The mayor of Ukraine's second-largest city was shot in the back and pro-Russia insurgents seized more government buildings Monday as the U.S. hit Russia with more sanctions for allegedly fomenting the unrest in eastern Ukraine.
Armed insurgents tacitly backed by Moscow are seeking more autonomy in the region — possibly even independence or annexation with Russia.
Ukraine's acting government and the West have accused Russia of orchestrating the unrest, which they fear Moscow could use as a pretext for an invasion. Last month, Russia annexed Crimea weeks after seizing control of the Black Sea peninsula.
In a bid to ratchet up the pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin, U.S. President Barack Obama's government levied new sanctions on seven Russian officials and 17 companies with links to Putin's inner circle. The U.S. is also revoking licenses for high-tech items that could be used by the Russian military.
The European Union is also planning more sanctions against Russia, with ambassadors from the bloc's 28 members meeting Monday in Brussels.
Mayor 'fighting for his life'
A pro-Russian man guards outside city hall in Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine. The country's acting government and the West have accused Russia of orchestrating the unrest. (Sergei Grits/Associated Press)
Hennady Kernes, the mayor of Kharkiv, was shot in the back Monday morning, underwent surgery and "doctors are fighting for his life," city hall said.
Kharkiv city hall spokesman Yuri Sydorenko told the Interfax news agency Kernes was shot while cycling on the outskirts of the city. Officials have not commented on who could be behind the attack.
Interfax quoted Valery Boiko, a Kharkiv surgeon who operated on Kernes, said the mayor's life is still under threat.
Kernes was a staunch opponent of the pro-West Maidan movement that toppled President Viktor Yanukovych in February and was widely viewed as the organizer of activists sent to Kyiv from eastern Ukraine to harass those demonstrators.
But he has since softened his stance toward the new Kyiv government. At a meeting of eastern Ukrainian leaders and acting Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk earlier this month, Kernes insisted he does not support the pro-Russia insurgents and backed a united Ukraine.
Kharkiv is in eastern Ukraine, where pro-Russia gunmen have seized government buildings and police stations, set up roadblocks or staged protests to demand greater autonomy or outright annexation by Russia. But unlike the neighbouring Donetsk region, Kharkiv has been largely unaffected by the insurgency and Kernes has been credited for this. Its regional administration building was briefly seized earlier this month but promptly cleared of pro-Russia protesters.
On Monday, masked militants with automatic weapons seized another city hall building and a police station in eastern Ukraine, this time in Kostyantynivka, 160 kilometres from the Russian border. The city is 35 kilometres south of Slovyansk, a major city that has been in insurgents' hands for more than three weeks now.
After the seizure, about 15 armed men guarded the city hall building. Some posed for pictures with residents while others distributed St. George's ribbons, the symbol of the pro-Russia movement.
Russia announced new military exercises along its border with Ukraine last week, unnerving Ukraine and the West. NATO has said Russia has up to 40,000 troops stationed in regions along the border.
On Monday, Moscow turned down Kyiv's request to visit the military exercises. Russia's foreign ministry said the Geneva accord that Ukraine and Russia signed earlier this month do not contain any restrictions of what the Russian army can do on its own territory.
Insurgency turns to kidnapping
Meanwhile, the increasingly ruthless pro-Russia insurgency is turning to an ominous new tactic: kidnapping. About 40 people are being held hostage in makeshift jails in Slovyansk — including journalists, pro-Ukraine activists and seven military observers from the Organization of Security and Co-operation in Europe, Ukraine's Security Service said Monday.
The German government on Monday decried the seizure of the European military observers and called for their immediate release. Eight observers, including three German officers, were detained Friday on allegations they were spying for NATO. One Swedish officer among them was released Sunday.
Pro-Russia militants in camouflage and black balaclavas paraded some of the captive military observers before the media on Sunday. They also showed three Ukrainian security guards bloodied, blindfolded, stripped of their trousers and shoes, their arms bound with packing tape.
German captive Col. Axel Schneider spoke at Sunday's news conference — under armed guard — saying they were on an OSCE diplomatic mission and were not spies.
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