This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-27243753
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ukraine crisis: Pro-Russians seize Donetsk prosecutor's office | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of pro-Russian militants have seized the regional prosecutor's office in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, and there are reports of injuries. | |
| The attackers hurled Molotov cocktails and rocks at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades. | |
| Live TV footage later showed militants disarming the police and escorting them out of the building. | |
| Ukraine blames Russia for organising the seizures of a number of offices in the east. Moscow denies the claim. | |
| In a separate development, German Chancellor Angela Merkel asked Russia to help free foreign monitors held in eastern Ukraine. | |
| The military observers were seized by pro-Russia separatists at a checkpoint in the flashpoint town of Sloviansk last Friday. | |
| On Wednesday, a Russian military attache was detained in Ukraine on suspicion of spying and ordered to leave the country. | |
| Kiev 'helpless' | |
| In Donetsk, the pro-Russian militants attacked the prosecutor's office, accusing those inside of siding with the government in Kiev. | |
| The crowd later forced its way into the building, stripping weapons and shields from the police officers. | |
| Many attackers chanted "Fascists! Fascists!" and later raised the flag of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic on the building. | |
| Donetsk, an industrial hub of more than one million people, has seen a number of government offices seized in recent weeks. | |
| On Wednesday, Ukraine's acting President Olexander Turchynov admitted that his forces were "helpless" to quell the unrest in some parts of the east, saying the goal was now to prevent it from spreading. | |
| Mr Turchynov also said Ukraine was on "full combat alert", amid fears that Russian troops could invade. | |
| Some 40,000 Russian troops are stationed close to the Ukrainian border. Moscow has warned that its soldiers will act if Russian interests in eastern Ukraine - where a majority of the population are Russian-speaking - are threatened. | |
| The US and EU have accused Russia of failing to implement the terms of last month's deal agreed in Geneva aimed at defusing the crisis by disarming illegal militias. | |
| They have both stepped up sanctions against Russia this week, naming more individuals and companies facing travel bans and asset freezes. |