National guardsmen opened fire on a crowd outside a town hall in eastern Ukraine yesterday.
A spokesman for pro-Russia insurgents in the region said there had been fatalities.
The bloodshed, in the town of Krasnoarmeisk – about 20 miles from regional capital Donetsk – came hours after dozens of guardsmen shut down voting in a referendum on sovereignty for the region.
A photographer who witnessed the shooting said two people were seen lying motionless on the ground.
Earlier, guardsmen dispersed referendum voting that was taking place outside the town hall and took control of the building.
In the evening, more guardsmen arrived in a van and a scuffle broke out with people who were gathered around the town hall. The guardsmen then fired shots.
Eastern Ukraine has been gripped by unrest for the past month, with insurgents occupying police stations and government buildings.
Ukrainian forces have mounted a limited offensive to try to drive them out.
A referendum was held yesterday in Donetsk and Luhansk on declaring the regions “sovereign people’s republics”.
The organisers of the referendum – regarded as illegitimate by the central government and the west – say that a decision will be made later on whether to remain part of Ukraine, declare independence or seek annexation into Russia.
Meanwhile, Moldovan authorities have stopped Russia’s deputy prime minister from leaving the country with a petition calling on Moscow to recognise a breakaway region. The petition was confiscated.
Trans-Dniester broke from Moldova in 1990 and is supported by Russia.