Ukrainian parliament backs military operation in eastern regions

Ukraine's Verkhovnaya Rada (parliament) has backed the military operation in the east of the country, parliament-appointed First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaliy Yarema told reporters.

At a session held behind closed doors, which was attended by heads of law-enforcement agencies, the Verkhovnaya Rada supported the military operation which is being "carried out in eastern Ukraine by police, the Defence Ministry and all law-enforcement bodies," Yarema said.

On April 15, Ukraine's parliament-appointed Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov announced the start of a military operation in Donetsk Oblast. Later, there were reports of region's city of Sloviansk having been surrounded by Kiev-controlled forces that had armored vehicles at their disposal. A fighter jet was reported shot down near the city of Kramatorsk in Donetsk Oblast.