(Vatican Radio) Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov accused Russia on Sunday of
waging war against Ukraine and said he had decided to launch what he called a "full-scale
anti-terrorist operation" in eastern Ukraine.
He spoke after Ukrainian
security forces launched an operation against pro-Russian separatists who have occupied
state buildings in the eastern city of Slaviansk, with casualties reported on both
sides.
Officials said at least one security officer was killed and five
injured on the government side, while Russian media reported that at least one pro-Moscow
activist died and two separatists were wounded in Sunday's clashes.
Listen
to regional correspondent Stefan Bos' report...
Military helicopters
flew over the troubled eastern city of Slaviansk as part of what Ukraine's government
described as an "anti-terrorist operation".
Ukrainian forces tried to clear
pro-Russian militants from the headquarters of the police and the state security service
in Slaviansk, some 150 kilometers from the Russian border.
SPECIAL
FORCES
"They say special forces are on their way," a masked pro-Russian
activist said. "So we will see what will happen."
Sunday's clashes followed
gun battles in the nearby town of Kramatorsk.
Pro-Russian fighters in camouflage
uniforms exchanged gunfire with security forcfes during a raid on a police station
in Kramatorsk late on Saturday.
Unrest spreads in the east, where pro-Russian
separatists are demanding that the region stage referendums on whether to breakaway
from Ukraine, similar to the one that led to Crimea's annexation by Russia last month.
Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned that armed action by Ukrainian authorities
could undermine forthcoming talks between Russia, Ukraine, the United States and the
European Union.
US WARNING
In a phone call, U.S. Secretary of State
John Kerry urged his Russian counterpart to help in his words de-escalate the situation
or face additional consequences such as sanctions.
Some have still hope.
In
the eastern city of Kharkiv for instance, demonstrators carrying Ukrainian flags have
called for unity.
Yet, with pro-Russian forces increasingly active in the
area, it remained unclear Sunday if and when these voices would be heard.