Slavyansk

The people of Slavyansk would dearly love to believe Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko who promised "everything is going to be fixed up" during a lightning visit to the former bastion of pro-Russian rebels on Wednesday.

Resurgent government forces hoisted the Ukrainian flag over pro-Russian rebels' main stronghold Slavyansk after a shelling onslaught levelled much of the city but delivered Kiev the biggest success of its campaign.

Government forces hoisted the Ukrainian flag on Saturday over the pro-Russian rebels' main stronghold of Slavyansk after flushing them out of the eastern industrial city, the defence minister said.

Dawn had barely broken when shelling began in the rebel bastion of Slavyansk, a ghost town emptied of half its people and besieged by Ukrainian government forces.

Ukraine's new Western-backed leader sought urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after rebels shot down an army helicopter despite ceasefire orders from their own commander to observe a fragile truce.

Ukraine's unilateral ceasefire hung in the balance on Sunday after clashes engulfed the separatist east and Russian President Vladimir Putin put troops on "full combat alert".

Ukraine's military waged new battles Saturday with pro-Moscow rebels who rejected Kiev's unilateral ceasefire, while the government raised alarm over the Kremlin's decision to put troops across Russia on combat alert.

Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine launched a desperate appeal on Sunday for more fighters to join their insurgency against Kiev's rule, saying even women were welcome.

Pro-Russian rebels claimed a massive turnout in a vote they held on Sunday to split east Ukraine into two independent republics, though Kiev slammed it as a "farce" amid Western fears it could lead to civil war.

France and Germany on Saturday threatened Russia with "consequences" if Moscow disrupts Ukrainian presidential elections this month, stepping up diplomatic pressure on the eve of "illegal" referendums the West fears will split the country apart.

Pro-Russian rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine on Friday tapped a man authorities in Kiev suspect is a colonel in the Russian security services to lead their insurgency.

Irina Boyevets was standing innocently on her balcony when a bullet smashed into her head. Anatoly Korochka was burned alive when his delivery truck was raked by machine gun fire.

Ukraine on Saturday expanded a military operation to seize ground from rebels in the east, following the bloodiest day in the country since the Western-backed government in Kiev came to power.

Three teams of Western journalists covering an assault by Ukraine's military on the flashpoint town of Slavyansk on Friday were seized by highly strung rebels and held for hours -- in some cases roughed up.

Ukraine's military lost two helicopters and two servicemen on Friday in a deadly offensive launched just before dawn against pro-Russian rebels holding the flashpoint town of Slavyansk, insurgents and authorities said.

The people of Slavyansk would dearly love to believe Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko who promised "everything is going to be fixed up" during a lightning visit to the former bastion of pro-Russian rebels on Wednesday.

Resurgent government forces hoisted the Ukrainian flag over pro-Russian rebels' main stronghold Slavyansk after a shelling onslaught levelled much of the city but delivered Kiev the biggest success of its campaign.

Government forces hoisted the Ukrainian flag on Saturday over the pro-Russian rebels' main stronghold of Slavyansk after flushing them out of the eastern industrial city, the defence minister said.

Dawn had barely broken when shelling began in the rebel bastion of Slavyansk, a ghost town emptied of half its people and besieged by Ukrainian government forces.

Ukraine's new Western-backed leader sought urgent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday after rebels shot down an army helicopter despite ceasefire orders from their own commander to observe a fragile truce.

Ukraine's unilateral ceasefire hung in the balance on Sunday after clashes engulfed the separatist east and Russian President Vladimir Putin put troops on "full combat alert".

Ukraine's military waged new battles Saturday with pro-Moscow rebels who rejected Kiev's unilateral ceasefire, while the government raised alarm over the Kremlin's decision to put troops across Russia on combat alert.

Rebel leaders in eastern Ukraine launched a desperate appeal on Sunday for more fighters to join their insurgency against Kiev's rule, saying even women were welcome.

Pro-Russian rebels claimed a massive turnout in a vote they held on Sunday to split east Ukraine into two independent republics, though Kiev slammed it as a "farce" amid Western fears it could lead to civil war.

France and Germany on Saturday threatened Russia with "consequences" if Moscow disrupts Ukrainian presidential elections this month, stepping up diplomatic pressure on the eve of "illegal" referendums the West fears will split the country apart.

Pro-Russian rebels fighting in eastern Ukraine on Friday tapped a man authorities in Kiev suspect is a colonel in the Russian security services to lead their insurgency.

Irina Boyevets was standing innocently on her balcony when a bullet smashed into her head. Anatoly Korochka was burned alive when his delivery truck was raked by machine gun fire.

Ukraine on Saturday expanded a military operation to seize ground from rebels in the east, following the bloodiest day in the country since the Western-backed government in Kiev came to power.

Three teams of Western journalists covering an assault by Ukraine's military on the flashpoint town of Slavyansk on Friday were seized by highly strung rebels and held for hours -- in some cases roughed up.

Ukraine's military lost two helicopters and two servicemen on Friday in a deadly offensive launched just before dawn against pro-Russian rebels holding the flashpoint town of Slavyansk, insurgents and authorities said.