Ukrainian military forces fought several battles with pro-Russian militias in several towns in Eastern Ukraine, resulting in 5 dead rebels and a stern warning from Vladimir Putin. Reuters: Ukrainian forces killed up to five pro-Moscow separatists in the east of the country, the Interior Ministry said on Thursday, as Russian President Vladimir Putin warned of "consequences" if Kiev used the army against its own people. Interior Ministry forces backed by the army removed three checkpoints manned by armed groups in the separatist-controlled town of Slaviansk, the ministry said in a statement. "During the armed clash up to five terrorists were eliminated," it said, adding that one person had been wounded on the side of government forces. Under an international accord signed in Geneva last week, illegal armed groups, including the rebels occupying about a dozen public buildings in the largely Russian-speaking east, are supposed to disarm and go...(Read Full Post)