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Developments in eastern Ukraine

Ukraine's federalization supporters occupy Donetsk city executive committee

"Administration chief came out of the building and told protesters that he was ready for a constructive dialogue with volunteer corps members," an official says

© ITAR-TASS/Valery Matytsin

DONETSK, May 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine's federalization supporters occupied the city executive committee in the Leninsky District of Donetsk on Sunday, Vitaly Ivanov, an official of the press service of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), told Itar-Tass.

"The administration chief came out of the building and told protesters that he was ready for a constructive dialogue with volunteer corps members and they, without storming the building, posted guards and installed a pass-checking system," Vitaly Ivanov pointed out. According to Ivanov, the administration chief had arrived there expressly for conversing with volunteer corps members.

Protesters also occupied the military prosecutor's office building here on Sunday. About 2,000 demonstrators demanded that criminal proceedings be instituted against members of the National Guard and the Security Service of Ukraine for the use of firearms against civilians.

"Prosecutors fled the building of the prosecutor's office but later on a prosecutor on duty returned to the building and stated that he agrees to initiate actions for crimes committed by the military," protesters told Itar-Tass.

Ukraine's military move towards Donetsk

Meanwhile, Ukraine's military move in the direction of Donetsk. In Konstantinovka they fired at a checkpoint on Sunday, activists of the DPR told Itar-Tass.

"The armoured vehicles enterrd the city from the direction of Druzhkovkas. APCs were also spotted in the area of Novosyolovka and snipers were detected near the Konstantinovka-based television tower," volunteer corps members pointed out.

Figthing is under way in Chervony District and bursts of fire are heard, eye-witnesses say. "The whole of Konstantinovka is in flames. Four National Guard APCs are already heading for Donetsk," DPR press service spokesman Alexander Maltsev told Itar-Tass by telephone.

Alarm is being struck in the churches of Konstantinovka and sirens are wailing in the city. According to preliminary data, the gunned down checkpoint was manned by unarmed civilians.

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Eastern Ukraine

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