Gunmen seize police station in eastern Ukraine.

On April 12, Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said that several armed elements had seized a police station in the eastern city of Slaviansk.

On his Facebook page, Minister Avakov stated: "Armed individuals in camouflage have occupied the police station in Slaviansk. The response will be very firm because there is a difference between protest and terrorism." However, the minister did not provide further details.

Pro-Russian demonstrations in the city of Odessa. Photo: AFP/VNA

In a related development, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, currently on a one-day visit to Bulgaria, pledged to bolster the defense shield along the border with Russia and urged allies to increase their defense budgets.

Speaking at a joint press conference with host Foreign Minister Kristian Vigenin, Rasmussen stated: "We are taking legitimate steps to strengthen our support for our allies, from the Baltic region to the Black Sea. We are engaging with Moldova, Georgia, and other long-standing partners across the region to enhance cooperation. Bulgaria plays a key role in the region, and this region is also crucial to NATO."

Following his meeting with Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev earlier that day, Rasmussen emphasized that NATO must maintain its strength and that NATO member states need to increase their military budgets and cooperate more closely to acquire modern capabilities to face challenges.

According to News