Russia dismissed a United Nations report warning of an “alarming deterioration” of human rights in separatist regions of eastern Ukraine yesterday as unobjective and politically motivated.

“The complete lack of objectivity, blatant discrepancies and double standards leave no doubts that the report’s authors were performing a political put-up job aimed at clearing the name of the self-declared authorities in Kiev,” the Russia’s Foreign Ministry said.

Meanwhile, in Washington, the US warned Moscow of punishing new sanctions if the Kremlin or its allies disrupted presidential elections in fewer than 10 days.

Kiev’s self-appointed government is struggling to keep Ukraine from disintegrating ahead of the May 25 vote, resorting to a military offensive to put down anti-fascist activity in the eastern industrial heartlands.

Anti-Kiev activists have retreated from government buildings in Mariupol and steelworkers have started citizen patrols.

Mariupol is the second-largest city in the Donetsk region and was one of the cities taken over by protesters who have been in control of government buildings there for weeks.

The citizen patrols began earlier this week as controversial billionaire oligarch Rinat Akhmetov pushed steelworkers at his factories to help the police restore order in the city.

Akhmetov’s Metinvest initiated an agreement with steel plant directors, local police and community leaders on improving security in the city and vacating occupied buildings.

A representative of the Donetsk People’s Republic activist group, which declared independence on Monday, was also party to the agreement.

But German Mandrakov, who was once the commander of Mariupol’s occupied governmental building, said that his associates had fled and he was “forced” to leave the government buildings.

“Everyone ran away,” he said.

“Someone is trying to sow discord among us, someone has signed something, but we will continue our fight.”

Several dozen Metinvest workers in overalls and helmets were clearing the barricades outside the government building yesterday.

The first major citizen patrol was held in Mariupol on Thursday, local police spokeswoman Yulia Lafazan said.

There are currently about 100 groups consisting of two policemen and six to eight steelworkers patrolling Mariupol streets, she estimated.