Spies, lies and video taken

THE Ukrainian drama becomes ever darker. Armed rebels who hold the eastern Ukrainian town of Sloviansk today paraded seven captured European military officers whom they have held since Friday. They were introduced by the self-proclaimed mayor, Vyacheslav Ponomarev. In an extraordinarily dignified performance Colonel Axel Schneider from Germany said: “We are not prisoners of war, we are guests of Mayor Ponomarev.”

Although Colonel Schneider spoke without interruption from Mr Ponomarev, it was clear that he did so under duress. He said he wanted to talk to let the families of the officers know they were okay and had not been harmed. Armed men were present in the room. Later in the day, one officer was released on medical grounds.

The unarmed military observers, visiting the region under the terms of the Vienna Document of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe, were snatched outside Sloviansk. At first, said Holger Schmuck, one of the officers, they were stopped by a group of armed men whom he...Continue reading