Geography of Ukraine

At least 9 Ukrainian soldiers die in clashes in east

DONETSK, LUGANSK -- At least nin Ukrainian soldiers were killed and 20 others were wounded last night in two attacks of pro-Russian rebels in the east of Ukraine.

The governor of the Kherson region Yurii Odarchenko claimed the occupation authorities in Crimea wrecked the installations of the North Crimean canal. 

According to Odarchenko, quoted by the wire agency Ukrinform, said they seized the canal and tried to draw water from open reservoirs, but wrecked the installations instead. 

Troops sent by Kiev as part of an "anti-terrorist" operation in eastern Ukraine have made progress retaking seized buildings in the port of Mariupol.

Wednesday's developments follow the entering of 10 army tanks and armored vehicles into Mariupol, which was revealed by witnesses cited by local media.

The turnout in the referendum on whether Crimea should remain a part of Ukraine or separate from it reached 44.27 % Sunday noon local time.

According to the chief of the Crimean legislature's commission for holding the referendum, Mikhail Malyshev, as cited by ITAR-TASS, the highest turnout rates so far were registered in Kerch - 64.3 %, and in Armyansk, 73.1 %.

In photos: Downtown Kiev "turned into war zone"

KIEV -- A central part of the Ukrainian capital city, Kiev, has been turned into "a veritable war zone," B92's reporters, Aleksandra Godfroa, has said.

There is chaos in the streets, with detonations and gunshots heard, while a nearby monastery has been turned into a field hospital.