Saying Putin had sent an envoy, Vladimir Lukin, to southeast Ukraine to negotia

te their release, Peskov said that Lukin had not been heard from since the Ukrai
nian operation began.
"While Russia is making efforts to de-escalate and settle the conflict, the Kiev
regime has turned to firing on civilian towns with military aircraft and has be
gun a punitive operation, effectively destroying the last hope of survival for t
he Geneva accord," he said, referring to a deal on April 17 signed by Russia, Uk
raine, the United States and the European Union.
Under that agreement, separatists were supposed to lay down their arms and vacat
e the public buildings they have seized in about a dozen towns they have seized
across the Russian-speaking east. Since then, however, they have tightened their
grip.
BARRICADES
Gunmen in Slaviansk said they were holding their ground against Ukrainian forces
that have struggled to assert control over the past month. Some threw up new ba
rricades of felled trees. And dozens of civilians blocked a road against a unit
of Ukrainian armoured vehicles, telling troops to go home.
Reuters journalists in the city heard shooting from shortly after 4 a.m. (0100 G
MT) and saw a military helicopter open fire. Towards midday, the city was quiet,
shops were shut but rebel gunmen appeared to be still in tight control of the s
treets. Ukrainian troops were at a halt in the suburbs.
The SBU said the deadly use by the separatists of shoulder-launched anti-aircraf
t missiles was evidence that "trained, highly qualified foreign military special
ists" were operating in the area "and not local civilians, as the Russian govern
ment says, armed only with guns taken from hunting stores".