Ukraine: Government Reportedly Wins Battle for Sloviansk

The war in eastern Ukraine
continues, but it appears that the pro-western government forces
today won a significant battle in Sloviansk, which has been a major
stronghold for the Russian and pro-Russian separatist forces.

Reuters
reported the latest on the situation several hours ago:

A Reuters reporter saw a convoy of about 20 military transport
vehicles and buses filled with armed rebels driving out of
Kramatorsk where they had gone after apparently fleeing Slaviansk
20 km (12 miles) to the north.

About 100-150 Ukrainian troops patrolled the center of Slaviansk
and some soldiers were bringing out weapons and ammunition from one
of the administration buildings the rebels had been using as a
headquarters.

The military
reportedly carried out a bombing campaign throughout much of
the night.

“Due to the overwhelming numerical superiority of the enemy our
men were forced to abandon their positions,” acknowledged Alexander
Borodai, the self-proclaimed prime minister of the self-described
People’s Republic of Donetsk. Among the fighters for the “people’s
republic” are, apparently, Chechen mercenaries among other hired
guns.

BBC’s David Stern provides some analysis of the
situation:

Of the government’s victories so far, the retaking of Sloviansk
and raising of the Ukrainian flag over city hall is by far the most
significant. The city was not just a command center for the
insurgency – it was a symbol of the militants’ continuing ability
to thwart Kiev’s attempts to reassert control in the east.

Now, it appears that the insurgents may also be evacuating
Kramatorsk, another key city. But the question is whether this is a
turning point in the war, or merely a shifting of the
battlefield.

The president, who on Tuesday declared the end of
a failed ceasefire,
has ordered the nation’s flag to be flown over the city of over
100,000 residents, which had been under rebel control since
mid-April.