Ukraine: Observers Freed Amid New Offensive

Military observers kept prisoner in Ukraine for more than a week have been released, the leader of pro-Russian insurgents in Slavyansk has confirmed.

The seven observers and their five assistants, from the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, were seized in the eastern city on April 25.

Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the self-appointed 'people's mayor' of Slavyansk, said they had now all been set free.

Russian authorities are likely to have intervened to broker their release, said Sky News' Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay.

Two of the observers pictured while they were being held in Slavyansk

The separatists had previously accused the observers of being "Nato spies" and said they were to be used as human shield.

A prisoner-swap was thought likely, although they were released today without any conditions.

The release comes as Ukrainian forces launched a dawn military operation against separatists in the east of the country as bloody clashes show no sign of letting up.

A pro-Russian activist fires a gun during clashes with rivals

Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Ukrainian forces had seized control of a television tower in Kramatorsk, near the rebel stronghold of Slavyansk where there was heavy fighting on Friday.

"We are not stopping," Mr Avakov wrote on his Facebook page, but gave no information on casualties.

The violence came hours after 31 people died after a building in Odessa was set on fire during clashes between protesters.

Police said some people inside the trade union building were overcome by smoke and others were killed jumping from windows as they tried to escape.

Pro-Russian and pro-Kiev activists fought running battles as the southern port city saw some of its worst violence since President Victor Yanukovych was ousted in February.

A protester throws a petrol bomb at the trade union building in Odessa

The fire started as the Kiev government began a major offensive against pro-Russian activists who have seized government buildings in the east of the country.

Russia said it was "outraged" by the day's events in Odessa and denounced the "criminal irresponsibility" of the pro-Western authorities in Kiev.

Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement that it called on Ukraine and its "Western backers to end the anarchy and take responsibility for the Ukranian people".

It added that Moscow viewed the "tragic events" as a sign of Kiev's "criminal irresponsibility".

At an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council, the UK accused Moscow of "breathtaking" hypocrisy over the latest clashes.

People wait for rescue on an upper-storey ledge during the fire

The UK's ambassador to the UN Sir Mark Lyall Grant said Russia had "funded, equipped and directed" some of those involved in the insurgency.

"Many" pro-Russian separatists were said to have been killed as the Ukrainian army took control of checkpoints around Slavyansk.

Two Ukrainian soldiers - from the airborne brigade - were also killed as two military helicopters were shot down, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said.

Russia said Kiev's offensive against the insurgents had "destroyed" the two-week-old Geneva agreement on cooling Ukraine's crisis.

The Ukrainian Security Service said one of the helicopters was shot down with a surface-to-air missile, adding that the sophisticated weapon undermined Russia's claims that Slavyansk was simply under the control of armed locals.

Sky News Chief Correspondent Stuart Ramsay, in Donetsk, said the Ukraine government is in a "very difficult position".

"If they want to take control of these towns they are going to have to put a lot of soldiers on the ground and bring in police from other parts of the country. If that happens it will absolutely be violent – it will only escalate further.

"Russia has made it clear that would be a reason for them to intervene to protect ethnic Russians.

"If Kiev doesn't do that, they are going to see the eastern parts of the country drift away."

Russia has tens of thousands of troops massed near Ukraine's border, and Kiev claims its neighbouring country is preparing to invade and that it is stoking the unrest in the east.

Moscow denies the allegations, but has warned Russia would respond to attacks on Russian citizens or interests in the east, where insurgents have seized government buildings in around a dozen cities in towns.

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