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| 'Many dead' in Ukraine offensive | 'Many dead' in Ukraine offensive |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Many pro-Russia rebels have been killed, injured and arrested in the Ukrainian government offensive in the eastern city of Sloviansk, interim president Oleksandr Turchynov has said. | Many pro-Russia rebels have been killed, injured and arrested in the Ukrainian government offensive in the eastern city of Sloviansk, interim president Oleksandr Turchynov has said. |
| But, in a statement, he said the operation in the rebel-held city was not going as quickly as hoped. | But, in a statement, he said the operation in the rebel-held city was not going as quickly as hoped. |
| Earlier, rebels shot down two Ukrainian army helicopters, killing a pilot and a serviceman. | Earlier, rebels shot down two Ukrainian army helicopters, killing a pilot and a serviceman. |
| Russia has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. | Russia has called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. |
| Moscow has said the use of the Ukrainian army against its own people is "leading Ukraine to catastrophe" and urged the Security Council to convene on Friday. | |
| The situation in Sloviansk remains unclear, with Kiev earlier saying that half the city was "under control" of Ukrainian units. | |
| Mr Turchynov said the fight against rebel forces was "greatly complicated" by the fact that the conflict in eastern Ukraine was taking place in population centres. | |
| Two Ukrainian army service personnel were killed in the fight for Sloviansk, he said, and he accused pro-Russian forces of hiding behind civilians and hostages. | |
| All pro-Russian checkpoints around the city had been captured, Mr Turchynov added, though separatists have spoken of several still being under their control. | |
| Local people could be seen standing in front of Ukrainian tanks, according to Paul Ronzheimer, a reporter with Germany's Bild newspaper in the city. | |
| Many told the soldiers to retreat, exclaiming "shoot us, we are separatists as well, just because we want to belong to Russia, shoot us", Mr Ronzheimer said. | |
| The BBC's Fergal Keane, at a bridge outside Sloviansk where there is a stand-off between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian locals, describes the atmosphere as tense and unpredictable. |