(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Kiev April 28 - The mayor of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine was shot and critically injured on Monday amid rising unrest in the region as the United States and Europe promised more sanctions against Russia.
Gennady Kernes the victim of an apparent assassination attempt underwent emergency surgery in a hospital after unknown gunmen shot him in the back. "Doctors are fighting for his life" a statement from the city of Kharkiv said.
Kernes is known as a staunch supporter of former President Viktor Yanukovych but has sided with Ukraine's new pro-Western government more recently.
With a population of 1.4 million Ukraine's second largest city has largely been spared the occupation of public buildings by pro-Russian militants that have befallen neighbouring regions.
Pro-Russian militants on Monday seized the administration building in Kostiantynivka a strategic city in the Donetsk region raising the flag of the self-declared Donetsk People's Republic.
The city is half-way between the regional capital Donetsk and Sloviansk which has been at the centre of the pro-Russian uprising. Militants in Sloviansk are holding a number of European military observers and journalists hostage.
Germany on Monday called for the observers' release.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said that the hostages are being "held captive against every law and without any reason" and must be released "immediately unconditionally and unharmed." The eight foreign observers including four Germans were on a verification mission under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). The pro-Russian militants accused them of being NATO spies. They released a Swedish officer Sunday for medical reasons.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier on his part told his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov during a telephone call that Russia must clearly distance itself from the kidnapping.
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