Regional gov’t building seized in Ukraine’s Donetsk

Pro-Russia protesters have seized a regional government building in Ukraine’s eastern city of Donetsk as standoff in the region continues between Moscow and the West.

According to media reports, pro-Russian demonstrators stormed the building and occupied several floors of the regional government building on Monday.

The protesters waved the Russian flag and chanted slogans in support of Russia.

This came two days after more than 10,000 people took part in a huge rally in Donetsk to stress their allegiance to Ukraine’s ousted president Viktor Yanukovych.

The industrial city is situated close to the Russian border and is considered as a stronghold of Yanukovych.

Donetsk’s city council has already refused to recognize Ukraine’s new government and called for a referendum on the region’s status.

Reports also say pro-Russian demonstrators have stormed the provincial council in the Ukrainian southern city of Odessa.

Meanwhile, an aviation brigade based in Crimea’s Belbek airport near the city of Sevastopol, the home to Russia’s Black Sea fleet, has defected to the regional pro-Russia leadership.

“Today the command of the 204th base in Belbek (manned by over 800 troops) has declared that it stands with the people or Crimea,” a spokesperson for the local authorities told Russia’s Interfax news agency.
On Sunday, Head of the Ukrainian Navy Rear Admiral Denis Berezovsky also pledged allegiance to the Crimea region taking control over Crimea’s newly formed navy.

Moreover, Head of the Security Service of Crimea Petyor Zima, Head of Service for Emergency Situations Sergei Shakhov, Chief of the Department of Internal Affairs in the Crimea Sergey Abisov, and acting Chief of the Border Guards of Crimea Victor Melnichenko all swore allegiance to the people of Crimea.

Ukraine has plunged into crisis since November 2013, when ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych, refrained from signing an Association Agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia.