossroad — it used to be a lively place with lots of people, hawkers, shops but now it’s deserted. Multiple bullet marks make fences look like a sieve. Guys at the petrol station have no idea where the army units are gone. Things keep changing all the time here. A security guard at the petrol station, old man Nikolay Konstantinovich, gets talkative. He was 12 when Nazis came here.

— There was a girl, you know, her mother was paralyzed. And after another shootout the house was set on fire. Poor thing could only do as much as to drag her mom onto the floor. Out of desperation she ran out and screamed for help, and you know, fascist stopped! Helped her.

Today’s fascist are worse. These radical subhumans were shooting left, right and center. At the houses, cafes, shops…my son got multiple wounds from the smashed window glass. Their leader Ignat was telling me:«We will turn this area into a wasteland, we won’t leave a stone unturned." We want to save our land. We don’t want these subhumans here.

The new check point won’t make a huge difference in controlling the area, although it is dangerously close to the Rostov-Kharkov highway and few bases of army units. This was the first step. Slowly but steadily, they intend to keep moving. Until they break the blockade.