Pro-Russian demonstrators continued their occupation of government buildings across Ukraine yesterday.

Activists shouting “Russia” broke through police lines and stormed buildings in several eastern regions on Sunday, seeking independence from Kiev.

They took over state buildings in Kharkiv, Donetsk and Lugansk.

Several regions now want to hold referendums on joining Russia when Ukraine holds presidential polls on May 25.

In Lugansk, hundreds of people surrounded the local security service office and planted a Russian flag on the roof.

Activists who seized the main administration building in Donetsk proclaimed the creation of a sovereign “people’s republic” independent of Kiev yesterday.

A YouTube video showed one Russian speaker telling the assembly: “Seeking to create a popular, legitimate, sovereign state, I proclaim the creation of the sovereign state of the People’s Republic of Donetsk.”

The announcement was met by a roar from about 100 people packed inside an auditorium in the occupied building.

The activists later resolved to join the Russian Federation and a resolution was met with cheers and chants of “Putin help” and pledges to hold a regional sovereignty referendum no later than May 11.

The office remained surrounded by about 2,000 Russian supporters yesterday, some of them armed.

And in Kharkiv activists left the administration buildings after occupying them overnight.