Russia blamed authorities in Kyiv on April 21 for the violence in eastern Ukraine, accusing them of trying to ignite a civil war in a region where pro-Russian militants have been defying the central government. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow will intervene if bloodshed continues — even as Ukrainian officials accuse Russia of stirring it up. On April 20, three people were killed in a shootout in the eastern Ukrainian city of Slovyansk.