Dozens injured, fatalities on both sides as Kiev’s military op continues

There were fatalities among both Kiev loyalists and local militia members after governmental troops renewed their crackdown on the defiant eastern Ukrainian protester stronghold of Slavyansk. The death toll may be over 20.

There was a shooting on the outskirts of Slavyansk as pro-government troops raided a protester checkpoint on Monday. A militia HQ spokesman as many as 20 fighters of the self-defense troops may have been killed in the latest clashes, according to Interfax.

Slavyansk city hospital reported admitting seven injured during the morning. Two of them, suffering from gunshot wounds, died in hospital. The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said four of its troops were killed and some 30 others injured in Slavyansk during Monday’s attack. There are also casualties among the civilian population of the city, the ministry added.

New York Times CJ Chivers, who is in Slovyansk, says today’s fighting began when Kiev attacked a railyard and a bridge.
Other tweets note that Kiev forces retreated after the copter was shot down.

Here is Kiev’s take:
Reuters: Avakov says heavy fighting after Ukrainian forces ambushed on edge of Sloviansk.

Pro-Russian separatists ambushed Ukrainian forces on Monday, triggering heavy fighting on the outskirts of the rebel stronghold of Sloviansk, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov was quoted as saying. A Reuters correspondent said at least two separatist armored personnel carriers and several rebels fled the area, where almost continuous gunfire had been heard since morning.
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine-abroad/reuters-heavy-fighting-after-ukrainian-forces-ambushed-on-edge-of-sloviansk-avakov-says-346341.html

OrganizingForAmerica doing copy edit for the Kiev Post now?

Imagine if Yanukovich was attacking Maidan protestors this way?
A dozen of firebombing protestors were shot by yet to be identified snipers in Kiev at the time and the hell broke loose.
Yanukovich is a brute! Down with dictator!
I understand that people tends to take sides but now we have another bunch of people, who might be as or less violent, and it is ok for unelected government to strafe them from the air, to burn them alive in a building and dribe army tanks on them, killing hundreds of people.
If it is not a hypocrisy, what is it?

I just want us to stay totally out of this mess...that’s the side I’m on.

Our meddling in their affairs is likely what caused this mess in the first place.

I heard that telephone conversation that was recorded at the beginning of this mess... and we were sticking our nose in :-(

The stakes are just too high..and our leadership is totally inept and untrustworthy.

After many years of being lied to I cannot accept anything reported by the US MSM.... some facts may be true..but they also may be untrue. The press here is just the lapdog of Obama’s cadre.

Our fragile economy cannot take a hit such as Russia demanding payment for oil in gold.... we would go to war if that were to happen, the end of the PetroDollar would sink our economic house of cards.

War is oft times chosen when economies are at risk. If the war of escalating sanctions gets out of hand then war is what we shall have.

The world might be able to hold together if Ukraine becomes a proxy fight between Russia and the US, but if it turns into a direct conflict between the west and Russia it will probably escalate to the use of nuclear weapons. Just one bone-headed action by Obama could bring WW3... Obama has been dissed and made to look the fool by Putin and the jug-eared narcissist might do just about anything. Putin is not in the mood to be poked at with a sharp stick by a Saul Alinsky community organizer.... Putin is very dangerous and Obama lives in some sort of dream world...he actually believes the crap that he has the lying MSM say about him.

Embarrassingly we have idiots on the Republican side that are every bit as dangerous and narcissistic as Obama or Putin. (i.e. -— John McCain )

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