After Ukrainian forces were deployed to Kramatorsk on April 15, a large pro-Russian crowd gathered at an airfield near the city where helicopters and fighter jets were seen operating. The general in charge of the operation, Vasily Krutov, was heckled by the protesters (see here), and, later, the city’s mayor, Gennady Kostjuko, appealed for calm.

According to a translation supplied via Storyful’s Open Newsroom, Kostjuko says he’s just come back from “negotiations” where a referendum (presumably on secession) had been discussed. But, he says, the “people will need to help the referendum”. He says Donetsk deputies would, on April 16, be making an appeal for Kiev to cancel the “anti-terrorist” operation. He asks the people gathered not to provoke the soldiers, whereupon they start to complain and ask him to leave. Credit: YouTube/6264.com.ua