KIEV, May 2 (Reuters) - Ukraine's acting president, Oleksander Turchinov, said on Friday Ukrainian border troops had rebuffed attempts by Russian "armed saboteurs" to cross into Ukraine overnight.
Turchinov also said in a statement the operation to retake the eastern town of Slaviansk had not progressed as quickly as he had hoped, complicated by pro-Russian rebels hiding "behind the citizens" and "firing from apartment blocks".
"We demand that the terrorists, saboteurs, all those who took up arms against our country, to lay down their arms, surrender, release hostages and administrative buildings," he said. (reporting by Natalia Zinets, writing by Elizabeth Piper, editing by Vladimir Soldatkin)
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