A senior rebel commander in Ukraine’s separatist eastern region yesterday threatened an onslaught on Ukrainian military checkpoints if they are not withdrawn, according to a video posted on the Facebook page of a rebel politician.
Sergei Zdrilyuk, dressed in military fatigues, clearly tired and sometimes mixing his words, said he had covert groups already in place. “I am ready to draw the first blood myself.”
In the 30-minute video, he moved from military strategy and strengths to problems with a rival fighting unit and, in a reference to his Ukrainian home, troubles with his mother’s flock of geese.
I am ready to draw the first blood myself
The eastern rebellion by pro-Russian separatists has shaken Ukraine and pushed Western powers into a Cold War-style confrontation with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom they accuse of destabilising Ukraine.
Zdrilyuk introduced himself as deputy to Igor Strelkov, appointed head of rebel forces on Monday after the southeastern region of Donetsk held an unofficial referendum that rebels said gave 80 per cent support for a break with Kiev.
Both are regarded as “terrorists” by Kiev.
The Ukrainian intelligence service SBU showed on its website photographs of him, giving his codenames Abwehr (former name of the German military intelligence service) and Adler (German for eagle). It described him as a Ukrainian who had taken Russian citizenship in February.
In a possible allusion to tensions between rival groups among the rebels, Zdrilyuk complained about the activity of a “curly-haired man” he identified as an ex-member of the Russian security service FSB. He said the man, going by the nicknames of “Magician” and “Joker”, had a group of 30 armed accomplices.
He said Strelkov, whom Kiev identifies as a Russian military intelligence officer and proof of their contention the rebels are led by Russian special forces, commanded a force of 10,000 fighters and 1,000 armoured vehicles. The commander had moved from his stronghold of Slaviansk to Donetsk.
There was no way of verifying his figures. The rebels are an amalgam of trained soldiers and volunteer fighters armed with a mix of automatic rifles, pistols and hunting weapons.
“It doesn’t matter if they (the Ukrainians) are conscripts or professional soldiers,” Zdrilyuk said in what seemed to be a news conference posted on the Facebook page of rebel official Pavel Gubarev.
“If equipment is not withdrawn 20-30 km from Donetsk, all checkpoints will be destroyed; we have heavy guns,” he said.
Tensions are high around the Donetsk region, which has declared itself a separate “Donetsk People’s Republic”.
The Ukrainian checkpoints on main roads and ringing key cities appear vulnerable and many have been attacked already, some changing hands many times.