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Besieged Slavyansk comes under artillery fire

There have been no reports about destruction or casualties

© ITAR-TASS/ Mikhail Pochuev

SLAVYANSK, May 22, /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian law enforcers resumed attacks with artillery fire on the besieged eastern Ukrainian city of Slavyansk late on Wednesday, firing several shells at the city, self-defence forces have told Tass.

There have been no reports about destruction or casualties.

Earlier parliament-appointed Acting President of Ukraine Alexander Turchinov said the Kiev authorities were ready for the final stage of a military operation in the east of the country. He said the army was ready for mop up operations in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions ahead of the presidential election on May 25 to ensure the voting there.

Overnight to Tuesday, residential areas in the settlements of Semyonovka and Andreyevka were shelled, as a result of which several houses were partially destroyed. On Wednesday, central streets of Slavyansk came under fire. Three people were injured, and two of them are in a grave condition, self-defence forces said.

The leadership of some enterprises in Slavyansk let their staffers home before the end of the working day, warning about a possible assault.

After residential neighborhoods of Slavyansk had come under fire, People’s Mayor Vyacheslav Ponomaryv proposed to evacuate children from the city. According to Slavyansk militia, Ukrainian law enforces are building up forces near Slavyansk.

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Ukraine crisis Eastern Ukraine

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