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Is this war? Ukrainian military makes its move (pics)

  • People gather in front of a barricade across a street in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The writing on the flag on top of the barricade reads : "Donetsk Republic." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    People gather in front of a barricade across a street in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The writing on the flag on top of the barricade reads : "Donetsk Republic." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    People gather in front of a barricade across a street in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The writing on the flag on top of the barricade reads : "Donetsk Republic." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • A woman walks her dog along a barricade in downtown Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The Slogans read: "No to Fascism, Yes to referendum, Soldier do not shoot." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    A woman walks her dog along a barricade in downtown Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The Slogans read: "No to Fascism, Yes to referendum, Soldier do not shoot." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    A woman walks her dog along a barricade in downtown Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The Slogans read: "No to Fascism, Yes to referendum, Soldier do not shoot." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • A woman cleans up rubbish in front of an entrance to a city administration building in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters fortified the entrance with sand bags. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    A woman cleans up rubbish in front of an entrance to a city administration building in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters fortified the entrance with sand bags. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    A woman cleans up rubbish in front of an entrance to a city administration building in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters fortified the entrance with sand bags. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Pro-Russian protesters guarding a barricade, give way to their comrade, in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Pro-Russian protesters guarding a barricade, give way to their comrade, in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Pro-Russian protesters guarding a barricade, give way to their comrade, in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, a Ukrainian guards a check-point near Barvinkove, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces repelled an attack Tuesday by about 30 gunmen at an airport, beginning what the president called an "anti-terrorist operation" to try to restore authority over the restive region. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
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    In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, a Ukrainian guards a check-point near Barvinkove, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces repelled an attack Tuesday by about 30 gunmen at an airport, beginning what the president called an "anti-terrorist operation" to try to restore authority over the restive region. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

    In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, a Ukrainian guards a check-point near Barvinkove, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces repelled an attack Tuesday by about 30 gunmen at an airport, beginning what the president called an "anti-terrorist operation" to try to restore authority over the restive region. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
  • In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, Ukrainian army troops guard an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Olga Ivashchenko)
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    In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, Ukrainian army troops guard an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Olga Ivashchenko)

    In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, Ukrainian army troops guard an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Olga Ivashchenko)
  • <p> People stand at a barricade at the regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Several government buildings have fallen to mobs of Moscow loyalists in recent days as unrest spreads across the east of the country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) </p>
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    Asia shares rise, shrug off slower China growth

    People stand at a barricade at the regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Several government buildings have fallen to mobs of Moscow loyalists in recent days as unrest spreads across the east of the country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

  • A pro-Russian protester strengthens barricades outside the mayor's office in Slaviansk, April 15, 2014. Russia declared Ukraine on the brink of civil war on Tuesday as Kiev said an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Moscow separatists was under way, with troops and armoured personnel carriers seen near a flashpoint eastern town. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
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    A pro-Russian protester strengthens barricades outside the mayor's office in Slaviansk

    A pro-Russian protester strengthens barricades outside the mayor's office in Slaviansk, April 15, 2014. Russia declared Ukraine on the brink of civil war on Tuesday as Kiev said an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Moscow separatists was under way, with troops and armoured personnel carriers seen near a flashpoint eastern town. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
    REUTERS
  • An Ukrainian soldier takes cover behind a tree as pro-Russia protesters gathered in front of a Ukrainian airbase in Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
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    An Ukrainian soldier takes cover behind a tree as pro-Russia protesters gathered in front of a Ukrainian airbase in Kramatorsk

    An Ukrainian soldier takes cover behind a tree as pro-Russia protesters gathered in front of a Ukrainian airbase in Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
    Reuters
  • Masked pro-Russia protesters stand guard at a barricade outside a regional government building in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. The sign reads, "No to fascism." REUTERS/Marko Djurica
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    Masked pro-Russia protesters stand guard at a barricade outside a regional government building in Donetsk

    Masked pro-Russia protesters stand guard at a barricade outside a regional government building in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. The sign reads, "No to fascism." REUTERS/Marko Djurica
    Reuters
  • Pro-Russian activists attack Ukraine's security services anti-terrorist unit chief, Gen. Vasyl Krutov, center, after he spoke outside Kramatorsk airport, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Pro-Russian activists attack Ukraine's security services anti-terrorist unit chief, Gen. Vasyl Krutov, center, after he spoke outside Kramatorsk airport, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Pro-Russian activists attack Ukraine's security services anti-terrorist unit chief, Gen. Vasyl Krutov, center, after he spoke outside Kramatorsk airport, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian police walk along a road as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian police walk along a road as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian police walk along a road as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian soldiers stand at APCs, with Ukrainian flags in the back, as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian soldiers stand at APCs, with Ukrainian flags in the back, as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian soldiers stand at APCs, with Ukrainian flags in the back, as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Pro-Russian people walk towards the airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)
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    Pro-Russian people walk towards the airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)

    Pro-Russian people walk towards the airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)
  • Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Pro-Russian activists make barricades in front of the gate of an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Pro-Russian activists make barricades in front of the gate of an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Pro-Russian activists make barricades in front of the gate of an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian army troops set up a position at an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian army troops set up a position at an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian army troops set up a position at an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian army troops stand next to an armored vehicle with a Ukrainian flag on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian army troops stand next to an armored vehicle with a Ukrainian flag on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian army troops stand next to an armored vehicle with a Ukrainian flag on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, speaks during press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Tymoshenko said on Tuesday that what Kiev is seeing in the country's east is a war. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, special forces on Tuesday recaptured a small airport that had been occupied by militiamen, the government said. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
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    Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, speaks during press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Tymoshenko said on Tuesday that what Kiev is seeing in the country's east is a war. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, special forces on Tuesday recaptured a small airport that had been occupied by militiamen, the government said. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)

    Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, speaks during press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Tymoshenko said on Tuesday that what Kiev is seeing in the country's east is a war. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, special forces on Tuesday recaptured a small airport that had been occupied by militiamen, the government said. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
  • A pro-Russian resident stands at a barricade in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)
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    A pro-Russian resident stands at a barricade in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)

    A pro-Russian resident stands at a barricade in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)
  • Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • Ukrainian soldiers stand near APCs, that fly a Ukrainian flag, as the Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
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    Ukrainian soldiers stand near APCs, that fly a Ukrainian flag, as the Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

    Ukrainian soldiers stand near APCs, that fly a Ukrainian flag, as the Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
  • A woman wearing a national flower crown looks back as she attends a pro-Ukrainian rally in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
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    A woman wearing a national flower crown looks back as she attends a pro-Ukrainian rally in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine

    A woman wearing a national flower crown looks back as she attends a pro-Ukrainian rally in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
    REUTERS
People gather in front of a barricade across a street in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The writing on the flag on top of the barricade reads : "Donetsk Republic." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
A woman walks her dog along a barricade in downtown Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. The Slogans read: "No to Fascism, Yes to referendum, Soldier do not shoot." (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
A woman cleans up rubbish in front of an entrance to a city administration building in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Pro-Russian protesters fortified the entrance with sand bags. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Pro-Russian protesters guarding a barricade, give way to their comrade, in Slovyansk , eastern Ukraine, Wednesday, April 16, 2014. The city of Slovyansk has come under the increasing control of the pro-Russian gunmen who seized it last weekend. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, a Ukrainian guards a check-point near Barvinkove, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces repelled an attack Tuesday by about 30 gunmen at an airport, beginning what the president called an "anti-terrorist operation" to try to restore authority over the restive region. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)
In this photo taken on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, Ukrainian army troops guard an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Olga Ivashchenko)
<p> People stand at a barricade at the regional administration building that they had seized earlier in Donetsk, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Several government buildings have fallen to mobs of Moscow loyalists in recent days as unrest spreads across the east of the country. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky) </p>
A pro-Russian protester strengthens barricades outside the mayor's office in Slaviansk, April 15, 2014. Russia declared Ukraine on the brink of civil war on Tuesday as Kiev said an "anti-terrorist operation" against pro-Moscow separatists was under way, with troops and armoured personnel carriers seen near a flashpoint eastern town. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
An Ukrainian soldier takes cover behind a tree as pro-Russia protesters gathered in front of a Ukrainian airbase in Kramatorsk, in eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
Masked pro-Russia protesters stand guard at a barricade outside a regional government building in Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. The sign reads, "No to fascism." REUTERS/Marko Djurica
Pro-Russian activists attack Ukraine's security services anti-terrorist unit chief, Gen. Vasyl Krutov, center, after he spoke outside Kramatorsk airport, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Ukrainian police walk along a road as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Ukrainian soldiers stand at APCs, with Ukrainian flags in the back, as Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Pro-Russian people walk towards the airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)
Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Pro-Russian activists make barricades in front of the gate of an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Ukrainian army troops set up a position at an airport in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Ukrainian army troops stand next to an armored vehicle with a Ukrainian flag on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, speaks during press conference in Kiev, Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. Tymoshenko said on Tuesday that what Kiev is seeing in the country's east is a war. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, special forces on Tuesday recaptured a small airport that had been occupied by militiamen, the government said. (AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
A pro-Russian resident stands at a barricade in Kramatorsk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. In the first Ukrainian military action against a pro-Russian uprising in the east, government forces clashed Tuesday with about 30 armed gunmen at a small airport in Kramatorsk. (AP Photo/Alexander Ermochenko)
Ukrainian Army troops receive munitions at a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
Ukrainian soldiers stand near APCs, that fly a Ukrainian flag, as the Ukrainian army troops receive ammunition in a field on the outskirts of Izyum, Eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 15, 2014. An Associated Press reporter saw at least 14 armored personnel carriers with Ukrainian flags, one helicopter and military trucks parked 40 kilometers (24 miles) north of the city of Slovyansk on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)
A woman wearing a national flower crown looks back as she attends a pro-Ukrainian rally in Luhansk, eastern Ukraine April 15, 2014. REUTERS/Shamil Zhumatov (UKRAINE - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)
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Ukrainian forces launched a "special operation" on Tuesday against separatist militia in the Russian-speaking East, authorities said, although aside from a landing by airborne troops the action was limited. (Reuters)