16:42
6.4.2014
!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!
Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has canceled a trip to Lithuania to deal with "separatist" protests in Donetsk and Luhansk.
17:09
6.4.2014
RFE/RL's News Desk has some more details regarding Turchynov's announcement:
Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, has cancelled a trip to Lithuania scheduled for April 7 to deal with pro-Russia protests in eastern Ukraine.
Turchynov also held an emergency meeting with the heads of law enforcement agencies after protesters in two major eastern Ukrainian cities -- Donetsk and Luhansk -- seized a regional government building and a state security office on April 6.
In Donetsk, a group of protesters barricaded themselves inside the regional administration building.
They threatened to set up a "people's council" and demanded that a referendum like the one held in Crimea be held in the Donetsk region over whether it should join Russia.
In Luhansk, Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, released six pro-Russia activists who were arrested last month after protesters broke into its office.
Pro-Russia protests were also held in Kharkiv.
Ukraine's acting president, Oleksandr Turchynov, has cancelled a trip to Lithuania scheduled for April 7 to deal with pro-Russia protests in eastern Ukraine.
Turchynov also held an emergency meeting with the heads of law enforcement agencies after protesters in two major eastern Ukrainian cities -- Donetsk and Luhansk -- seized a regional government building and a state security office on April 6.
In Donetsk, a group of protesters barricaded themselves inside the regional administration building.
They threatened to set up a "people's council" and demanded that a referendum like the one held in Crimea be held in the Donetsk region over whether it should join Russia.
In Luhansk, Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, released six pro-Russia activists who were arrested last month after protesters broke into its office.
Pro-Russia protests were also held in Kharkiv.
17:34
6.4.2014
#Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr #Turchynov cancels visit to Lithuania, calls an emergency meeting with law enforcement ministers
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 6, 2014
17:43
6.4.2014
Meanwhile, in #Odessa Ukrainian nationalists, pro-Russian separatists stage rival rallies http://t.co/cEFUdiqdor pic.twitter.com/mPV4Uieaml
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 6, 2014
17:47
6.4.2014
@kyivpost picks up the translation of my Komersant interview. http://t.co/1UpXGGZ1MX
— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) April 6, 2014
18:33
6.4.2014
Horrific video from #Kharkiv,where pro-Russia mob forced a handful of pro-Ukraine protesters to crawl to their safety http://t.co/1lDuX4kugj
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) April 6, 2014
18:34
6.4.2014
Here's some footage from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service showing the storming of the SBU state security building in Luhansk:
18:45
6.4.2014
!!! BREAKING NEWS !!!
Pro-Russia protesters have stormed the regional government building in Kharkiv.
19:10
6.4.2014
Barring any further dramatic developments, we're closing the live blog for today. We'll leave you with the latest update from RFE/RL's News Desk, which includes the storming of the regional government building in Kharkiv:
Pro-Russia protesters have stormed government buildings in three major cities in eastern Ukraine.
Several dozen protesters broke through police lines today and entered the regional administration building in Kharkiv.
Police did not use force against the protesters, who raised a Russian flag over the building.
Earlier today, pro-Russian activists seized the regional administration building in Donetsk, and also stormed the state security office in Luhansk.
Some protesters demanded a referendum like the one that resulted in the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea by Russia last month.
Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has cancelled a planned trip to Lithuania tomorrow to deal with the unrest.
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov accused Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych of "ordering and paying for the separatist turmoil" in the east of the country.
Several dozen protesters broke through police lines today and entered the regional administration building in Kharkiv.
Police did not use force against the protesters, who raised a Russian flag over the building.
Earlier today, pro-Russian activists seized the regional administration building in Donetsk, and also stormed the state security office in Luhansk.
Some protesters demanded a referendum like the one that resulted in the annexation of Ukraine's Crimea by Russia last month.
Ukraine's acting President Oleksandr Turchynov has cancelled a planned trip to Lithuania tomorrow to deal with the unrest.
Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov accused Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych of "ordering and paying for the separatist turmoil" in the east of the country.
05:49
7.4.2014
Good morning. With continued unrest in eastern Ukraine, catch up with our latest news wrap.