烏克蘭努力維持對東部地區的控制

Ukraine is struggling to keep control of key cities in its pro-Russian east as demonstrators seize government buildings and demand votes on joining Russia.

Authorities say shots were fired and at least 60 protesters arrested in Kharkiv Tuesday, while pro-Russian demonstrators held on to government offices captured Sunday in Donetsk.

In Luhansk, Ukrainian authorities say more than 50 people were allowed to leave state security headquarters early Wednesday, where the pro-Russians were allegedly holding 60 hostages. The officials say the protesters have wired the building with explosives.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry accused Russian agents and special forces of stoking separatist unrest in eastern Ukraine. He called the Russian actions "a contrived pretext for military intervention just as we saw in Crimea."

Kerry told a senate committee Tuesday that Moscow's involvement in Ukraine "clear and unmistakable." He said President Barack Obama is preparing more tough sanctions on Russia if it continues destabilizing Ukraine.烏克蘭政府正在努力維持對親俄羅斯的該國東部主要城市的控制。在此同時，示威者佔據政府辦公建築，並要求舉行決定是否併入俄羅斯的全民公投。

有關當局表示，哈爾科夫星期二發生槍擊事件，至少60名抗議者被捕。在頓涅茨克，親俄羅斯的示威者繼續留在他們星期天佔據的政府辦公建築裏。

在盧甘斯克，烏克蘭當局說，50多人星期三清晨獲准離開國家安全總部，據稱親俄羅斯抗議者在那裏扣留了60名人質。有關官員說，抗議者在那座建築裏安裝了炸藥。

美國國務卿克里譴責俄羅斯特工和特種部隊在烏克蘭東部煽動分離主義騷亂。他說，俄羅斯現在的行動“正如我們在克里米亞看到的一樣，是在爲進行軍事幹預製造藉口”。

克里星期二對美國參議院外交關係委員會說，莫斯科在烏克蘭的捲入是“明確無誤” 的。他表示，如果俄羅斯繼續在烏克蘭製造不穩定局勢，奧巴馬總統將準備對俄羅斯採取更嚴厲的制裁。