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| Authorities Block Flights Into Eastern Ukraine | Authorities Block Flights Into Eastern Ukraine |
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| KIEV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian authorities apparently blocked all international flights into the embattled eastern region of the country on Tuesday, as the interior minister said that four government soldiers and perhaps more than 30 pro-Russian rebels had been killed in clashes the previous day near the city of Slovyansk. | |
| The authorities also canceled at least 20 flights from Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine’s largest city, and Donetsk, a regional capital, as they girded for violence ahead of a holiday on Friday commemorating victory in World War II. | The authorities also canceled at least 20 flights from Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine’s largest city, and Donetsk, a regional capital, as they girded for violence ahead of a holiday on Friday commemorating victory in World War II. |
| On Monday, Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, said that vehicle checkpoints had been established at strategic points around the capital of Kiev as a precaution against attacks. | On Monday, Ukraine’s acting president, Oleksandr V. Turchynov, said that vehicle checkpoints had been established at strategic points around the capital of Kiev as a precaution against attacks. |
| In a posting on Facebook, the interior minister, Arsen Avakov, accused the pro-Russian separatists of using civilians as human shields. “The Ukrainian military can’t fire on civilians,” Mr. Avakov said. “That is how they are restricted. And this restriction is used by our enemies. The enemy hides behind people and fires from there.” | In a posting on Facebook, the interior minister, Arsen Avakov, accused the pro-Russian separatists of using civilians as human shields. “The Ukrainian military can’t fire on civilians,” Mr. Avakov said. “That is how they are restricted. And this restriction is used by our enemies. The enemy hides behind people and fires from there.” |
| The developments coincided with mounting Western concern that the fighting in the east could spiral out of control and lead to direct intervention by Russia, which has deployed tens of thousands of troops on its side of the border, supposedly for training exercises. | The developments coincided with mounting Western concern that the fighting in the east could spiral out of control and lead to direct intervention by Russia, which has deployed tens of thousands of troops on its side of the border, supposedly for training exercises. |
| In a television interview in Paris, President François Hollande of France said that if an election planned by the Kiev authorities for May 25 was not held, “there would be chaos and the risk of civil war.” | In a television interview in Paris, President François Hollande of France said that if an election planned by the Kiev authorities for May 25 was not held, “there would be chaos and the risk of civil war.” |
| In Vienna, around 30 foreign ministers — including those of Ukraine and Russia — were scheduled to meet on Tuesday under the auspices of the Council of Europe to debate the crisis. | In Vienna, around 30 foreign ministers — including those of Ukraine and Russia — were scheduled to meet on Tuesday under the auspices of the Council of Europe to debate the crisis. |
| Late on Monday, the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin toughened its travel advisory for Ukraine, recommending that German citizens leave eastern and southern Ukraine. On Sunday, the ministry was strongly advising Germans against entering those areas. | Late on Monday, the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin toughened its travel advisory for Ukraine, recommending that German citizens leave eastern and southern Ukraine. On Sunday, the ministry was strongly advising Germans against entering those areas. |
| Journalists were expressly warned against traveling to the south and east. “In the light of the most recent developments one must assume that media representatives run a particular risk of being blocked or detained by separatist forces,” the Foreign Ministry said. | Journalists were expressly warned against traveling to the south and east. “In the light of the most recent developments one must assume that media representatives run a particular risk of being blocked or detained by separatist forces,” the Foreign Ministry said. |
| Germany spent last week working for the release of four military observers who were captured by pro-Russian militants in Slovyansk. The four men and the other seven people held with their German-led military observer team were freed over the weekend, and Germany has since said it would not send more military observers to Ukraine. | Germany spent last week working for the release of four military observers who were captured by pro-Russian militants in Slovyansk. The four men and the other seven people held with their German-led military observer team were freed over the weekend, and Germany has since said it would not send more military observers to Ukraine. |
| Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier suggested in a television interview late Monday that events were now beyond the control of the authorities in Kiev and Moscow. | |
| “I’m convinced that we are struggling against a situation that has taken on a dynamic of its own,” Mr. Steinmeier said. “There are groups in eastern Ukraine that are not listening” to the central governments in Ukraine and Russia, he said. | |
| In a separate interview with four European newspapers, Mr. Steinmeier said recent violence in the Ukrainian city of Odessa had “shown us that we are just a few steps away from a military confrontation.” Conflict has reached a point that “a short time ago we would have considered impossible,” he added. |