Public building in Donetsk stormed by pro-Russian mob, taking Ukraine to the brink
Prosecutor's offices stormed in Donetsk in fresh surge of violence by pro-Russian mob, as Moscow revels in patriotic May Day fervour
Pro-Russian militants yesterday unleashed fresh violence in east Ukraine, storming yet another public building and further fuelling fears that the ex-Soviet republic could disintegrate.
The violence in the city of Donetsk confirmed the separatists' expanding grip in eastern Ukraine, where they hold more than a dozen towns and cities.
Kiev admits it is powerless to halt their advance. Germany, meanwhile, asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to help free a team of international inspectors with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) held by rebels.
And in Moscow, in a show of the patriotic fervour sweeping the country, 100,000 workers paraded on Red Square for the first time since the 1991 break-up of the Soviet Union.
The parade was technically in honour of International Labour Day, but the banners declaring "Putin is right" and "Let's support the decisions of our president" made it more a victory march for the Russian leader and show of approval for his policies on Ukraine.
By contrast, the May Day march in Kiev - where the government is backed by the West in the showdown with Moscow - was dispirited, attended by a mere 2,000 people.