KIEV, Jan. 27 – The police have opened criminal cases on the seizure of the buildings of Poltava and Sumy Regional State Administrations.

A prejudicial inquiry has been launched by Poltava regional investigation department of Ukraine's Interior Ministry under Part 1, Article 341 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (seizure of state public buildings or facilities for its further illegal using).

On Saturday anti-government protesters seized the building of Poltava regional council. Police had offered no resistance as protesters stormed into the regional council's headquarters, smashing ground floor windows, and held a meeting at which they proclaimed the creation of a "people's council" and issued a resolution to ban the ruling Party of Regions and the Communist Party.