UPD: 05/05/2014 Bloody weekend: the main events of the May holidays in Ukraine

The riots in Odessa, the continuation of ATO and other events of the hottest May Day in the history of Ukraine.

4 days off brought Ukraine a new round of confrontation in the South-East. Clashes and unrest have already reached Odessa, and in the Donetsk region, the activities in the framework of the antiterrorist operation continued.

At the same time, May 1, with its parades and processions, passed quite calmly, and the peak of unrest came on May 2-3.

Odessa in the blood

Meeting football fans "Chernomorets" and "Metalist" before the match teams in the Ukrainian championship ended tragically. Fans together with city activists planned to hold a march in support of Ukraine's unity.

To prevent them came several hundred supporters of anti-Maidan with bats, shields and full equipment. There was a fight between the parties.

At the same time the police acted rather sluggishly, ineffectively, and was unable to stop the confrontation. Some eyewitnesses noted the presence of law enforcement officers and pro-Russian activists of the same red bandages on their sleeves.

During clashes in the center of the city from gunshot wounds, several supporters of Ukraine's unity died. This development caused the indignation of the people of Odessa, who went to the Kulikovo field - the location of the camp of anti-Maidan.

The camp was burned, pro-Russian activists disappeared into the House of Trade Unions. As a result of collisions, the building was also burned.

During the riots and fire in the House of Trade Unions, 46 people died, some of them Russian citizens.

The separatist shoots from the machine because of the police's backs! Odessa / Ukraine Odessa Separatist fire 2 05 2014

In Ukraine, a two-day mourning was declared, and the authorities accused Russia of provocations in Odessa.

The new assault of Slavyansk

In the morning of May 2, the special forces of the Ukrainian army again attacked the checkpoints of separatists near Slavyansk.

At about 4.00 in the morning the special forces of the Ukrainian army were attacked by checkpoints of the militia near Slavyansk. On the outskirts of the city center are fighting. There are explosions of shells and automatic shooting. A siren sounds in the city, and from the side of the outskirts there is a thick black smoke.

The militia shot down two Ukrainian MI-24 helicopters as a result of which two soldiers were killed, and another was wounded and taken prisoner.

During the assault, Ukrainian servicemen managed to seize all 10 checkpoints around Slavyansk, a television tower and surround the city. Railway communication with the Slavs was interrupted.

Soon, as it became known to the media, Ukrainian troops took the television center of Slavyansk on the Karachun mountain, to the south of Bylasovka and Slavyansk.

"People's Mayor" and the leader of self-defense Slavyansk Vyacheslav Ponomarev reported the death of a pilot of one of the two downed Ukrainian militia helicopters. According to him, Ukrainian helicopters are firing around the city with rockets. Information about the destruction yet.

The commander of one of the roadblocks on the approaches to Slavyansk said that the Ukrainian military seized the barricade on the way to the city, as well as the city television center, RIA Novosti reported.

As of 8.00, the forces of self-defense of Slavyansk reported a temporary suspension of fire from the attackers.

Also, according to them, the movement of trains, electric trains and public transport has been completely stopped in Slavyansk. The city passes to the blockade, according to the group members Slavyansk act.

According to the "People's Mayor" of Slavyansk, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, during the anti-terrorist operation, the first victims appeared. According to him, according to preliminary data, one person was killed and one was wounded.

Soon Arsen Avakov confirmed that today at 04.30 am the active phase of the anti-terrorist operation in the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk area began. According to him, against the Ukrainian special forces opened fire with the use of heavy weapons. Including rocket-propelled grenades and MANPADS. There is a dead pilot and wounded. The operation continues according to plan, Avakov assured.

At the moment, according to him, in Slavyansk, Ukrainian troops took control of all 10 checkpoints of protesters.

In turn, supporters of protesters in Slavyansk actively began to build barricades on Freedom Street.

In Mariupol, the battle began: the tires are burning, shots are heard

Events unfolding in Mariupol, similar to the antiterrorist operation (ATO), are reported, the local website 0629 reports.

It is noted that around 22:00 in the center of the city there were shots. According to unconfirmed information, armed people are trying to capture Mariupol.

According to eyewitnesses, approximately at 21:00 at a checkpoint in the village of Mangush collided with unknown people in camouflage. And an hour later the riots started in Mariupol.

Shots are audible in the center of the city. The police are on alert.

The whole center is on fire. The tires are burning.

It is noted that the invaders of the city council left the mayoralty and are together with other people on the street.

In social networks, information is spread that it is impossible to gather people near the city council building so as not to make them "cannon fodder".

Counterattack of separatists near Andreevka

In the evening of May 2, in the vicinity of the village of Andreevka near Slavyansk, a group of separatists attacked the servicemen of the 95th separate airborne brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

During the armed confrontation, two Ukrainian soldiers were killed.

OSCE representatives released

On May 3, the separatists in Slavyansk handed the Secretary of the Council of Europe, Thorbjorn Jagland, and Vladimir Lukin, the human rights commissioner in Russia, to previously seized representatives of the OSCE mission.

Lukin specially arrived in Ukraine to release the mission.

Later, the SBU published a record of his conversation with the leader of the separatist militia in Slavyansk, "Strelkom", confirming the relationship of Russia with the separatists.

Burnt Kramatorsk

After Slavyansk, the ATU continued on May 3 in Kramatorsk. During the operation, the Ukrainian military took the radio and television transmission station in Kramatorsk, released the building of the Security Service in the city, unblocked the airport of Kramatorsk and liquidated the checkpoints of the separatists.

Retreating militiamen burned in the city a few trolley buses and buses, which paralyzed the work of public transport. 6 people were killed during the operation, 15 were hospitalized

Altogether during the ATU, the SBU detained about 40 saboteurs, four of whom were Ukrainian citizens.

At the same time, the separatists say that they still keep the center of Kramatorsk.

Shooting in Lugansk

On the night of May 3 in Lugansk, armed men with George ribbons tried to storm the military enlistment office. The National Guard repelled the assault, but in the course of it one soldier-terminator was wounded.

As a result, the collection point of the soldiers of the National Guard, still captured, but according to the Ministry of Defense, the military left it with weapons

May 4 in Lugansk shot near the building of the Security Service, one person was injured.

At the same time, in the cities of Donetsk and Lugansk region, unrest continued, administrative buildings were seized and released. A special trend of the weekend was the burning and smashing of the branches of Privatbank.

In Odessa, the situation has not calmed down, the city is still clashing and uneasy.

It remains only to wait for the next weekend, on which falls another holiday - May 9.