The arrest by pro-Russian militias of a group comprising German OSCE observers has raised much turmoil in Germany. While the Merkel government is trying to use diplomatic channels in the incident, some German mass media are fostering an anti-Russian climate this time and which is far from being helpful.
However, things are more complicated as the German group was acting separately from other observers [Die Zeit / April 26] and in a region where some kind of guerilla warfare, initiated by a third party, is possibly looming. Therefore, the region is under special surveillance of the pro-Russian rebels who are claiming to act on behalf of the local population. Any foreigner showing up without special invitation should then be aware to be treated as an enemy.
Furthermore, the German representatives should have worn civil cloth when being held up by militiamen and claimed to be tourists. At least that is what pro-Russian rebels told the press. [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung FAZ / April 25]
In the frame of the actual proceedings in Eastern Ukraine, it might be useful to deal with an evaluation of the situation made by militia leader Ponomaryov only some days ago. The same local strongman is now being accused by Western media for his intention to exchange three German officers and their interpreter, captured as 'unarmed soldiers', against political prisoners held by the authorities in Kiev.
The leader of the Ukrainian People's Militia says
armed ultra-Rightists want to sneak into Slovyansk.
On April 25, ChinaNews quoted a report from Russia's news network telling what the leader of the Ukrainian People's Militia in Slovyansk, 'People's Mayor' Ponomaryov, pointed out in a program broadcast by RUSSIA 24 TV.
According to him, armed men from the ultra-Right group of the 'Right Sector' are trying to bypass a lookout post of the People's Militia and sneak into Slovyansk.
He said: "According to reliable information, there are armed men of the 'Right Sector' group, equipped with night vision devices and sniper guns, and who are staying behind [the front line] in that region which is temporarily occupied by Ukrainian troops. These men bypassed a lookout post and are trying to sneak into the town."
[Source: China News 中新网 on April 25, 2014]
Related article from Russian state TV (RT) on their website (April 27).
Communities in Eastern Ukraine held by pro-Russian militias.
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