Pro-Russian activists seize Ukraine's Seversk
Iran Press TV
Fri Apr 18, 2014 3:58PM GMT
Members of the self-proclaimed People's Republic of Donetsk have taken control of the city of Seversk in Donetsk province in eastern Ukraine.
Pro-Russian activists seized the administration and police buildings in the city, Russia media said on Friday.
The Ukrainian flags on the two buildings were reportedly removed and the protesters raised the Russian tricolor.
According to Russian media, local law-enforcement authorities said they would cooperate with the pro-Russian activists, assuring that they would continue working as usual and maintain order in the city.
This comes as pro-Russian activists have already taken control of numerous government buildings in more than a dozen cities in Donetsk and some other places in eastern Ukraine.
The pro-Russian protesters say they will maintain their positions until the interim Kiev government resigns.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's state security authorities said the ongoing military operation against protesters in the eastern parts of the country will continue despite a recent four-party agreement reached in Geneva.
On Thursday, Kiev's interim government together with the United States, Russia and the European Union reached a deal calling on all sides to refrain from any violence and to evacuate all seized government buildings.
Kiev launched the massive military operations on April 15, a day after protesters defied a deadline set by the Ukrainian government to lay down arms and leave occupied state buildings.
Pro-Russia protests gained momentum in the eastern parts of Ukraine after Crimea declared independence from the former Soviet state and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16, in which almost 97 percent of the participants voted for joining Russia.
CAH/AB/SS
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