A gunman guards during a news conference by Vacheslav Ponomarev leader of the pro-Russian gunmen, alongside a local reporter, in Slovyansk, eastern Ukraine, Tuesday, April 22, 2014. In town after town in the beleaguered east, it’s hard to tell who’s in control - and the situation in Slovyansk is just one of the most dramatic examples. Since the unrest began, pro-Russia insurgents have adopted a strategy of electing so-called people’s leaders: mayors and regional governors who claim to represent the people’s will, despite their questionable background and skills for the job. One reportedly is under criminal investigation, another is an Internet blogger.Efrem Lukatsky/The Associated Press