The mayor of Kharkiv in eastern Ukraine has been shot and critically wounded amid continuing unrest in the region.
Hennadiy Kernes was reportedly shot in the back by unknown
gunmen while out jogging, and is said to be undergoing emergency surgery
in hospital. Monday also saw pro-Russian separatists seize a local government building in Kostyantynivka in eastern Ukraine.
The US and EU are preparing to impose fresh sanctions against Russian individuals and companies.
Western nations accuse Moscow of supporting separatist gunmen who are occupying official buildings in cities across eastern Ukraine.
The separatists continue to hold seven Western military observers who were seized last week in the region.
Mr Kernes used to be a supporter of the former pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych. He then dropped his support for the ousted president in favour of a united Ukraine.
He has been described as a "mini-oligarch" - a successful businessman wealthy enough to launch a career in politics.
He has been accused of starting his business career as an organised crime boss, a claim he denied while acknowledging that he was once jailed for fraud - a minor offence "partly fabricated" by his enemies, he insisted.
The head of the hospital where Mr Kernes is being treated, the Surgery Institute in Kharkiv, described his condition as "very serious".
"Several internal organs have been injured. There's bleeding and shock. The bleeding has been stopped, and emergency doctors are treating him for shock," Valeriy Boyko told reporters.
Source:BBC
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