At least three protesters have died during Ukraine's continuing unrest. RFE/RL will be providing live updates as the crisis in Kyiv intensifies.
Final Summary
-- At least two people have died from gunshot wounds. Another activist, who dissapeared yesterday from a Kyiv clinic, was identified by a relative in a suburban Kyiv morgue.
-- The U.S. Embassy in Ukraine announced that it had revoked visas for some officials involved in November and December violence and condemned the violence that occured early Wednesday morning.
-- Pitched conflict between riot police and protesters continued overnight on Hrushevskoho street, as protesters maintained huge fires along their barricades, using mostly burnt tires.
-- The three main opposition leaders met earlier in the day with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. Later, in speeches at Independence Square they said they demanded he call early elections. Opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk gave him 24 hours.
-- Opposition leaders are expected to meet with Yanukovych again on Thursday afternoon. Vitali Klitschko, head of the Udar party, has called for a general strile to begin at noon as a way of demonstrating that opposition to the president is serious.
According to ourBelarusian Service, a member of the opposition "national resistance" said that one of those who died today is a Belarusian named Mikhail Zhiznevsky. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said they do not have enough information to comment and could not confirm the death.
Originally from Gomel, near the border with Ukraine, Zhiznevsky emigrated in 2005 -- apparently to escape political persecution.
13:4122.1.2014
Video from a little earlier today shows riot police brutally beating those they're able to catch.
14:1522.1.2014
Our Ukrainian Service reports of a brawl between pro-opposition members and so-called tytushky -- large men, usually dressed in athletic-ware -- in the eastern city of Donetsk. Opposition members chanted "gang away" and "fascists out." The tytushki had begun burning flags of protesters before police stepped in to end the melee.
14:4522.1.2014
Christopher Miller, an editor with the "Kyiv Post" says the item below was fired by Kyiv riot police earlier today. It is not typically of the rubber bullets seen previously.
15:0222.1.2014
15:0822.1.2014
After nearly 12 hours of chaos, the barricades are bigger and the fires blacker.
15:1722.1.2014
"Ukrainska Pravda" reports that the hours-long meeting between Yanukovych and the three leaders of the opposition is over. They have not yet issued a statement.
16:0022.1.2014
Yanukovych called today's three hour meeting with opposition leaders "the first phase of the negotiations."
Ukraine -- President Viktor Yanukovych (2-L) speaks with opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk (3-R), Vitali Klitschko (2-R) and Oleh Tyahnybok (R) during their meeting in Kyiv, January 22, 2014.
