Police Ask Residents of Donbas to Refrain from Visiting Places of Worship on Easter

In the Donetsk region police are asking people not to visit on Easter Day Svyatohirya, where the Svyatohirsk Holy Dormition Monastery of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate of the Eparchy of Donetsk is located, UNIAN reports.

“Given the current turbulent situation in Slovyansk and the Slovyansk area, we ask citizens to refrain from visiting during the Easter holidays places of worship in these localities until the situation stabilizes,” reads a statement by the Public Relations Department of the Main Department of MIA of Ukraine in Donetsk region.

On April 12 separatists seized the police station and Security Service building in Slovyansk.

On April 13 an anti-terrorist operation was launched. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that during the operation one SBU officer was killed and five were wounded.

On April 14 protesters who seized the police station in Slovyansk said that city’s mayor Shtepa left town. One of the protesters, Vyacheslav Ponomarev, said the decision was made that he would now perform the duties of the mayor.

Currently in Slovyansk the police station and the building of the city’s SBU office remain occupied. Also unknown citizens established 7 checkpoints in the city.