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Pro-Russian protestors seize important buildings in Ukrainian city

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ANI London

Pro-Russian protesters have seized control of government buildings and police headquarters in Ukraine's eastern region.

The militants took control of police headquarters in the eastern Ukraine city of Kramatorsk.

The seizure comes after a gun battle with the police defending the building as the attackers stormed it, the BBC reports.

Several other official buildings were reported to have been seized in Donetsk region on Saturday.

The confrontations come amid rising tension between the new government and pro-Russia protesters.

According to the report, a Kramatorsk-based website said the attackers arrived in the city in two buses on Saturday and seized the police department after an exchange of fire lasting several minutes.

 

There had been no casualties and the flag of the Donetsk Republic had been raised at the building, the Voctochnyy Proyek site said.

The attackers, holding assault rifles and wearing camouflage and masks, introduced themselves as fighters of the 'people's militia' and addressed residents, the report said.

The attackers said that they were not Ukrainian troops, but people's militia, adding that they are the people who have risen up to drive away the corrupt Kiev police.

In the attack in the town of Sloviansk, dozens of unidentified armed men in camouflage uniform seized the police station and security service premises.

However, the Interior Ministry said that the aim of the attack at the police station was to seize arms as some 40 automatic rifles and 400 pistols were stored there along with ammunition, the report added.

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First Published: Apr 13 2014 | 11:14 AM IST

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