Ukraine leader concedes loss of control in occupied eastern regions

May 01, 2014

Acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov conceded Wednesday that police have lost control of the eastern towns and cities occupied by pro-Russia gunmen and ordered a full military alert to prevent the separatist disruptions from spreading.

At a meeting of regional government leaders, Turchynov blamed the erosion of government authority in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on a Kremlin plot to destabilize Ukraine and seize more of its territory, as it did in annexing Crimea last month.