Pro-Russian Gunmen Seize More Government Buildings In Eastern Ukraine

An armed man gestures in front of the police headquarters in Slaviansk, Apr. 12, 2014. VOA

Pro-Russian Gunmen Seize Key Buildings In Eastern Ukraine -- The Guardian

Armed men storm police station and state security service building in Slavyansk and distribute weapons

Gunmen have seized a police station and other government buildings in Ukraine's eastern industrial heartland amid a tense deadlock in the country's east, where armed pro-Russian protesters have barricaded themselves inside government buildings and demanded independence from Kiev.

Ukraine's interior minister, Arsen Avakov, said another group of gunmen tried to storm the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office but was repelled.

The early morning raid on the police station happened in Slavyansk, a town about 35 miles north of the regional capital, Donetsk. The men collected weapons and distributed them to their supporters. A second group later took the headquarters of the state security service.

Read more ....

More News On The Unrest In Eastern Ukraine

Ukraine turmoil LIVE UPDATES -- RT
Ukraine gunmen seize two buildings in Sloviansk -- BBC
Armed men seize police headquarters in east Ukraine city -- Reuters
Ukraine crisis: Gunmen seize building in eastern town of Slaviansk -- The CNN
Gunmen Seize Another Building in Ukraine, Gas Payments to Russia Suspended -- VOA
Ukraine says Russia stoking unrest as gunmen seize more buildings -- Reuters
Eastern Ukraine Police Station Seized By Pro-Russia Group -- Time
Armed Men Seize Police Station in Eastern Ukraine -- WSJ
Gunmen seize east Ukraine security buildings -- Al Jazeera

My Comment: As I had mentioned yesterday .... when the Ukraine government failed in having it troops re-take the buildings that were last seized by pro-Russian separatists last week .... this became a green light for even more seizures and protests. My prediction .... today's seizures are just the start.

Update: I have been looking at the videos from today's seizures of Ukrainian government buildings in Slavyansk . Unlike last weekends seizures where it was the local population that seized these type of buildungs (you could tell because they were all wearing simple clothes, mixed ages, women and children, simple shotguns and weapons, unorganized, etc.) .... these new groups look very professional, organized, fit, and young .... and all the civilians are avoiding them. All of their faces are also covered, and they are all carrying modern weapons with some of the key leaders having walkies-talkies (see the above photo from Reuters and more photos here). Mind you .... this group did seize a police station .... so I can only presume that they distributed the weapons and supplies. But (I am speculating now) .... these guys have the smell of Russian special forces.