Ukraine’s acting president says police forces in the Luhansk and Donetsk are in disarray and institutional support for Moscow is a “colossal problem” in the east of the country. <br /><br /> Oleksander Turchynov’s comments come after dozens of people were killed in a fire and clashes in the Black Sea port city of Odessa as Ukraine’s bloody conflict spread from the east to the south.<br /><br /> He said Russian special forces were destabilising the country, but Odessa would not bend under pressure of separatism.<br /><br /> “The police itself which for 20 years have trained to do other things: to protect those in power, to take over people’s businesses,” said Turchynov during a television interview. “Now they are unable to take on the constitutional role of protecting the life and well-being of the people. It’s a colossal problem. Moreover, many of them are really sympathetic to separatist groups,” he added.<br /><br /> Moscow says Russian speakers face threats from Ukrainian nationalist militants, something Kyiv denies.<br /><br /> Ukraine is organising a presidential election for May 25.
