Polling stations have closed in Ukraine’s self-proclaimed People’s Republics of Donetsk and Lugansk after a referendum on independence from the Kiev government. The turnout reached over 70 percent, according to organizers of the poll. The last polling stations in Lugansk and Donetsk regions wrapped up their work at 23:00 local time (20:00 GMT). There is no minimum voter turnout required for... 

The United States and European Union are causing an international scandal by committing genocide in east Ukraine, a political analyst tells Press TV. “[US Secretary of State] Mr. John Kerry and Victoria Nuland at the State Department and President [Barack] Obama, who seems to be just funking the issue, and also the EU apparatus like [British Foreign Minister] William Hague, they all should be ashamed... 

Regional authorities in eastern Ukraine have admitted that they cannot stop pro-Russia activists from holding an independence referendum. On Friday, the mayor’s office in Donetsk published a statement, saying the upcoming referendum, due to be held on Sunday, cannot be prevented. The statement said there were not enough police forces against the voting polls that would be set up in public sites... 

There’s gunfire, explosions and brutal clashes in the city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine as fighting erupted between pro- and anti-govt protesters, RT’s stringer reports from the scene. 14 people have asked for medical assistance, with several hospitalized, after clashes in Donetsk, the regional administration told Interfax-Ukraine news agency. According to Novosti Donbassa (Donbas News),... 

This satellite image dated April 25 shows Ukrainian armored vehicles positioned near the city of Slavyansk, eastern Ukraine. Ukrainian tanks and armored vehicles have been stationed en masse around the Donetsk region city of Slavyansk, satellite images leaked to media reveal. A Russian defense source says that artillery and rocket systems have also been deployed to the area. RIA Novosti on Saturday... 

Defected Ukrainian soldiers socializing with Russian civilians in east of Ukraine. Reports from Slavyansk say that the army troops sent to the eastern Ukrainian city for an “anti-terrorist operation” are leaving en masse. Some troops are openly voicing support for the eastern Ukrainians, while others are speaking out against a war. According to Interfax, citing local self-defense activists, some... 

Ukrainian security forces have launched a crackdown on separatist protesters in the eastern town of Slavyansk, where pro-Russian protesters have seized government buildings. “An anti-terrorist operation has begun in Slavyansk. It is being directed by the anti-terrorist center of the state security service. Forces from all the security units of the country have been brought in,” Ukraine’s Acting... 

Ukraine’s self-imposed president Aleksandr Turchinov has ordered the protester-held local govt HQ in Donetsk to be taken under ‘state protection’ as armed personnel and armored vehicles have been reported moving into the eastern region of Ukraine. According to a decree signed by Turchinov, the local administration building in Donetsk and surrounding territory is an “important government facility,... 

Ukraine lawmakers have engaged in a fistfight following a sharp division that emerged between opposing factions over events in the east of the country. Lawmakers traded punches in Ukraine’s parliament in Kiev on Tuesday following a controversial statement by one of the politicians during a heated debate on the unrest in the country. The ruckus unfolded after Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform... 

People in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv have declared independence from Kiev following a same move by pro-Russians in Donetsk. Protesters announced on Monday the formation of the Independent People’s Republic of Kharkiv outside the regional administration building. They also held their own election of what they call national lawmakers. Moreover, the demonstrators clashed with pro-Ukraine groups... 

At least 1,000 protesters have gathered in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the industrial capital of the region, demanding that authorities respect their right for self-determination by allowing them to stage a Crimea-style referendum. The rally was held in the city’s central Lenin Square. Demonstrators held Russian flags and signs which read, “The Republic of Donetsk.” The protesters... 

Did somebody say de-escalation? Earlier today, photos were distributed showing the latest military convoy reinforcements heading into the Crimea, accompanies by a Police car demonstrating Moscow license plate numbers, most likely providing further support to the pro-Russian forces in the peninsula. Supposedly the trucks are carrying troops to reinforces the members of the new Crimean army, pictured... 

Combo made of file pictures shows businessman Igor Kolomoisky (left) and Serhiy Taruta, Ukrainian businessman. The self-proclaimed government in Kiev has appointed two of Ukraine’s richest men to govern large industrial regions in the defiant east. One of the reasons for the Maidan protest was the influence the rich have on politics in the country. The appointments of new governors of Donetsk and... 

The new Ukrainian authorities have put missing President Yanukovich on the wanted list on suspicion of involvement in mass killings during the riots in Kiev. He was reportedly last seen at his residence in Crimea. The arrest warrant was issued on Monday, acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov announced on his Facebook page. He added that Yanukovich was last seen on Sunday night leaving his security... 

Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko greets supporters from a car as she leaves her prison hospital in Kharkiv on February 22, 2014. Ukraine’s opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko says she is sure the country will join the European Union (EU) in the near future. Tymoshenko made the comment on Saturday minutes after she was released from the hospital where she had been held under prison guard...