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Dusk-till-dawn curfew issued in Donetsk regional city due to looting

“A gang has started marauding in the city,” the press service of the newly formed Donetsk People’s Republic said

MARIUPOL, May 23 /ITAR-TASS/. A curfew is enforced in the troubled city of Mariupol to help end looting that the volunteer guard is unable to counteract, the city’s military commandant’s office told Itar-Tass on Friday.

“A gang has started marauding in the city,” the press service of the newly formed Donetsk People’s Republic said confirming the information. “Self-defence units are making attempts to counteract them but it’s rather difficult as small mobile groups of looters, who are wearing the St.George ribbons, rob banks and shops.”

Mariupol’s military commandant has established a dusk-to-dawn curfew (from 00.00 to 04.00 local time) starting from May 24, the press service said. The police refuse to co-operate with the DPR activists and to ensure law and order in the city, it said.

In the meantime, more Ukrainian military forces have been seen about 30 kilometres from the city and the volunteer guard men fear possible provocations and an attack on the city before May 25, the day of Ukraine’s presidential election.

On May 9, reports said Ukrainian law-enforcement personnel had opened fire from armoured vehicles at participants in a Victory Day rally who had gathered near the building of the local police department and tried to prevent its storm.

According to representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic, at least ten people were killed in the shooting. Television ran footage of law-enforcers using armoured vehicles to crash unarmed people.