Pro-Russian forces distributing weapons in Ukraine's East

(Vatican Radio) Ukraine’s foreign minister urged Russia on Saturday to end what he called “provocative actions” by its agents in eastern Ukraine amid concerns of an outbreak of civil war.


The appeal from Andrii Deshchytsia came as armed men in camouflage uniforms stormed a police station and a security building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk, confiscating hundreds of weapons.


Listen to regional correspondent Stefan Bos' report...

Police said the pro-Russian forces seized at least 400 handguns and 40 automatic rifles, distributing them among protesters who want their regions to split from Kyiv.


They also went to the local security service headquarters in Slaviansk, some 150 kilometers from the Russian border.


Earlier government complexes in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk were occupied by pro-Russian protesters.


GOVERNMENT WARNING


Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov warned the response to Saturday's attacks would be “tough" because in his words "there is a difference between protesters and terrorists.”

Russia has denied its forces are involved in the unrest. However Kyiv and the West remain skeptical as Moscow already annexed Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula.


The standoff came while the G7 group of developed economies warned of further sanctions on Russia if in their view Moscow continues to escalate the crisis in Ukraine.

The G7, which includes the US, Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, are united in their anger over Russia's actions, explained US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew.


STEP BACK

"The purpose is to make it clear to Russia that they need to step back," he told reporters.


"But it was equally clear that if they don’t, if they step forward, if they do things that are illegal that violate the sovereignty of Ukraine, that there will be unity in the world in responding to that,” Lew added.


Some analysts remain optimistic that Russia seeks a diplomatic solution to the east-west crisis, as the Kremlin tries to calm fears it will turn off natural gas to and through Ukraine, amid a dispute with Kyiv over unpaid bills.


Ukraine receives half of its natural gas supplies from neighboring Russia, some of which is transported to European Union nations.