Today is the 7th anniversary of the Sloviansk occupation by pro-Russian forces

On this day, in 2014, pro-Russian forces captured the city of Sloviansk in eastern Ukraine.

Sloviansk wasn't the only city that was seized by force; this and the next day, people armed to the teeth simultaneously attacked government agencies and local authorities in several cities of Donbas: in Donetsk, Horlivka, Druzhkivka, Kramatorsk, Konstantinivka, Lyman (then, Chervonyi Lyman), Bakhmut (then, Artemivsk), Pokrovsk (then, Krasnoarmiisk).

The attack was repelled in Lyman, the assault on the city police department in Horlivka also failed at first, but on April 14, it was captured under cover of a demonstration shield.

But the center of the confrontation was Sloviansk, where the "men in green" seized the city police department, the city administration, and the SBU city department building and seized weapons.

During the assault, the militants used smoke grenades and tear gas and fired into the air.

The invaders were later identified as members of a special unit of the Main Directorate (GRU) of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, led by Igor "Strelkov" Girkin.

The next day, the saboteurs controlled all city exits.

During the occupation of Sloviansk, bandits banned political parties, freedom of expression, and began repression in the city, especially against those who spoke Ukrainian or were simply seen in pro-Ukrainian views.

Terrorists sometimes staged riots in the streets, captured "suspicious" people in their daylight, and kept them in the SBU building, which was turned into a real torture chamber.

On April 13, the National Security and Defense Council held an emergency meeting and decided to launch an anti-terrorist operation against the attempted assassination attempt on our state, and the militants were required to lay down their arms by 9 a.m. on April 14.

Of course, it didn't happen and on April 14, the then-Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council and Acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov signed a decree on implementing the decision of the National Security and Defense Council "On urgent measures to overcome the terrorist threat and preserve Ukraine's territorial integrity."

On April 15, the anti-terrorist operation began in the north of the Donetsk region.

It took almost three months for Sloviansk to become Ukrainian again.

The terrorists left the city only on the night of July 5, relocating to Horlivka and Donetsk.

The enemy's retreat allowed Ukrainian troops to enter the city, restore legitimate power, and provide humanitarian assistance to its inhabitants.