Ukrainian interior minister: Mariupol City Council building liberated
KYIV. April 24 (Interfax) - Ukrainian security forces have conducted a successful operation to liberate the Mariupol City Council building in the Donetsk region from activists who earlier seized it, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov has said.
"Mariupol. The City Council has been liberated for normal work. The role of civic activists was great. The Interior Ministry currently organizes its normal functioning. Bomb disposal experts will examine the building now. The City Council is being taken under protection," Avakov said on Facebook on Thursday morning.
"In this particular case, we have avoided casualties. This is good and right. The process of normalizing the situation in the city will be continued," he said.
"The mayor is already inside. As we said before: dissidents will have a dialogue and a discourse, and terrorists will face a tough response up to elimination," he said.
The Ukrainian Interior Ministry said five people were injured during the operation to liberate the Mariupol City Council building.
"A patrol unit deployed round-the-clock near the Mariupol City Council spotted a group of people with bats at about 3:00 a.m. on April 24. It turned out that about 30 people entered the building and demanded that the invaders vacate the city hall building. A clash occurred between the protest groups. Law enforcement officials promptly reported to the scene. Police intervention helped take the conflict under control. Five casualties who sustained injuries in a fight have been reported. These people have asked for medical help," the Interior Ministry said in a statement available on its website.
A criminal case has been opened into the incident on charges of deliberate infliction of minor injuries (Ukrainian Criminal Code Article 125, Part 1).
Police are working at the scene.