10.59 ET The Wall Street Journal reports,"armored Ukrainian units began moving into the county's restive east Tuesday as part of a military operation to take back control of cities seized by pro-Russian militants.
Soldiers riding aboard armored personnel carriers took up positions around the region at the heart of the unrest, setting up checkpoints along key roads, with transport helicopters parked in fields nearby. In the late afternoon, a Ukrainian official said shots were fired at a military airfield near the city of Kramatorsk, but no other clashes had been reported.
Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said the "antiterrorist" operation began in the early morning hours in the northern part of the Donetsk region, where the majority of the cities commandeered by pro-Russian forces are located. He described it as "phased, responsible and balanced."
"The purpose of the actions, I stress once again, is to protect the citizens of Ukraine," he told Ukraine's parliament.
