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Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a news conference at his country residence of Novo-Ogaryova outside Moscow on March 4.
Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a news conference at his country residence of Novo-Ogaryova outside Moscow on March 4.

Live Blog: Ukraine On The Brink

Summary

-- U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Kyiv as U.S. officials announced Washington is preparing a $1 billion aid package for Ukraine.

-- Speaking at a press conference at his residence, Russian President Vladimir Putin has called the change of government in Ukraine an "unconstitutional overthrow and an armed seizure of power."

-- Putin also said there are no considerations to annex Crimea and no intentions to provoke separatist sentiment. He said it is up to the citizens of Crimea to determine their own future.

-- In Crimea, there are standoffs between Russian and Ukrainian troops in their bases, with conflicting reports of ultimatums given to Ukrainian troops to surrender that come and pass.

-- Russian Ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin has said that Ukraine's ousted President Viktor Yanukovych sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin requesting that he use the Russian military to restore law and order in his country.

-- In eastern Ukraine, pro-Russian demonstrators have occupied part of the regional government building in the city of Donetsk. Meanwhile, a few hundred pro-Russian activists tried but failed to force their way into the regional administration building in the southern city of Odesa.

NOTE: Live blog updates are listed according to local time in Kyiv

-- Glenn Kates / Luke Allnutt / Coilin O'Connor / Dan Wisniewski
20:54 18.2.2014
Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs now reporting six police officers have been killed.
20:56 18.2.2014
Protesters are reported to be storming government buildings in several western Ukrainian cities. This picture is reported to be of the central police headquarters in Ternopol.

21:11 18.2.2014
The press secretary for Vitali Klitschko says the boxer turned opposition politician is preparing to meet Yanukovych now.

21:40 18.2.2014
Geoffrey Pyatt, the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine, has confirmed that the video below -- of a man helping to wave through traffic towards Independence Square -- is indeed of him.


22:18 18.2.2014
22:25 18.2.2014
Protesters had held the trade union building since early December.

23:09 18.2.2014
Oleksaner Turchinov, an opposition deputy from the Fatherland party, was injured while standing on stage in Independence Square, according to Interfax. He later tweeted that he was doing okay and was likely hit by shrapnel.


23:21 18.2.2014
From Lviv, the attorney general's office, which has reportedly been taken over by protesters.

23:44 18.2.2014
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden spoke to Yanukovych earlier this evening and "expressed grave concern" about the violence.

"The [Ukrainian] government bears special responsibility to de-escalate the situation," he said.
23:50 18.2.2014
Images from the storming of the administration building in Lviv tonight, via our Ukrainian Service.

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