Donetsk police warn about provocations on April 17

The separatists plan to use weapons against peaceful protesters.

The main police department of the Donetsk region appealed to the residents and guests of the city asking not to take part in several rallies organised by “groups of Donetsk residents with opposite views” that were planned for Thursday.

“The groups of Donetsk residents with opposite views plan to have several rallies in Donetsk on April 17. Taking into account the current situation in the city and the region, considering the fact that civilians have weapons and explosives that can be used, we urge the organisers of the rallies to cancel the mass events in order not to endanger people's lives,” Censor.net quotes the press release of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine.

The police ask citizens not to participate in the announced rallies for safety reasons. “The police have information that radical activists can use automatic firearms against their opponents during the rally,” the Interior Ministry added.

Russian subversive groups and local separatists began to seize administration buildings in eastern Ukraine on April 6. They also take over security service offices and police stations that have armouries.

The Ukrainian authorities decided to launch an anti-terror operation in the country's east. Troops and military equipment were sent to the Donbass region.

The airport near Kramatork in the north of the Donetsk region, which had been seized by Russian saboteurs and separatists, was freed on April 15.