© Reuters / Valentyn OgirenkoTanks drive during a military drill conducted by Ukrainian servicemen near the city of Mykolaiv, also known as Nikolayev, in southern Ukraine, northwest of the Crimean peninsula March 14, 2014.
Dozens of volunteers from the Donbas Region in eastern Ukraine have been setting up checkpoints to prevent Ukrainian military personnel from reaching the Russian border, one of the organizers of the movement told
RT.The unarmed activists are being coordinated by a local group called People's Militia of Donbas and there are currently over 20 posts that have been set up on various roads in the region, the group's Deputy Director Sergey Tsyplakov told
RT.
The purpose of the posts is to prevent the Ukrainian military equipment from reaching the eastern border with Russia, averting further escalation of the conflict.
"There are 10 to 30 people at each post and they continuously switch with one another," Tsyplakov said.
The majority of the checkpoints have been set up alongside the police posts and "the road police is helping out." But, in more isolated spots there are more volunteers taking initiative. "People are helping around with tents and firewood," Tsyplakov added.