Death toll from Slavyansk offensive rises amid warnings of Ukraine civil war

The death toll from a military offensive in a flashpoint town in east Ukraine rose to at least 34, officials said on Tuesday, amid fresh warnings of civil war and the shutdown of a major airport in the region.

“Chaos and the risk of civil war” are now looming in Ukraine, said French President Francois Hollande, reflecting a frantic European push under way for a diplomatic solution before it is too late.

There are fears that Russian President Vladimir Putin could yet order an invasion into his ex-Soviet neighbour under the guise of a “peacekeeping” mission.

But the US general commanding Nato’s military operations, Philip Breedlove, said Russian special forces the West believes are already deployed covertly “may be able to accomplish his (Putin’s) objectives in eastern Ukraine” without the need to send in troops.

Kiev and its Western backers see Moscow’s main aims as making sure Ukraine’s east holds a planned “referendum” on Sunday calling for autonomy, and sabotaging all possibility of a nationwide presidential election two weeks later.