About 300 pro-Russian demonstrators attacked the headquarters of the regional prosecutor's office in Donetsk today, disarming the police who were protecting the building, and on that occasion at least four police officers were injured, reported reporters from the scene.
Demonstrators surrounded the prosecutor's office building and threw stones and Molotov cocktails, and about a hundred policemen in anti-demonstration equipment defending it responded with shock bombs and tear gas.
More numerous demonstrators who surrounded the building from several sides hit the policemen and disarmed them, shouting "fascists, fascists".
The police officers, who had their helmets and vests removed and their batons and shields taken away, left the place, passing through a barrage of enraged civilians who insulted and hit them.
An ambulance took away one injured protester and one policeman, eyewitnesses reported.
The attack on the prosecutor's office building came after pro-Russian demonstrations that gathered around 10.000 people in Donetsk, a city of around one million people in the heart of an area that separatist rebels call the "Donetsk Republic".
Turčinov reintroduced military service
The Acting President of Ukraine, Alexander Turchynov, again introduced military conscription by decree in order to deal with the worsening situation in the east and south of the country.
On Wednesday, Turčinov admitted that the state forces are helpless to deal with the unrest in some areas, stressing that the goal now is to prevent their further spread, reports the BBC.
Bondarenko: We are ready for anything
In the capital of Ukraine, Kiev, announced tactical-special exercises were held last night, Ukrainian and Russian news agencies reported.
UNN states that last night a scenario of the possible seizure of administrative buildings was rehearsed.
Itar-Tass reports, referring to the Ukrainian portal "Analytičar", that members of the State Security Administration and the Presidential Regiment checked the security of administrative buildings, shelters and sources of drinking water.
According to the scenario of the exercises, ten combat vehicles entered the Kyiv district where government buildings are located, and soldiers and snipers with automatic rifles climbed the parliament building, according to UNN.
As the head of the Kyiv city administration, Vladimir Bondarenko, told TV "Ukraine", as part of the exercise, a complete check of shelters "in which the civilian population of Kyiv can be accommodated" and a check of drinking water "in case of damage to water installations" was planned.
Also, Itar-Tas s reports, the transfer of combat equipment by the shortest route from one region of Kyiv to another was practiced.
Previously, Bondarenko asked the people of Kiev not to be alarmed by the exercises.
"Many are afraid that something will happen that will disrupt the peaceful pace of life in Kyiv.
I want to say that we should be ready for everything," said the leader of Kyiv on the occasion, as reported by the Ukrainian agency, of the partial transfer of events from the east of the country to the territory of the capital - demonstrations, marches and political actions.
Russian naval attaché persona non grata
The Ukrainian authorities have made a decision to expel the naval attaché of the Russian embassy in Kyiv, Kirill Kolyuchkin, the spokesman of the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Interfax.
"The naval attaché of the Russian embassy in Ukraine has been declared persona non grata due to actions that are incompatible with his diplomatic status, and in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations," said the spokesman, as reported by the Voice of Russia.
"The diplomat will have to leave the territory of Ukraine as soon as possible," added the spokesperson of the Ministry.
Ukrainian media report that "Ukrainian security services detained Kolyuchkin on April 30 at the time of his espionage activity and thanks to their successful counterintelligence operation."
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