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| Ukraine gunmen seize two buildings in Sloviansk | Ukraine gunmen seize two buildings in Sloviansk |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Armed men have seized a police station and a security services building in eastern Ukraine, officials say. | Armed men have seized a police station and a security services building in eastern Ukraine, officials say. |
| Police said the men fired shots and used stun grenades to seize the offices in Sloviansk, near the Russian border. | Police said the men fired shots and used stun grenades to seize the offices in Sloviansk, near the Russian border. |
| The interior minister called the gunmen "terrorists" and said special forces would repel the attack. | The interior minister called the gunmen "terrorists" and said special forces would repel the attack. |
| Pro-Russian activists have seized government buildings elsewhere in east Ukraine. Kiev accuses Moscow of orchestrating the unrest. | Pro-Russian activists have seized government buildings elsewhere in east Ukraine. Kiev accuses Moscow of orchestrating the unrest. |
| Interim Foreign Minister Andrei Deshchytsia urged Moscow to end "provocative" actions by its agents. | Interim Foreign Minister Andrei Deshchytsia urged Moscow to end "provocative" actions by its agents. |
| Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and has seen a series of protests since the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych in February. | Eastern Ukraine has a large Russian-speaking population and has seen a series of protests since the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych in February. |
| Protesters in largely Russian-speaking Donetsk, 130km (80 miles) from Sloviansk, have been occupying government buildings for days and demanding a referendum on becoming part of Russia. | Protesters in largely Russian-speaking Donetsk, 130km (80 miles) from Sloviansk, have been occupying government buildings for days and demanding a referendum on becoming part of Russia. |
| A similar move prompted a Russian takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region earlier this year. | A similar move prompted a Russian takeover of Ukraine's Crimea region earlier this year. |
| The US and EU have put sanctions on Russian and Crimean people they say were connected with the takeover. | The US and EU have put sanctions on Russian and Crimean people they say were connected with the takeover. |
| Russia has denied responsibility for the protests in eastern Ukraine, but Western nations have expressed concern over a build-up of Russian troops along the border. | Russia has denied responsibility for the protests in eastern Ukraine, but Western nations have expressed concern over a build-up of Russian troops along the border. |
| Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk visited Donetsk on Friday and attempted to placate anti-government groups by guaranteeing that no restrictions would be put on the use of the Russian language. | Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk visited Donetsk on Friday and attempted to placate anti-government groups by guaranteeing that no restrictions would be put on the use of the Russian language. |
| The Kiev government had set a deadline of Friday for all occupations to end, but trouble continued in several cities in the east. | The Kiev government had set a deadline of Friday for all occupations to end, but trouble continued in several cities in the east. |
| Meanwhile, regional police spokesman Ihor Dyomin described how armed men were bussed to the police station in Sloviansk. | |
| "Six or seven unknown persons got out. They fired several shots in the air and attempted to storm the police department," he said. | "Six or seven unknown persons got out. They fired several shots in the air and attempted to storm the police department," he said. |
| He added that "people in camouflage uniform" and with weapons" were inside the building. | He added that "people in camouflage uniform" and with weapons" were inside the building. |
| Interim Interior Minister Arsen Avakov promised to deal with the attackers. | Interim Interior Minister Arsen Avakov promised to deal with the attackers. |
| "The response will be very tough because there is a difference between protesters and terrorists," he said in Ukrainian on his Facebook page. | "The response will be very tough because there is a difference between protesters and terrorists," he said in Ukrainian on his Facebook page. |
| The Interior Ministry said the aim of the attack was to seize arms from the police station, where some 40 automatic rifles and 400 pistols were stored along with ammunition. | The Interior Ministry said the aim of the attack was to seize arms from the police station, where some 40 automatic rifles and 400 pistols were stored along with ammunition. |
| One of those who seized the police station said the group had gone to Sloviansk to fight people who represented the illegal authorities of interim President Oleksandr Turchynov, according to a video posted on Youtube. | |
| Interviewed in Russian, the man said they represented the People's Front of Donbass - the industrial Donets Basin region in eastern Ukraine. | |
| He said those involved were peaceful Donbass residents and "not fascists". | |
| The BBC's David Stern, who was briefly in Sloviansk on Saturday, said from what he saw the take-over was well-organised and the gunmen were quickly spreading their control throughout the town and beyond. | |
| The roadblocks were being reinforced with more tyres as he left, and the people manning them were well-armed, he said. | |
| The occupation by pro-Russian groups of the local government building in Donetsk is meanwhile continuing. | The occupation by pro-Russian groups of the local government building in Donetsk is meanwhile continuing. |
| Alexander Gnezdilov, the protesters' unofficial spokesperson, told the BBC the group that seized Sloviansk police HQ was "an independent group who are supporting the Donetsk protest". | Alexander Gnezdilov, the protesters' unofficial spokesperson, told the BBC the group that seized Sloviansk police HQ was "an independent group who are supporting the Donetsk protest". |
| Also on Saturday, hundreds of pro-Russian protesters marched towards a police station in the regional capital Donetsk. | |
| They threatened to storm the building, demanding the resignation of city police chief Kostyantyn Pozhydayev. | |
| He later told the protesters he was standing down. |