Three Russian-backed militants killed in attack on Ukrainian base in Mariupol

When an armed mob of about
50 Russian-backed insurgents started shooting with weapons and throwing incendiary
and explosive devices at the National Guard troops, they fired warning shots at
them, said Avakov. When the armed crowd attacked again, the Ukrainian troops
shot to kill.

Together with a special
Interior Ministry unit, the Ukrainian forces dispersed most of the crowd of 300, arresting 63. The core of the group was corralled and the militant crowd
was broken up.

Weapons were taken as
well as Russian mobile phone communication devices.

The operation isn’t over
yet, said Avakov. Police continue to pursue an armed group.

Together with the
Ukrainian Security Service (SBU), police are collecting evidence and
identifying the pro-Russian insurgents.

On April 16, the SBU
presented more evidence of Russian involvement in the uprisings in southeastern
Ukraine where government buildings and police stations have been taken in at
least 9 cities in Donetsk Oblast and the SBU building in Luhansk Oblast.

Russia has denied
involvement of the insurgency in south and east.

However, the SBU says
that Russian military intelligence officer Igor Strelkov is the coordinator in
the region. He allegedly commands Russian subversive airborne troops and
military intelligence officers in eastern Ukraine. More than 40 Russian military
intelligence officers and their trained Russian and Ukrainian agents have been
captured thus far. According to the SBU, the agents receive training either in
Crimea or in Russia where they receive instructions from their handlers on how
to take over buildings, recruit others, gather intelligence on Ukrainian military
troop movements as well as other subversive and terrorist activities.

The Russian and Ukrainian
agents appear to be well financed. The SBU
said an unnamed Russian bank transferred Hr 45 million ($3.75 million)
between March and April for the financing of Kremlin-backed militant groups.

Altogether, Ukraine’s
General Prosecutor is investigating 14 banks for financing terrorism or
separatism, including Sberbank, a state-owned Russian bank. Sberbank released a
statement denying the accusation.

Kyiv Post editor Mark Rachkevych can be reached
at rachkevych@kyivpost.com.