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Special-purpose police refuse to go to Sloviansk

DONETSK, April 12. /ITAR-TASS/. Donetsk special police unit members, who formerly served in the Berkut force, refused to go to Sloviansk, where administrative buildings were seized by activists of the Donbass People's Militia opposing the new Ukrainian leaders, Russia 24 television said.

Member of the special forces were sent to Sloviansk to storm the seized police department building, but they refused to obey the order and returned to the deployment place in Donetsk, a Russia 24 correspondent reported.

The correspondent denied reports of some media that buses with police were stopped by federalization supporters.

Administrative buildings in Sloviansk in the Donetsk region were seized by activists of the Donbass People's Militia, who came out against the new leaders in Ukraine, Sloviansk Mayor Nelya Shtepa said on Saturday.

"Today I have had talks. They explained to me that they were from the Donetsk regional people's militia. They said they opposed those in power in Kiev. Today, they are negotiating with them," she said.

The press secretary of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Donetsk regional department, Igor Demin, told ITAR-TASS on Saturday the buildings of the city departments of the Interior Ministry and the Security Service were seized.

A Russian flag was raised over the police department, local media reported.

According to media reports, barricades of tires, wooden shields and sand sacks were set up around the building. Behind the barricades were people who supported militia activists.

Ukrainian parliament-appointed Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said earlier on Saturday a special police force was sent to Sloviansk.

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