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Ukrainian Border Gauards have surrendered the city of Sverdlovsk, along the Russian Border, without a fight.

From The Interpreter’s Live Blog:
Roman Bochkala, a Ukrainian journalist, has been reporting via his Facebook page today on events in the town of Sverdlovsk in the Lugansk region. He says there are local reports of infiltration by a large force from Russia, including 10 BTR armoured personnel carriers. The separatist fighters surrounded the Border Guard base in the town centre and appeared to be preparing an assault. He reports that the border guards surrendered the base without a fight and left an arsenal of weapons behind.

The surrender of the base, if confirmed, is the third today following the separatist capture of a Border Guard base and a National Guard barracks in the city of Lugansk. There were complaints that the Lugansk border guards, who held out against a sustained assault for two days, received little to no assistance from the Ukrainian military, bar ineffectual air support. Bochkala reports that the border guards in Sverdlovsk were unable to make contact with the Anti-Terrorism Operation headquarters.

Here are some of Bochkala’s Facebook posts (translated by The Interpreter):

10:42 GMT: Separatists have surrounded a border guard detachment in the centre of Sverdlovsk in the Lugansk region. Snipers and machine gunners have been seen. An assault is expected to begin during the night.

The border guards’ colleagues from the Dolzhansky checkpoint have rushed to aid them but they cannot get into Sverdlovsk. Local pro-Russian residents have blocked the road. The border guards need help urgently! They are unable to contact the ATO headquarters.

According to the local residents, some 30 covered KamAZ trucks carrying militants were seen in the village of Provalye near Sverdlovsk. In the woods stand 10 Russian BTRs, which illegally, but easily crossed the Ukrainian border during the night.

14:58 GMT: Without a fight. The Ukrainian border guards have withdrawn fom Sverdlovsk. The column his moving towards Kharkov. They’re currently standing at a checkpoint near Krasnodon.

15:53 GMT: On the march. The Ukrainian border guards leave Sverdlovsk ingloriously.

The Report of two helicopters shot down over Slovyansk today now appears to be confirmed:

InfoResist.org reports that Vladislav Seleznev, the spokesman for the government’s Anti-Terrorism Operation, has told them that two Ukrainian helicopter gunships were downed by enemy fire over the separatist-held town of Slavyansk today. They report, (translated by The Interpreter):

“I can confirm reports of two helicopters being downed over Slavyansk. These were Mi-24s which were on combat duties over Slavyansk. One helicopter was shot down using MANPADS, the other by anti-aircraft artillery”, said Seleznev.

According to the spokesman, the pilots sustained minor wounds and burns. They have received medical treatment. Meanwhile, one of the helicopters sustained minor damage from being shot, it will be returned to combat duties after repairs, the second was completely torched.