Ukraine: 'Five Killed At Separatist Checkpoint'

Russian state TV has reported that five people were killed at a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

State-run Rossiya 24 news station said the five died when gunmen attacked the post near the Ukrainian city of Slavyansk.

Rossiya 24's correspondent in Slavyansk said three of the dead were with the pro-Russian separatists who control Slavyansk, and the other two were from the group that attacked their checkpoint.

A witness later told Reuters TV that he had seen two bodies at the checkpoint, one of them with gunshot wounds to the head and face.

One of the dead was dressed in combat fatigues and the other in civilian clothes, the witness said.

Police were at the scene carrying out an investigation, he added.

AFP reported a local leader as telling journalists that three pro-Russian militants and one attacker had been killed.

Vyatcheslav Ponomarev said a gunbattle broke out at a barricade put up in a village east of Slavyansk.

Separatist gunmen maintain a firm grip over a string of towns across Ukraine's industrial east despite an international deal signed last week demanding they leave state buildings they are occupying.

A map showing the location of Slavyansk

Authorities in Kiev, which have vowed to remove the separatists, said they have suspended military operations against the pro-Moscow rebels until after the Easter holidays.

Russia, the US, the European Union and Ukraine struck a deal on Thursday aiming at de-escalating the crisis, part of which involves the separatists agreeing to lay down their arms.

The deadline runs out on Monday, after which the US and the EU have said they will consider further sanctions against Russia, which is viewed as having influence over the pro-Russian militia operating in eastern Ukraine.

Russia's foreign ministry said it was outraged by the shootout, describing it as a "provocation".

Earlier, Ukraine's Prime Minister accused the Russian President of Soviet Union ambitions by saying Vladimir Putin has "a dream to restore the Soviet Union".

Arseny Yatseniuk said: "I consider that the biggest disaster of this century would be the restoring of the Soviet Union under the auspices of President Putin."

Meanwhile, the heads of the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches traded barbs over the crisis in the country as believers flocked to church for Easter services.

Pro-Russian protesters occupying barricades outside Donetsk's regional administrative building celebrated Easter by sharing traditional treats of pasky (baked Easter cakes) and pysanky (Easter eggs).

In western Ukraine, families had celebrated the festival on Saturday, gathering for the traditional blessing of Easter baskets laden with cakes and eggs, as well as meat, cheese and butter.

Blessing cakes on the eve of Easter is a tradition in Ukraine.

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