The Greek Consulate General in Mariupol, Dimitris Papandreou, stated that all Greeks who live in Mariupol are safe. Mariupol, located in southeastern Ukraine is the epicenterĀ of conflict between the Ukrainian army and pro-Russian separatists.
According to Papandreou, the thousands of Greeks who live inĀ the city have not been attacked and are not facing any risk. However, the building of the Greek consulate, which is located near the police building that was the focus of Fridayās clashes was evacuated after consultation with the Greek Foreign Minister, Evangelos Venizelos.
“We’re still safe, but this is not reassuring,” added Papandreou, expressing his concern over the developments of theĀ recent weeks. Mariupol is the tenth largest city in Ukraine with a population of 500,000 people. It is estimated that aboutĀ 150,000 Greeks live in Mariupol, while across the region there are 29 Greek villages.
Ukraine’s security forces claimed to have killed 20 pro-Russian rebelsĀ in Mariupol.Ā After a Ā parade held to mark the end of the Second World War, the rebels appear to have occupied Mariupol police headquarters. Interior ministry troops then surrounded the building and opened fire with heavy machine guns, which led to the police station catching fire.
Arsen Avakov, the interior minister, claimedĀ that 20 terrorists had been āannihilatedā and another four were captured. However, local people said thatĀ security forces also fired at unarmed civilians in the streets of Mariupol.
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