No coincidence Putin has his eye on eastern Ukraine.

(Reuters) – Dozens of pro-Russia protesters in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk stormed the regional government building on Sunday and hung a Russian flag.

The hometown of pro-Russian former president Viktor Yanukovich, Donetsk has seen tensions rise, as they have across mainly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, since his ouster and the installation of a pro-European government in Kiev.

The east has remained a touchpoint for tensions between Ukraine and Russia, after Yanukovich fled from power and Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean territory.

Tensions have spilled over into the biggest confrontation between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold war.

Pro-Russia protesters, who had been protesting on Sunday stormed the administrative building in Donetsk, hung a Russian flag over a second-floor balcony. Around 1,500 protesters who had surrounded the building cheered, chanting “Russia!”.