KIEV, April 24. /ITAR-TASS/. The people’s self-defense fighters in Ukraine’s Sloviansk city together with a reinforcement that arrived from Krasny Liman, have rebuffed an attack of the Ukrainian military who are engaged in a special operation at the entrance to Sloviansk, local media reported on Thursday.

“The convoy of armoured vehicles has yielded ground. The people’s police have got reinforcement from the city of Krasny Liman. Volunteers - even unarmed - continue to arrive at the strategic post,” according to a local report.

According to the media, the people’s policemen are currently sweeping the nearby forest belt. According to some information, the armoured vehicles of the Ukrainian special task force have been moved away, but the military themselves could have massed not far from the block post.

The Ukrainian Interior Ministry for its part claims that the law enforcers have taken under control three self-defense block posts in Sloviansk. The ministry says on its official website that the ministry officers and Ukrainian Defense Ministry servicemen have killed five protesters during the operation. One of the participants in the “active phase” of the operation has been wounded.

Self-defence fighters earlier in the day came under fire near Sloviansk. One man was killed. The Rossiya 24 news television channel reported that armoured vehicles were coming to the city and snipers were taking positions near the barricades.

Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the acting mayor of the city, called on the citizens not to leave their houses adding that local police forces were ready to counter the attack of the military units, sent by Kiev.

“There will undoubtedly be the resistance. We are restraining them (the militar) now. All roads are blocked. We are prepared for them (the military) if they break through,” Ponomarev said.

The acting mayor also added that as of now the situation in Sloviansk was normal, children were advised not to leave schools and civilians to stay in their houses.