With tensions rising ever faster in eastern Ukraine, the anti-government (pro-Russia) movement in Donetsk has taken dramatic steps to bolster itself by creating a "people's army," or National Army of Donetsk. As RT reports, masked men, who are mostly civil volunteers, but also police and army defectors, say they “defend their motherland from the fascist army that’s going to kill them.” They also demand “a referendum to be independent from Kiev” and are in favor of “being with Russia.”

The Ukraine forces are moving in on Donetsk...

And now the people are organizing...

#Donetsk The People's assembly of the #Donbass separatist republic just announced in presser the creation of a "People's army" #engrenage — Stéphane Siohan (@stefsiohan) April 10, 2014

The importance of this move is the pro-Russian local forces are now organized to repel any Ukraine (government) attempts to re-take government buildings - and conjures ugly memories of the hell that Kiev suffered for multiple weeks.

As Dontesk protesters prepare...