Russia opens criminal case on Kiev for 'genocide' in east

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia opened a criminal case on Monday into what it called Kiev's genocide of Russian-speaking residents in eastern Ukraine in a move that could increase tensions during a strained ceasefire in the region.

An official statement said Russian-speaking citizens were targeted by Kiev forces using heavy weapons to kill over 2,500 people in the "Luhansk and Donetsk people's republics", the breakaway regions in the east.