Armed, pro-Russian separatists inside government buildings in eastern Ukraine have until today to negotiate an exit, or face expulsion by force, the government in Kyiv said April 10. The ultimatum came as Russian President Vladimir Putin tightened pressure on Ukraine's almost bankrupt economy, saying the nation might soon have to pay in advance for its gas.
The Australian: Barricades up as Kyiv threatens force
Pro-Russian activists reinforce their barricade outside the regional security service building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk on April 10, 2014. Armed pro-Russian militants holed up in the headquarters of Ukraine's security agency in Lugansk the day before refused to give up their arms and vowed to fight off any efforts by the state to dislodge them. Separatists demanding a referendum to join Russia seized the building four days ago as a wave of secessionist anger swept eastern Ukraine, whose mainly Russian-speaking population feels under threat from a new pro-Western government in Kyiv.
