Pro-Russians tighten hold on E Ukraine

Pro-Russian forces have seized state buildings in the eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka, tightening their hold on the country’s east.

Anti-Kiev forces on Wednesday seized Horlivka’s city council building.

In addition, the pro-Russian forces took control of the city’s police headquarters after weeks of blockading the building.

Horlivka, a town of almost 300,000 people, is located just north of Donestk, which is planning to hold a referendum on separation from Ukraine on May 11.

The pro-Russian forces now control government buildings in about a dozen cities in eastern Ukraine.

On Tuesday, pro-Russian protesters seized the eastern city of Lugansk, one of the largest cities in Ukraine’s troubled east.

A day earlier, pro-Russian forces took control of the town of Kostyantynivka, after seizing the city hall and police headquarters.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov said on Wednesday that the country’s police and security forces are “helpless” to curb unrest in the eastern regions. Turchynov added that in some cases, the Ukrainian forces are cooperating with pro-Russian protesters.

On April 23, the Kiev government re-launched its controversial “anti-terrorist operations” in the eastern and southern regions in a bid to root out the pro-Russian demonstrations.

Pro-Russia protests gained momentum in Ukraine after Crimea declared independence from the former Soviet state and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum in March.

CAH/AB/SS

Source Article from http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/04/30/360710/prorussians-tightening-hold-on-e-ukraine/

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