in the center of slovyansk, pro-russian activists are in control of a police station. ukrainian forces on sunday tried to retake the building reportedly because of the risk to the public of. >> we are the residents of slovyansk. the national guard is coming here. there has been a shoot-out this morning. we have nothing to hide. here is my face. i want to ask vladimir putin, he promised to protect us. come and protect us. >> protesters clashed with mobs. 50 were injured, 10 needing hospital treatment. >> at pro-hq, barricades have been reinforced. people have no plans to leave the state administration building, and few are taking oleksandr turchynov's comments seriously. they'll stay until the 11th, the date set by the public of donetsk for the referendum. >> once the referendum takes place, we'll see what the saying is, and then we'll decide the next steps. >> i consider oleksandr turchynov's requests illegal. what leave is doing is not right. authorities in kiev say the people here do not represent the region, and called this an artificial conflict coordinated by russ

. >> reporter: the town of slovyansk, the center of a diplomatic incident. a team of observers detained by the pro-russian gunmen in control. slovyansk's self-proclaimed mayor says the foreign observers are accompanied by a ukraine man man suspected of being a spy. >> i have heard that somebody was there from the military headquarters which does not look good. if people come as observers from the european union and bring a spy with them. it doesn't look good. this is an example of double standards. >> to the south, skies above the town of kramatorsk. a helicopter exploded after being shot in the fuel tank as it was taking off. the pilot survived. over the border in sworn russia military exercises continued. the size and scope of the exercises alarmed the ukrainian government and many governments in the west. russia said that if the lives of ethnic russian ukraines are threatened it will take action. at a volunteer camp they are learning new and lethal skills. there are 100 ukrainian men here, most not prepared to show their faces in the current uncertainty.

more live from slovyansk.heard similar statements from at a time interior minister over the past hours and days really. nothing happened then. so why this message now? >> there have been several deadline. there was one issued for both donetsk. there was a deadline for other places and, also, that one that came and went. now, the president, i think, had to come out and speak he said he would not like a scenario like crimea to be repeated on the mainland. i think that's probably the main point of his speech in the sense that there is a lot of concern among the people who do support the new government in kiev, that the government is not doing anything that buildings, key instaltations police stations are flipping out of their control and there is no retaliation on the side of the government. i think the people had been quite forgiving when crimea happened because of the special status of crimea. it wasa already an autonomous region, because the government was so young. it had been in place maybe a week when that

we can talk to hoda abdel-hamid in donetsk, which is not far from slovyansk. we are hearing that the team of negotiators that have just come in, could be getting there and will be granted an audience with those holding the international monitors. >> i didn't hear all the question, but i can say that the team should be arriving any minute and will be meeting with the self-proclaimed mayor, who says actually that the situation could be solved very quickly. it is a situation that embarrassed and put pressure on the >> now the south korean prime minister resigned over the government's handling over the ferry disaster. 187 have been confirmed dead after the ferry capsized and sank. more than 100 people are unaccounted for. ... on behalf of the government i apologise for many problems, from the pretches to the early plans of the disaster. he was in charge. rescue effort. he was in the firing line. literally at one point parties of missing children threw a water bottle and scuffled with him. again, when they stopped the car leaving the island of jindo. relatives were

well journalist ground phillips is in slovyansk or r.t.ollowing the operation against the protesters occupying government buildings there he described the atmosphere there as high a chance for a task as are you forcing barricades near the occupied buildings while crown's rally in the city center resisting the crackdown you can follow graham on twitter for all the latest updates and pictures from the area. ukraine's finances have certainly seen better times the country declared this week it will no longer pay for russian gas down later in the program we'll look at. what it means for kenya moscow and certainly europe which depends heavily on the reliable transit of russian gas for ukraine. out of rome a march against austerity has to stand at a street battle eighty protesters and police were reportedly injured in violence six people were arrested. thousands of students workers and activists gather to rally against high housing costs and joblessness but the peaceful march turned violent when the crowd reached the labor ministry in the center

delegation that should have asked about an hour ago in slovyansk. we don't have confirmation if it arrived or not. the mayor didn't know at this stage. it's supposed to hold dialogue with the mayor. he indicated that it could be solved. we have to wait and see what could happen. it puts it in a difficult situation. we heard the interior minister announce the anti-terror operation and announce the relaunch of anti-terror operation. at this particular moment, he can't do anything while this delegation is captive in slovyansk. hoda abdel-hamid in donetsk. thank you, hoda. >>> iraqis will head to the polls on wednesday for parliamentary elections. the build-up to the vote has been marred by violence. corruption and mismanagement of funds it a big concern for voters. we have a report from the oil-rich region of basra. >> this woman makes tea for her family. a pleasure, but not as uncomplicated as it looks. the water from the taps across the city is undrinkable. it's been like this in basra for decades. >> translation: you can never drink it, it's salty.

slovyansk is known for is a stronghold for armed groups pushing for the region to join russia. we have more near the city of slovyansk. . >> reporter: we are at an army checkpoint on the road. what we are hearing is that the situation in the town is now calm. earlier today ukrainian troops did move forward, and they dismantled one, two, three roadblocks which had been set up by armed pro-russian separatists. there was an exchange of fire, and the ukrainians say that up to five people were killed on the separatist side and they did not record any casualties. that's their version of event. we heard that the ukrainians moved back, and separatists reoccupied one checkpoint, which they had lost earlier in the day. so it doesn't seem at the moment as if things had continued to escalate. but the point is generally the atmosphere in this part of ukraine is tense. earlier in the morning i was at a urinal of the man v laked mere rubok whose corpse was discovered and he is believed to have been tortured and murdered. that's what the ukrainian government says. that was a very charged polit

literally concrete blocks to the border near of slovyansk. this is the blockade that the kiev government, or at least a piece of it, announced today as the second phase of its military operation to take back occupied towns from the pro-russian insurgents. not by attacking towns like slovyansk. that probably isn't going to happen. it would be a major offensive, create a lot of casualties and of course give putin an excuse to intervene. they are slowly cutting off, blockading slovyansk to other towns to reinforcements, towns and other weapons. this does seem to be the primary military strategy. try to negotiate its surrender. meanwhile, while that was going on down the road inside slovyansk, pro-russian families we talked to were going about their business almost in surreal fashion. when you talked to them, they said they were afraid especially for their children. the pro-russian militants talked to us. they said they too were nervous. but they were armed wearing camouflage, masked. they had now beefed up positions in that town. it's like night

. >> self-declared leaders in slovyansk have accused some of the monitors of espy espionage. barnaby phillips reports >> reporter: on both sides, funerals are becoming political event did. this time, it was pro-russian separatists laying one of their heroes to rest in the town of slovyansk. lubinetz killed by ukrainian soldiers two days ago, now a martyr for his cause. >> love live dombus. ukraine with russia russia. long live donbus >> it's also in slovyansk that the military observers are being held who have ignored the demands of several who have been released. >> they are not observers. they are spies. we have information confirming that, information confirming the spy activities was in their papers >> this is the administration center in donetsk. as you can see, there is no sign that pro-russian groups are giving up their control room. their barricades are still up. but let's go over here and see the other side of life in the east because for most people, things are going on as normal. they might be anxious, but they are keeping their opinions to themselves. >> that's th

mediators are trying to release observers in slovyansk.outh korea's prime minister has resigned over his government's handling of the ferry disaster. at least 187 people died after the ship capsized more than a week ago. hundreds of thousands of people have packed into vatican city to watch the historic canonization of two former catholic popes. pope john paul ii and pope john xxiii will be doo claimed saints >> a statement of support for jews on the eve of holocaust day, but it hasn't done anything to warm relations between the two sides. both still blame each other for hijacking the u.s. sponsored framework for talks. stefanie dekker has the latest >> reporter: the latest back and forth in an exhausting blame game prompted by the palestin n palestinian's statement for support for holocaust day. mahmoud abbas is saying it is the most meanous crime to have occurred against humanity in the modern era. some say it could be an olive branch when the pizza talks are as good as over. israeli prime minister benjamin netanyahu was having none of i

of slovyansk. the police building that was seized a few days ago is a few hundred metres behind in this direction, and there's a local council on the right side of the square. now, you have all at least men described in that package that are here, standing around. they have a perimeter, and a few armoured personnel carriers that carry the russian flag. now, we spoke to some of these men. we asked where they were from, and they said they were russian ethnics, but ukrainian citizens. we asked an investigator about their accent, and everyone we spoke to said they definitely had - they didn't have the russian accent if you came from proper russia. i have to say there's a big difference between how they look and the men in crimea a few weeks ago. the uniforms are mismatched. some of them are wearing trainers, rather than military booth. the equipment seems old. one was carrying a hunting rifle. they describe themselves as self-defence units here to defend their cities and their area from what they call

hoda abdel-hamid, we are hearing that the military is starting operations in slovyansk. what are you hearing on the ground? >> well, we are hearing this from the interior minister in kiev. now, what we know so far is that there is some sort of operation, at least according to some of the residents there. they say they would see helicopters flying in the sky. if this operation is really under way, it could be a great risk for the government in kiev. if it is these people who have taken over the buildings, do have a popular number, there were people outside of the building sympathizers who were giving them that. now, it's not clear yet whether the people have left or not. certainly the authorities in kiev warned residents to leave the city center only this morning. we still have to check if that has happened or not. the bigger picture of what is happening in eastern ukraine - this - such an operation could cost the government dealer, in the sense that just yesterdid i -- yesterday they were inside the security buildings, negotiating with those that had taken over that buil

other people from slovyansk came to help us.f they hadn't come, the attackers would have slaughtered everyone like chickens >> the interior ministry says three pro-russian activists were killed. local people say the other side also suffered losses. the attackers took the dead and wounded with them. there are a lot of unanswered questions here. for a start, where did the two cars come from? and secondly, if there was a shoot-out between the men at the checkpoint and the vehicles, how come there are bullet holes in the back of the second car? how did it happen that the two vehicles ended up completely burned out? forensic experts are trying to answer some of those questions, but with the cars torched, the evidence they can gather gateway limited. they found shell cases, bullets and some dried blood. whatever the truth behind the incident, it plays into the hands of those who do not want a negotiated solution to the crisis in ukraine. local rebel leaders have declared a curfew and are calling on moscow to send in peace keepers. thi

he's on the outskirts of slovyansk and joins us now. nick, just walk us through how tensions have really ratcheted up this weekend in the region where you are now. >> reporter: quite remarkable change, errol, from about 36 hours ago where it seemed as though anti-kiev and pro-russian sentiment were limited to two towns, luhansk and donetsk. the long story now, we were there yesterday. at that point a number of very well equipped, very armed men had taken over the ukraine's service build. earlier than morning the local police station. weapons have been handed out amongst locals who formed barricades and were reinforcing their defensives around the police station. the security service still had those well equipped men in matching camouflage. the u.s. state department has made suggestions they're carrying similar equipment than those russian troops. what we've heard is happening today in slovyansk is helicopters have been seen inside the town. it appears fairly calm. barricades still enforced. the interior minister said there have been and

these three men were captured by pro-russian gunmen near slovyansk. ukrainian intelligence officers. this is what they looked like after their interrogation. >> on the road into slovyansk, the ukrainian army. this is it not a town under siege, but the soldiers are working to prevent weapons coming in. >> this is the ukrainian army trying to show that it is in control. but throughout the crisis, its approach has been hesitant and cautious. that's because the government in kiev is very concerned at how russia will respond to any use of force by these men. in the next town artemivsk is a demonstration in favour of russia. it's a small crowd. they seem to have some support on the sidelines. pro-russians control the government buildings in donetsk. they had an unexpected visitor. mikhair khodorkovsky, one of the russia's richest men before falling out with vladimir putin, now trying to mediate. they call him a traitor, and tell him to go away. also in donetsk armed pro-russians took over the regional tv station, and yet again the ukrainian police, unreliab

mobilization that's after ukrainian troops and tanks were deployed to the eastern ukrainian city of slovyansk which is one of the made hot spots. of unrest the ukrainian interior ministry says five people from self-defense squads and one policeman have been killed and three checkpoints destroyed locals describe the situation as civil war graham phillips is in forest. to pull back and regroup the distract not check for. the way to which is where they are based some fifty kilometer to regroup over the other checkpoint drawn. harlow and we're getting reports. from the other. people running around the want to check bald talk of the korean army working a full scale operation they take. a statement by a also have a call the minister issued a statement. i can continue operation by. leaving control of parts of ukraine we do have a body can mine to go in number five people. have pointed. out. the situation. well can't want to get military assault on protesters in ukraine's eastern serious crime against its own people and that's the view of russia's president vladimir putin spoke at a media form and we

they denied they attacked a checkpoint in slovyansk. th al jazeera jackie roland has more >> reporter: the circumstances surrounding this incident remain extremely unclear. local people here in the village to the east of slovyansk say the early hours of the morning, a number of vehicles drove up to this checkpoint, which was manned by local people, and there was an exchange of fire. the villagers and the people to the checkpoint were pro-russian sympathizers. they say three of their men were killed. another was injured, they say, also, casualties on the side of the attackers. they said the attackers were able to flee in another two vehicles. it's not clear who these alleged attackers were. i have to say having examined the two vehicles, there are a lot of questions that remain unanswered. in particular, if there was a shoot-o shoot-out, why is the car undamaged in terms of bullet holes whereas the back of the second car gateway really riddled with bullets, and why as well are the two vehicles completely burnt out destroying any potentia

sector group together with police crackdown on anti-government protesters any grains eastern city of slovyansk two people have reportedly been killed one on each side. rage in rome dozens are reportedly injured after a march against austerity turns violent as a record unemployment and soaring housing costs pushed millions to the edge. what looked like a little long but actually it was a good move. a young afghan war casualty returns home after treatment in america but sounds of children aren't as lucky as afghans as a ghana stand spirals further into turmoil. they're watching our senior national coming to live from moscow i'm marina joshie welcome to the program a brutal offensive is underway in ukraine's eastern city of slovyansk where police an extremist from the neo nazi right sector group are cracking down on anti-government activists one person has reportedly been killed in each side and scores injured meanwhile the wave of popular unrest against the coup appointed leadership in kiev has now hit ten cities well these are the pictures with been getting from slovyansk barricades built by pr

. >>> ukrainian forces move in on the strong hold of slovyansk. up to five pro russians have been killed. president putin warns of serious consequences. >>> who is in the driving seat? ecclestone is facing bribery charges for which he denies. >>> we all remember this 12 months ago today. the rana plaza factory collapsed killing workers. this severely damaged the image of the country's multibillion clothing industry. a year on, we ask what's changed for the textile worker? >>> hello. it is midday here in london, 7:00 a.m. washington, 9:00 p.m. tokyo where the u.s. b president barack obama is sitting down to a banquet at the imperial palace. there are talks of trade, security, the issue with china over the islands in the east china sea. the president confirmed the islands fall under the treaty which commits u.s. to come to japan's defense if it came under attack. there's a fine line here. he wouldn't say who own the islands. >> no, he wouldn't. he has shown -- pretty much strong support for the japanese position here today in tokyo. this is a very b

. >> reporter: in slovyansk, pro- russian separatists have been parading their prisoners. colonel axel schneider and his team of european military observer have been held in the town since friday. these captured ukrainian soldiers are also in slovyansk and were shown off to journalists bound and bloody. this coal mining town of 100,000 is at the center of the trouble in eastern ukraine. and this is the face of the separatist insurgency, vyacheslav ponomaryov. he served in the army when ukraine was part of the soviet union, and has now appointed himself mayor. >> "we're fighting a war here," he told us, "but we didn't start it. it was forced on us by those in ukraine who listened to the american government." ponomaryov wants this region to become an independent state and many here agree. they say they were better off under the soviets. a statue of lenin is a reminder of the town's past. ukraine and the u.s. accuse russia of aiding the militants here, but polimariov is adamant he hasn't even spoken to the russian government. nothing? none? if there is an independent state he

in cities like slovyansk and donetsk, russian protestors occupy government buildings after two weeks. the question remain, how much control does russia, in other words moscow, have over the pro-russian separatists in the cities like this in the east? president barack obama has accused russia for failing to respect the terms of last week's geneva agreement that seemed to offer a chance of defusing tension. >> we have seen them not a bide by the spirit or letter of the agreement in geneva. instead we continue to see militias and armed men taking over buildings, harassing folks who are disagreeing with them. >> this after warning from russia's foreign minister lavrov that will there will be a firm response from russia if attacked. >> we will certainly respond. if our legitimate interest, interest of russians have been attacked directly like they were before for example, i don't see any other way but to respond in full accordance with international law. russian cities being attack aed is attack against the russian federation. >>> meanwhile in neighboring poland to the west, and the three

there was a retreat was of a risk to the government. >> we are the residents of slovyansk. the guard is coming here, and there has been a shoot-out this morning. we have nothing to hide. here is my face. i can't to ask comrade vladimir putin, you promised to protect us, come and protect us. >> that is was the scene on saturday, in the nearby city. at the moment a police station was stormed, shots were fired and pro-russian activists moved in. the station remained in their control. >> when we were given access to the building, we were told we shouldn't feel the outer barricades, just the front of the police station. people were weary of how the unrest was portrayed. >> people maintained calls for a referendum. >> don vesk is like a bear, when you wake it, there'll be trouble. >> the council has been taken over, protesters blocked entrances and exits to the airfield. if ukrainian special forces reason. they won't get past. >> authorities maintain the people here do not represent the region, with supporters gathering outside state buildings. they'll fall to protesters if the e

let's start with the operation in slovyansk, and thereabouts. what are you hearing about that? we heard an estimate from the ukrainian defence ministry saying that up to five terrorists, as they call them - that is it armed pro-russian separatists we should call them, have been killed and that they captured three checkpoints. they are asking slovyansk, whic been a center, if you like, of control for the separatist movement, if that's what we can call it. they are asking people to stay indoors. the latest reports we have heard from our sources inside the town itself, is that things are calm now, but there was gun fire earlier in the morning. >> and you are in holiska because there's a funeral under way of a ukrainian politician found near slovyansk. tell us about that. that issue has been a flash point as well. >> yes, that's right. that's v laked mere rearbak. the announcement came a couple of days ago. the body had been mutilated, tortured. the ukrainian government is claiming the separatists, russia, for his murder. it was the discovery which pushed the ukrainian government t

the target - pro-russian militants who seized a police station in the city of slovyansk. one officer was killed, five hurt. people were warned to stay indoors and away from windows. >> hoda abdel-hamid is in slovyansk, about 100 miles from the russian border muchized the building is still under control of the gun me who seized it on saturday. they appeared to be holed up inside. there's no sign of the anti-terror operation that the ukrainian interior americans warned of. the people in the building at the time looks like they have fled much the street that is been barricaded. on top of the barricades me are unarmed, they are holding plastic shields and wearing helmets and are counting on the support of hundreds of resident of slovyansk, who came to show their appreciation. the government of ukraine is probably fearing that there is a replay happening here in eastern ukraine where in several towns did cities, either security buildings or lobing it will councils -- local councils have been taken obvious, and the reality that is developing is that the government of ukraine ha

the most serious in slovyansk. the reports of death on both sides during a ukrainian government observation against pro-russian forces. kim vinnell reports. >> tensions are spilling over in eastern ukraine. this is the ukrainian authorities, saying they have launched an anti-terrorism operation. the military, they claimed, for a short time moved in. there are reports of dead and wounded. this video, which can't be independently verified, appears to show a man taking cover after being shot, nearby a second body lifeless. in the city center pro-russian activists are in control of the city's police station. >> translation: we are the residents of slovyansk. the national guard is coming here. there has been a shoot-out this morning. we have nothing to hide. here is my face, i want to ask vladimir putin, you promised to protect us, come and protect us. >> this was the scene on saturday in the nearby city. amateur city shows the moment gunmen stormed the police station. after a tense standoff shots were fired, and pro-ru

. . >> reporter: the town of slovyansk at the heart of a kidnapping. slovyansk's self-proclaimed mayor said the foreign observers were accompanied by a ukrainian man suspected of being a spy. >> reporter:. >> translation: i have heard there was someone from the headquarters. it doesn't look good. if people come from the european union and bring a spy, it doesn't look good. >> a helicopter was shot in the fuel tang as it was taking -- fuel tank as it was taking off. the size and scope of russia's exercises alarmed the ukrainian government and those in the west. russia said if the lives of ethnic russians in ukraine are threatened, it deserves the right to take action. at a volunteer camp near donetsk they are learning skills. there are 100 ukrainian men, most not prepared to show their faces but are preparing for a russian invasion rmpts of course the men are no match for the russian army in terms of numbers, training or equipment. but the existence of this camp suggests one thing - that if the russians were to invade, they would encounter some resistan

on the road into slovyansk, the ukrainian army. it is not a town under siege, but the soldiers are working to prevent more weapons from coming in. this is the ukrainian army trying to show it's in control, but throughout the crisis its approach has typically been hesitant and cautious, and that's because the government in kiev is very concerned at how russia will respond to any use of force by these men. in the next town the demonstration in favor of russia. it's a small crowd, although they do seem to have some support on the sidelines. pro hiech -russians control the government buildings in damask. they had an unexpected visitor, once one of the russia's richest men before he fell out with vladimir putin and was imprisoned, now trying to mediate in ukraine. they call him a traitor and tell him to go away. also in damask, armed pro-russians took over the regional tv station, and yet again the ukrainian police, such unreliable allies of the government in kiev stood by and watched it happen. the largest crowds of the day were in the

s leaving heading for slovyansk after changing their ukrainian flag for a russian flag these are now the a.p.c.'s that graeme just reported on there or thereabouts but what happened was that of course the a.p.c.'s the only route from. slovyansk it's a really short trip with all groups of course it was picked up witnesses had seen armored vehicles flying russian flags on the roads between kramatorsk and slovyansk and this was that gave rise to the kind of news breaks that we saw from sky quoting reuters where russian flags and armored personnel carriers were rolling through ukraine and that's the kind of potentially inflammatory stuff that. i think everybody so interested in what's going on in eastern ukraine this morning as well . likewise also picked it up and posted a tweet reported again over vehicles with russian flags seen in eastern ukraine but this is this is actually want to talk to true it misses the backstory in the context which is very very important in an area like eastern ukraine where everything is still into wind and there were reporters on the ground yesterday were d

custody in slovyansk.wo competing versions. in one he is there of his own accord. and simon is being held against his will. we don't know all the details, but whoever is holding him, know this. you cannot detain him and expect no one to notice. because we right here on this show in the country and around the world are all watching. we are watching what you do and we will continue to watch until you release him which you should do immediately. [ male announcer ] meet jill. she thought she'd feel better after seeing her doctor. and she might have if not for kari, the identity thief who stole jill's social security number to open credit cards, destroying jill's credit and her dream of retirement. every year, millions of americans just like you learn that a little personal information in the wrong hands could wreak havoc on your life. this is identity theft. and no one helps stop it better than lifelock. lifelock offers the most comprehensive identity theft protection available. if jill had lifelock's protecti

shortly after his release today he described what had happened to him in slovyansk, a city currentlyeld by pro-moscow militiamen. >> they had my photograph at a checkpoint that's just down the road from here. and so the guy at the checkpoint saw my picture, saw my face and then they pulled me out of the car, and all hell broke loose. spent four days in a basement with like three or four other guys. they kept bringing in new people from the street. drunks, like drug -- like people who were high. and then activists and people from other parts of ukraine. they said that basically i'm a lying journalist and that's why i was there. and they sort of beat me up as an introduction to the whole situation. blindfolded me, tied my hands behind my back. then eventually they untied my hands and tied them in front of my body. and then they untied me totally. and then basically i was just hanging out in the room with the other prisoners. i guess i was targeted because they'd written about me on the internet and also we'd been looking into whether there were actual russians involved in what's going

ukraine armed forces closed in on slovyansk today using deadly force for the first time killing fiveseparateists and gaining several checkpoints before the militia took several back again. tonight the separateists and the army are in a tense standoff outside of town. vice news correspondent simon ostrovsky has left the area. we are absolutely thrilled he's safe and ound and out of the hands of the pro russian separateists in slovyansk. and we look forward to having him back on this show as soon as he's able to join us. ♪ [ dog barks ] ♪ [ male announcer ] imagine the cars we drive... being able to see so clearly... to respond so intelligently and so quickly, they can help protect us from a world of unseen danger. it's the stuff of science fiction... minus the fiction. and it is mercedes-benz... today. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers through mercedes-benz financial services. see your authorized dealer for exceptional offers and we'll be here at lifelock doing our thing: you do your shop from anywhere thing, offering protection that simple credit score monitoring can'

custody in slovyansk. two competing versions. in one he is there of his own accord. and simon is being held against his will. we don't know all the details, but whoever is holding him, know this. you cannot detain him and expect no one to notice. because we right here on this show in the country and around the world are all watching. we are watching what you do and we will continue to watch until you release him which you should do immediately. hey. i'm ted and this is rudy. say "hi" rudy. [ barks ] [ chuckles ] i'd do anything to keep this guy happy and healthy. that's why i'm so excited about these new milk-bone brushing chews. whoa, i'm not the only one. it's a brilliant new way to take care of his teeth. clinically proven as effective as brushing. ok, here you go. have you ever seen a dog brush his own teeth? the twist and nub design cleans all the way down to the gum line, even reaching the back teeth. they taste like a treat, but they clean like a toothbrush. nothing says you care like a milk-bone br

footage has been released by the people in slovyansk, showing that she is being held blindfolded withheir hands bound. -- she is big -- accused of war crimes, this is part of the response to the bloodshed over the last couple of days. is a flashpoint and that is where the mayor was saying that she wants to call in russian help. but the military separation movement is probably the strongest development, this is definitely a place we watching in the next few days. you can see if the current standoff does evolve into more of a cot -- a right conflict. >> separatists have declared a republic there, how much power do they claim to have? >> they're trying to evolve into the situation where they do have a kind of semblance of legitimacy. received blow days we this from the independent peoples republic of donetsk, stamp that looks official, but it is not much more than this scrap of paper. the independence of the republican 7-eleven store building their occupying, all they are trying to do is draft of the terms of a referendum that they want to hold, they the to question whether andration wit

in slovyansk, pro-russian groups fear an attack by government forces. after ukraine's acting president oleksandr turchynov said the body of a local body, tortured and murdered, was found near the city. he blames russia for the killing. >> oleksandr turchynov is calling for a resumption of anti-terrorist activities against armed pro-russian groups in the east. they were suspended over the easter holiday period. the geneva agreement intended to de-escalate the crisis is in danger of unravelling before it was implemented. >> thank you for your strong support vice president. >> joe biden encouraged the ukrainian government with his strong long wage. he has -- language. he has gone home to washington, leaving the ukrainians to deal with the neighbour to the east. >>> over the next few days hundreds of u.s. soldiers will be deployed to poland. they'll be involved in a series of military exercises. rosalind jordan has more from washington. . >> reporter: the first deployment will take place by the end of the day op wednesday. 450 power droppers are deploying t

>> that's right, wolf, last week in slovyansk k, the self declared mayor took the eight international observers sent out on the vienna document, one of the arms control and transparency building measures and has been holding them, along with their ukrainian escorts, in a dungeon in slovyansk. obviously, one was released last week on medical grounds, but we remain deeply concerned about the remaining hostages and this terrorist tactic. >> have they made formal demands, what they want in exchange for their freedom? >> my understanding is that talks are going on on the ground every day, trying to figure out a way out of this. obviously, they should be freed because they are international observers dually invited under the vienna document, in which russia is a signatory and we're very hopeful that they will be released some time soon. >> do you blame just pro-russian demonstrators in eastern ukraine, ambassador, or do you blame russia itself? >> absolutely not. this is not something that is spontaneous or random. we've been very clear that there's strong evidence that this is a coordinate

this is the spot where puddle was killed on a side road leading into the town of slovyansk they still broken glass on the ground puddle did not have to be here he volunteered to stand guard a little bit as i was really worried i asked him not to go there i argued with him about it but then i saw he was protecting our people nobody else would have gone the to protect us it was at a checkpoint like this one way possible and four others were killed according and started shooting at them before we even force winds kind of wife couple was dead. a memorial service was held by the men at the towers charity local resident turned out to pay their last respects but sadness to keep trying to anger. tanks machine guns and artillery talk. to me and these are the real heroes the ones that protect their people not the rebels that were killed and key of. this people at unarmed but they fought so that fascists would never get into our town until my husband saved the lives of twenty people. slovyansk eastern ukraine now the ukrainian military is both storing its presence in the eastern provinces accord

five have been killed in an attack on a pro-russian checkpoint in eastern ukraine, near the city of slovyansk. a mediator from the organisation for security and cooperation in egypt is due to hold talks. they are refusing to put down their weapons and leave buildings in defines of an agreement signed on thursday. joining us live from donetsk is hoda abdel-hamid. what do we know about the latest incident? >> so far we are having unconfirmed reports, but according to the reports of russian state television, as you mentioned, there would have been a shoot-out at the check point in a village east of slovyansk. three of the pro-russian men who were manning the checkpoint would have died and two men in the car - in a car would have died. according to the reports, they are from the right sector, now the right sector is one of the pet hate of the pro-russian demonstrators. they have been saying all along, and that's why they've been accusing the government of being a fascist government because of the presence of that right sector during the three month's protest in maydan. and in close collaboration

the interior minister says security forces are working it regain control of a police building in slovyansk. it's 150km from the russian border. russia has been accused of bagging the armed group. >> we have two correspondents covering the story, we'll cross to peter sharp who is following the rehabilitation. let's go live to hoda abdel-hamid. what are you seeing there? >> i have to say, if, indeed, the anti-terror operation has started, so far it's a discrete one. we are in the city center. the building - the police building that has been taken over by the pro-rush protesters, 300m down the road to my right. we went there, had a little look. you don't see armed men on the streets. you have this usual barricade of rubber tyres blocking access to the building. that barricade is manned by some men wearing minor helmets or biker helmets, they are holding shoes. in front of them is a group of people presumably some of their supporters. that group of people is not more than between 500 to 1,000 people. i have to say, if the government has issued that warning to the resident of the city center to

others from slovyansk came to help us. if they hadn't come the attackers would have slaughtered everyone like chickens. >> the interior ministry said three pro-russian activists were killed. locals said the other side suffered losses, but the attackers took the dead and wounded with them. there are a lot of unanswered questions here. for a start, where did the two cars come fr. secondly, if -- from. secondly, if there was a shoot out. how come there are bullet holes in the back of the second car and how did the two seekses end up burnt out. forensic experts are trying to april the questions. with the cars torched evidence is limited. they found shell cases, bullets and tried blood. whatever the truth behind the incident, it plays into the hands of those that do not want a negotiated solution to the it crisis in ukraine. local rebel leaders declared a curfew and are calling on moscow to send in peacekeepers. this may be the wreckage of the political deal reached in geneva a few days ago. >> ukraine's interim prime minister

slovyansk or the kramatorsk region. in donetsk pro-russian groups have taken control of the council building. a gunman stormed the building. we don't know what if any resistance they were met with. we have people on the ground telling us there are a dozen gunmen outside. some holding ak-47s, others hunting rifle. these people appear to be part of a separatist right wing group in carr active. we have spoken to the people in charge of the building. it is a coordinated effort. they say that they plan on taking control of more buildings in donetsk. they wouldn't say when, which buildings it would be. the only people in control would be holding donetsk. >> ukrainians? >> well, that's difficult to say, we have had many allegations that these people were provocateurs. perhaps they are current russian military officers. that is not clear. when we speak to the people, they say that they are local for region. speaking up for the rights of speakers. and that the people in kiev are listening to the needs or demands and maintain the

s had picked up russian flags and were now departing kramatorsk for slovyansk for nearby slovyansk now that's at the scene where a couple of us who have been in this game slightly longer than others perhaps were started to worry about what might be reported while these tanks were on the roofs and this is exactly what we saw al-arabiya for example broke news that armored vehicles with russian flags were seen in ukraine and if we can roll on again you can see that in fact sky news and reuters news picked up a reuters report of witnesses seeing vehicles with russian flags and this is just the kind of stuff that other media organizations could jump on very very quickly and start to spread the kind of misinformation that we're seeing coming around coming out of eastern ukraine at the moment the reporters who are in on the ground there describe it as a fog of war thicker than they've ever seen yeah absolutely like i said social media is great it is fast but sometimes you just need to actually get all the facts together before you put the story out which is hopefully what we're doing here on

appears to be a man taking cover on the outskirts of slovyansk. another man sits apparently lifeless. pro russian activists appear in control. try to retake but retreat because of the risk to the public. >> we are the residents of slovyansk. the national guard has come here. there has already been a shootout this morning. we have nothing to hide. i want to ask conrad putin, pleat come here and protect us. >> here is a scene in the nearby city. purportedly showing the time the north in cha are carr car in khy will stay until at least the limit, the republic of donetske in referendum. >> once the referendum takes place we'll see what the situation is and then we'll decide our next steps. i consider the request absolutely illegal. what kiev is doing is not right. >> authorities in kiev say the people here do not represent call this an artificial conflict coordinated by russia. kiev is now calling on those in the east to unite as it prepares for its next steps. kim vanel, al jazeera, donetske. >> we talked about ukraine's options. >> there is a bit of

that will involve encircling the flashpoint of the unrest in the town of slovyansk.ualties, further conflict? we heard of explosions today an an airfield near there. of course, as you mentioned these violations of ukrainian airspace by russian aircraft given there are 40,000 troops across the border. extremely high levels of volatility here and really let's look at what things have picked up simply today. tensions flaring in ukraine as the region teeters on the brink of war. bloody, fiery clashes e ruptsing as the ukrainian military moves to reclaim cities taken by pro-russian militants killing five of them, they say, and destroying three checkpoints around the eastern town of slovyansk thursday. kiev said they blockaded the town from friday in phase two of their operation. nearby, ukrainian helicopter exploded unclear if from a sniper's bullet, grenade or by accident. pro-russian militants claim they shot it. at the same time, russia blamed ukraine's army for the escalation. some 160 tanks, some 250 armored personnel carriers, he says, and other heavy military hardw

then others from slovyansk came to help us.they hadn't come they would have been slaughtered like chickens. >> local people say the other side also suffered losses but the attackers took the dead and wounded with them. there are a lot of unanswered questions here. for a start, where did the two cars come from? and secondly if there was a shootout between the men at the checkpoint and the vehicles how come there are bullet holes in the back of the second car? and how did it happen that the two vehicles ended up completely burned out? forensic experts are trying to answer some of those questions. but with the cars torched the evidence they can gather is limited. they found shell case bullets and dried blood. whatever the truth of the incident it plays into the hands of those who don't want a negotiated truce in the ukraine. local why officials have called a curfew. this may be the wreckage of the political deal reached in geneva only a few days. jackie roland, al jazeera in eastern ukraine. >> well first it was crimea but now ano

day three of the showdown in slovyansk you have the well-armed russian militias inside holding that down. they have a number of key buildings there held, a number of armored personnel careers out on the street. outside of the town, cordoning it off, we have the ukrainian military who is walking a very fine line. they have not moved in against these militiamen, and many reasons because of the potential for civilian casualties. we're also seeing these militias become bolder and trying to really widen their footprint. in the city of donetsk, home to the regional parliament building that the russians control, just today they sent a number of men, some with masks, some without, sent to take on the television station there, want to be put on pro-russian channels here and as the pro-russian militants are becoming bolder the ukrainians seem to be saying more and kind of doing less. we're not really seeing the ukrainians use their police, use their paramilitary forces. even today they didn't really try to stop the pro-russians as they tried to take over this television station here. the question