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| Ukraine crisis: Troops 'retake Mariupol city hall' | Ukraine crisis: Troops 'retake Mariupol city hall' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Ukrainian government forces have retaken the city hall in the south-eastern port of Mariupol from pro-Russia separatists, reports say. | Ukrainian government forces have retaken the city hall in the south-eastern port of Mariupol from pro-Russia separatists, reports say. |
| The rebels, who had seized the building last week, reportedly left early on Wednesday. The reason is not clear. | The rebels, who had seized the building last week, reportedly left early on Wednesday. The reason is not clear. |
| Pro-Russia separatists have captured official buildings in dozens of towns in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks. | Pro-Russia separatists have captured official buildings in dozens of towns in eastern Ukraine in recent weeks. |
| The government has accused Russia of helping the rebels and sent troops to restore Kiev's authority. | The government has accused Russia of helping the rebels and sent troops to restore Kiev's authority. |
| Russia's Interfax news agency quoted a pro-Moscow militiaman in Mariupol as saying government forces had taken over Mariupol's city hall. | |
| "No shots were heard,'" he said. "All the militia members were removed from the building." | |
| He added that government forces had started to clear the barricade on the central square with a bulldozer. | |
| 'Dividing Ukraine' | |
| There were also reports of clashes between Ukrainian troops and pro-Russia militants in Sloviansk, a rebel stronghold, early on Wednesday. | |
| The Ukrainian government has rejected the pro-Russian activists' demands for greater autonomy for eastern regions, fearing they could lead to the break-up of the country or more regions being annexed. | |
| Kiev has called a presidential election on 25 May, and said it was ready to back new international talks in Geneva, as long as Moscow supported the poll. | |
| On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov ruled out holding another round of international talks unless pro-Russian opposition groups were involved. | |
| The separatists in Donetsk have proclaimed a "People's Republic" and are preparing to hold an independence referendum on Sunday. | |
| US Secretary of State John Kerry has condemned the plan as an "illegal effort to further divide Ukraine". | |
| The 25 May election was called after pro-Kremlin President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown by pro-Western protesters in February. |