Russia calls Ukraine PM Arseny Yatseniuk's unity poll proposal a 'sham'

Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Thursday that a proposal from Ukraine's prime minister to hold a poll on Ukrainian unity and territorial integrity was a sham that would only deepen the crisis in the country.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said the government would send to parliament a law on conducting a nationwide poll on Ukrainian unity and territorial integrity on May 25, when the country is also due to hold a presidential election.

Russian Foreign Ministry also said in a statement that the plans were "cynical" given what it said were Kiev's military operation against "it's own people".

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin, editing by Nigel Stephenson)