By Roman Olearchyk in Kiev & Kathrin Hille in Moscow
Ukraine’s leaders warned that their country was under threat of being torn apart as armed pro-Russian separatists occupied government buildings in two eastern cities, displaying a new level of force and ambition.
The protesters seized buildings in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lugansk on Sunday.
They had been dislodged from the site in Kharkiv last night with at least 10 people reportedly injured in clashes with pro-Ukraine opponents.
Oleksandr Turchynov, Ukraine’s acting president, blamed Moscow for the unrest, calling it “a second wave of a special operation by the Russian Federation against Ukraine . . . with the aim of destabilising the situation in the country, overthrowing Ukraine’s government, sabotaging the [May 25 snap presidential] election and tearing our country apart”.
Russia said the Ukrainian government was to blame. But Moscow politicians avoided suggesting that Russia intervene militarily or drawing parallels to the situation in Crimea.
The unrest comes weeks after Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula. Moscow has maintained tens of thousands of troops near the Ukrainian border, prompting Nato commanders to warn about the possibility of an invasion.
US secretary of state John Kerry spoke on the phone yesterday with Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov. According to the state department, Mr Kerry “made clear that any further Russian effort to destabilise Ukraine will incur further costs for Russia”. The unrest in eastern Ukraine “did not appear to be spontaneous”.
Russia’s foreign ministry said the events were being “closely watched”, and argued they were proof of the need for a federation in Ukraine along lines proposed by Moscow but angrily rejected by Kiev.
As Ukraine’s authorities moved to open talks with the separatists, they cut off water and electricity to the group that had seized the regional state security building in Lugansk. The strategy appeared to be one of wearing them down over time rather than risking bloodshed.
The assaults marked an escalation after weeks of skirmishes. Video on the internet showed pro-Russian groups barricaded inside the buildings armed with AK-47 rifles. They hung Russian flags from the buildings and called for a referendum on independence. (FT)
