Armed Men Seize Police Building in Eastern Ukraine

Armed men seized an Ukrainian police building Saturday as tensions continue to rise between Ukraine officials and pro-Russia separatists.

The armed men, believed to be pro-Russia militants, raided and took control of the police and security services building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk.

Tensions ran high in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk on Saturday, April 12, after armed and masked men raided the city’s police headquarters.

In local video footage, the city’s mayor is seen attempting to reason with the militants, while scuffles erupt between the armed men and locals.

Tensions ran high in the eastern Ukrainian city of Sloviansk on Saturday, April 12, after armed and masked men raided the city’s police headquarters.

Here, locals get involved in scuffles with armed and masked men outside the building. Around .45 seconds in a shot is fired and the crowd disperses.

Scuffles continue outside the now occupied police headquarters.

Arguments continue between the armed and masked men and locals.

The city’s mayor Nelia Shtepa attempts to speak with the armed and masked men who have taken the building.

A different group of gunmen attempted to storm the Donetsk regional prosecutor's office but were kept at bay, according to Ukraine's interior minister, Arsen Avakov said, The Guardian reported.

In the past several weeks, pro-Russia activists have stormed Ukrainian government buildings across several cities to demand a referendum that led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia last month.

Things in Ukraine have been heating up again — with brawls in parliament, violent clashes, and official buildings seized by separatists. Read more here.

Ukraine's acting foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsia in a phone call with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has urged Russia to end "provocative actions," Reuters reported.

More brawls erupt as Kiev's deadline for occupiers passes. Read more here.

On Friday, Kiev officials did not act on their threats to evict the pro-Russia protesters still occupying government buildings in eastern Ukraine.

But Ukrainian forces did evict protesters from a regional administration building in Kharkiv.