Ukrainian Roma attacked and robbed

SLOVIANSK, Ukraine, April 22 (UPI) -- Ukrainian Roma are claiming armed, masked men threatened and robbed several of the 150 Roma families in Sloviansk.

"They began shooting here, at the windows," said Natasha Cheripovskaya as she pointed to her house with shattered windows. "They were in masks, about 15 people. And they had automatic weapons. Some had guns. They started to shoot to provoke fear. They asked for money and gold. We were very scared and said, 'We don't have any gold or money.' Even the neighbors saw this but they are afraid to speak out."

Cheripovskaya walked through her house and showed the mess the men had left behind, after they rummaged through her family's belongings and took what they wanted.

"We have a lot of children, you know. We have been living here for years," said Pyotr Povolsky. "They say they are going to evict the Roma from here. And we don't sleep in our houses, because we are afraid someone will come, you know. We don't go to the city because of this war here, you see."

The violence against the Roma is part of a string of violent outbursts in the pro-Russian-controlled town of Sloviansk. The recent peace accords reached in Geneva between Russia and Ukraine stipulates that neither side shall instigate violence in the tense eastern Ukrainian region. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has accused Ukraine of breaking the peace accords, deepening the risk of further confrontation with Russia, as well as a Ukrainian civil war.

"We used to have no problems: lived in peace with the Russians, with Ukrainians. With Russians and with all other people, we used to live in a friendly fashion," lamented Cheripovskaya.

[New York Times]