Ukraine accuses Russia of 'act of aggression'

Ukraine considered attacks by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine on Saturday as an "act of aggression by Russia", Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said.
   
"Units of the interior and defense ministries are implementing an operational response plan," he said in a statement on his Facebook page.

In turn, Ukraine's acting president called an emergency meeting of Kiev's  national security council after pro-Russian separatists seized control of government buildings in the eastern city of Slaviansk.
   
"At 9 p.m. (1800 GMT) a meeting will take place of the Ukrainian council of security and defense because of the situation in the east of Ukraine," a spokeswoman for Acting President Oleksander Turchinov said.

Pro-Russian separatists armed with automatic weapons set up checkpoints on roads into the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk on Saturday, Reuters witnesses said.
   
Masked men wearing a mixture of civilian and combat clothing checked passing vehicles before waving them past barricades built out of car tyres and sand bags on roads leading into the city from Donetsk and Luhansk, the witnesses said.
   
A Russian flag flew at one of the checkpoints, while a black, blue and red separatist flag flew above another one.

Earlier, the regional police chief of the east Ukrainian city of Donetsk said he was quitting his post, bowing to demands from pro-Russian protesters.
   
Above the police headquarters, the Ukrainian flag was no longer flying, and was replaced with a separatist flag, according to a Reuters witness.
   
"In accordance with your demands I am stepping down," police chief Kostyantyn Pozhydayev told protesters.

Police said on Saturday that pro-Russian militants have seized a second building in the eastern city of Slaviansk, which houses the local headquarters of the state security service.
   
At least 20 armed militants took over the city's police headquarters earlier.
   
"The same group has seized the building of the SBU (security service) in Slaviansk," Donetsk regional police said in a statement.

This comes as Pro-Russian militants have seized at least 400 handguns and 20 automatic weapons from a police station they are occupying in the east Ukrainian city of Slaviansk, police said on Saturday.
   
"The aim of the takeover was the guns," a police statement issued from the capital Kiev said. "They are giving these guns to participants in the protest in Slaviansk."
   
A Reuters photographer at the building said he had not seen the attackers handing out weapons.

Several armed men have seized a police department in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slaviansk, Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said in a Facebook post on Saturday.

"Armed men in camouflage uniforms seized the police department in Slaviansk. The response will be very tough because there is a difference between protesters and terrorists," Avakov said, giving no further details.