Ukraine military on full combat alert: Kiev

Ukraine’s acting President Oleksandr Turchynov says the country’s military is on full combat alert against a possible invasion by Russian troops massed on the border.

Turchynov made the comments on Wednesday during a ministerial meeting in the capital, Kiev.

“Our armed forces are on full combat alert,” said Turchynov, adding, “The threat of Russia starting a war against mainland Ukraine is real.”

The comments by the interim president come as Ukraine’s army and police appear to be making little progress in stopping pro-Russians in the east.

Last month, Russia deployed an estimated 40,000 troops to its border with Ukraine.

This is while pro-Russian forces seized eastern Ukrainian city of Horlivka on Wednesday after taking control of the city council building and the police headquarters.

The pro-Russian forces now control government buildings in about a dozen cities in eastern Ukraine, including Donetsk, Slavyansk, Lugansk and Kramatorsk.

On April 23, the Kiev government re-launched its controversial “anti-terrorist operations” in the eastern and southern regions in a bid to root out the pro-Russian demonstrations.

Pro-Russia protests gained momentum in Ukraine after Crimea declared independence from the former Soviet state and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum in March.