LUHANSK: mostly good news
50% of the police resigned, 50% remained to serve Ukraine. All available firearms and ammunition have been distributed to police officers, the armories are empty (just the slightest dissonance with Crimea and Donetsk). All sensitive materials have been safely hidden. All roads in Luhansk Oblast have been closed off by checkpoints of pro-Ukrainian police forces.
The bad news. The crime rate jumped 300%, since all police forces are guarding their regional department or the checkpoints. Besides, the rapid unemployment growth also contributed to increased criminal activity. The local SBU [Security Service of Ukraine] office was assaulted and captured by the Sokil, Berkut [special police units], and the Afghanistan veterans, who tried to destabilize the situation to receive the same perks as their buddies in Crimea.
DONETSK: the situation is extremely adverse.
Almost all of the local police betrayed Ukraine. All (or almost all) checkpoints are controlled by hostiles. A full scale invasion is in progress. There are at least several sabotage and intelligence GRU groups, up to a total of battalion in strength.
If the situation is not changed drastically within 24 hours, Ukrainian border troops and the army will not be able to hold off a frontal assault of the Russian forces on the border (their lines of communications have been basically cut off). There are house calls to people with pro-Ukrainian opinions (information from the backwoods is sketchy).
Ukrainian paratroopers from around Dnipropetrovsk have indeed been moved to Slaviansk area, but their CO has not been doing much of what must be done, which reminds more and more of the Crimean events.
The good news. There are various groups of people who do not want to become Putin’s subjects and are putting up a fight, including the use of firearms. At least 10 hostiles were killed today. Three independent sources confirm that three unknown persons approached a checkpoint, killed all hostiles with automatic weapon fire and promptly departed. Volunteering the Donetsk way.
The people I spoke to have no knowledge of other signs of the anti-terrorist operation in the region. A big pro-Ukrainian rally is planned on 17 April in Donetsk. Some say there will be bloodshed and massacre, while others see it as a sort of chance.
Thus, we may CONCLUDE:
1. The local “lords of the realm” are trying to sell their services to the highest bidding capitol which guarantees them unchecked power and sponsorship, similar to the Chechnya of Kadyrov.
2. In the Oblasts bordering Russia a certain feel of complacency dominates, regarding their ‘difference’ from Donetsk, with a belief that the GRU cannot assault their district police departments and that they will not find 300 lamebrains to hand weapons out to before disappearing into thin air. The situation in Kharkiv is especially uncertain.
3. In the past 24 hours I finally understood how easy it was to fight on home field in Kyiv.
Source: Lesya Orobets FB, edited by Alya Shandra
