The mayor of Ukraine’s second-largest city was shot in the back on Monday and pro-Russia insurgents seized yet another Government building as tensions rose in eastern Ukraine ahead of a new round of US sanctions.
Armed insurgents tacitly backed by Moscow are seeking more autonomy in the region from the interim Government in Kiev. Hennady Kernes, the mayor of Kharkiv, was shot in the back, his office said. Kernes was said to be undergoing surgery and “doctors are fighting for his life,” according to the city hall.
Officials have not commented on the circumstances of the shooting and it was not clear who was behind it.