Ukrainian government forces have seized control over the town hall and police department in the town of Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk region, the government of the "Donetsk people's republic" (DPR) has confirmed.
"The Dniepr-2 battalion has seized the town hall building and the police department in Krasnoarmeysk, using cash-in-transit vehicles. However, local residents managed to hide the ballots, so these were not destroyed," DPR government co-chairman Miroslav Rudenko told Interfax.
Citizens are gathering for a spontaneous rally in the town center to express their discontent with what is going on, he said.
Armed forces have entered the town of Krasnoarmeysk (Donetsk region) and seized control over the local council and police department, the local website 06239.com.ua said earlier.
Presumably, this is the 93rd Dnipropetrovsk mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard, the website said, citing its own sources.
According to unconfirmed reports, the local police building has been blocked by Privatbank's armored vehicles, the entrances and exits by machine-guns, and six armed fighters are protecting the entrance to the town hall building, the website said.
The organizers of the referendum on the status of the Donetsk region have closed virtually all polling stations. The National Guards have seized ballots and voter lists, the website said.
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