Tensions Rise: Pro-Russian Activists Seize Buildings In Eastern Ukraine Declaring Donetsk A Republic

Tensions have risen in Ukraine as pro-Russian activists have declared Donetsk a “peoples republic” and have taken over buildings in Luhansk, just a few miles from the Russian border. The security headquarters in Luhansk saw its arsenal raided in the assault.

At an emergency Cabinet meeting, Arsenly Yatsenuk, the interim Prime Minister of Ukraine, accused the Russians for the seizures.

 “The plan is to destabilise the situation, the plan is for foreign troops to cross the border and seize the country’s territory, which we will not allow,” he said, adding that people engaged in the unrest have distinct Russian accents. He told the BBC.

The instability of the region is likely to have an impact on markets. As a major exporter of corn, the continued volatility in the region is liable to spark price rises in basic foodstuffs.

Czech President Milos Zeman has called for NATO to deploy troops if Russia makes attempts to expand its presence out of Crimea to the rest of Ukraine.

NATO and the rest of the world are watching and waiting to see if Russia moves troops across its border into nearby Ukrainian towns such as Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv. With Russia branding the new leadership in Kiev illegitimate it’s anyone’s guess what happens next.

Take care

Liz