Pro-Russian protesters have seized another town in eastern Ukraine after capturing the town hall in the Donetsk city of Kostyantynivka. A group of some 20 pro-Russian activists took control of the town hall on Monday and hoisted the flag of the self-declared Donetsk People’s Republic. The activists set up barricades outside the government building and also set up a perimeter around the adjoining police station. Kostyantynivka, with a population of 80,000, is located mid-way between the city of Slavyansk and the regional hub of Donetsk, both of which are already under the control of pro-Russian protesters. This comes a day after some 400 pro-Russian protesters seized the regional telecenter in Donetsk, calling for an end to the station’s broadcast. They accused the broadcaster of distorting the news about the developments in the east of the country. Meanwhile, ambassadors from the European Union’s 28 member states are to meet later on Monday to discuss further sanctions against Russia over the crisis in Ukraine, which would likely include measures such as asset freezes and travel bans. The move is being coordinated with the US and the rest of the so-called Group of Seven major industrialized nations (G7), including Britain, France, Germany and Italy as well as Canada and Japan. The initial set of sanctions came after Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16. On the following day, EU foreign ministers imposed travel bans and asset freezes on 13 Russian nationals and 8 people from Crimea after a meeting in Brussels. Almost a month later on April 14, the EU’s 28 top diplomats agreed to expand sanctions against Moscow over its alleged role in Ukraine’s recent developments. The Russian Foreign Ministry, however, has denounced the bans and urged the EU to stop trying to intimidate Moscow, and make an effort to find a solution to the unrest in Ukraine.
LINK: https://www.ansarpress.com/english/1864
