Ukraine’s Security Service starts nationwide counterterrorist operation

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The Ukrainian Security Service and Antiterrorist Center are beginning an antiterrorist operation in the country, Ukrainian Security Service Head Oleksandr Yakymenko said in a statement released on Wednesday.

"The Ukrainian Security Service and Antiterrorist Center decided today to start holding an antiterrorist operation in Ukraine : I have already informed the president of the decision regarding holding the antiterrorist operation," the document said.

The events of the past day showed "growing escalation of forceful resistance and mass use of arms by extremist-minded groups," Yakymenko said.

"In many regions of the country local authorities, structures of the Interior Ministry, Security Service, prosecutor's office, military units and storage facilities with ammunition are being seized. Court offices are burning and vandals are destroying private apartments and killing civilians," the statement said.

In the past 24 hours alone over 1,500 units of firearms and 100,000 pieces of ammunition ended up in criminal hands, Yakymenko said.

Ukraine: weapons, ammunition stolen from Security Service department

Weapons and ammunition have been stolen from a Ukrainian Security Service (SBU) department in the Ivano-Frankovsk region, said Volodymyr Porodko, deputy head of the Ukrainian Security Service.

"A total of 268 service pistols, two rifles, three assault rifles, 92 grenades, and some 15,000 cartridges were seized in a Ukrainian Security Service department in the Ivano-Frankovsk region," SBU deputy head Vladimir Porodko said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors at the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Ukrainian Security Council switches to high terrorist alert regime

The Ukrainian Security Service has switched to a high terrorist alert regime, Ukrainian Security Service Deputy Head Volodymyr Porodko said. "In accordance with the law on fighting terrorism, the Ukrainian Security Service was forced to switch this morning to a higher state of readiness," Porodko said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors in the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

"In accordance with the law on fighting terrorism, the Ukrainian Security Service was forced to switch this morning to a higher state of readiness," Porodko said at a meeting with foreign ambassadors in the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday.

Arms, ammo stolen from Ukrainian security service department in Ivano-Frankivsk region.