Ukraine armed forces have launched action to regain control of several eastern cities held by pro-Russian militants.<br /><br />It comes a day after a Ukrainian ultimatum expired for the rebels to lay down their weapons.<br /><br />Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers have been brought in to Slavyansk by helicopter and armoured personnel carriers.<br /><br />So far, however, there are no reports of any shots being fired.<br /><br />Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov described the offensive as an “anti-terrorist operation.”<br /><br />In an address to parliament he said “the aim…is to defend the citizens of Ukraine.”<br /><br />Ukrainian police in several cities across the east have not put up any resistance in the face of pro-Russian militants who’ve occupied local government offices.<br /><br />Writing on his Facebook page Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev described Ukraine as being on the “brink of civil war.”<br /><br />Moscow accuses Kiev of provoking the crisis by ignoring the rights of citizens who use Russian as their first language, and has promised to protect them from attack.
