Deadly gunfight in Eastern Ukraine shakes fragile Easter truce
- 10 years ago
Easter Sunday was anything but peaceful in this corner of eastern Ukraine.
At least two people were killed in a gunfight near Slaviansk, at this makeshift checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists.
They say they were attacked by a convoy of ultra-nationalists called the Right Sector, whose power base is in the west.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNARMED ACTIVIST WORKING AT CHECKPOINT 20, VLADIMIR, SAYING:
"People jumped out of Jeeps and started shooting at us. They threw stun grenades. Our people started running in various directions when somebody shouted 'down!'. A sniper was shooting those who tried to run into the village. The first who ran was killed by a sniper right away, then there was a second dead. There was another man, he was crawling, he wouldn't get up, he was just lying there waiting for a miracle."
The Right Sector denies any role.
It says Russian special forces were behind the attack.
In Slaviansk, the self-styled separatist mayor sa
At least two people were killed in a gunfight near Slaviansk, at this makeshift checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists.
They say they were attacked by a convoy of ultra-nationalists called the Right Sector, whose power base is in the west.
(SOUNDBITE) (Russian) UNARMED ACTIVIST WORKING AT CHECKPOINT 20, VLADIMIR, SAYING:
"People jumped out of Jeeps and started shooting at us. They threw stun grenades. Our people started running in various directions when somebody shouted 'down!'. A sniper was shooting those who tried to run into the village. The first who ran was killed by a sniper right away, then there was a second dead. There was another man, he was crawling, he wouldn't get up, he was just lying there waiting for a miracle."
The Right Sector denies any role.
It says Russian special forces were behind the attack.
In Slaviansk, the self-styled separatist mayor sa