A control node (26) of a radio access network (24) comprises a soft handover unit (62) and a power control unit (50). The soft handover unit (62) controls a soft handover procedure wherein a user equipment unit (30) has diversity in radio transmissions with plural radio base stations (28) comprising an active set of base stations. The power control unit (50), during the soft handover procedure, facilitates an adjustment of an uplink power level used by the user equipment unit (30) for uplink radio transmissions to the plural base stations by an adjustment amount. The adjustment amount is determined to promote uplink synchronization for all radio base stations of the active set. In one example embodiment, the power control unit (50) comprises a soft handover power boost function (70) which, during the soft handover procedure, increases the uplink power level used by the user equipment unit (30) for uplink radio transmissions by the adjustment amount. The adjustment amount is preferably a function of a difference between power levels of downlink reference signals of the active set.