Anti-government protesters were locked in a stand-off with riot police across burning barricades today after fierce clashes left at least 26 people dead in Ukraine's worst crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The crackdown by security forces triggered a storm of international condemnation, with the White House calling the violence "completely outrageous".
The European Union called an emergency meeting to discuss sanctions against those behind the unrest, as embattled President Viktor Yanukovych blamed the opposition for going too far.
Also Read
Ukraine's security service ramped up tensions by announcing a nationwide "anti-terrorist" operation in response to the three-month-old protests.
Security forces on Kiev's Independence Square meanwhile appeared to have temporarily halted their push to take over the city's main protest camp as people streamed to the site with food, clothing and medication for the demonstrators.
Some protesters on the smoke-filled square hurled Molotov cocktails and cobblestones at the lines of riot police, while others piled wood on to the burning barricades separating them from the security forces.
Riot officers responded with the odd volley of stun grenades and rubber bullets.
The atmosphere was more subdued than on Tuesday, when riot police stormed the protest square with tear gas and protesters responded by burning tyres and throwing stones and fireworks, leading to apocalyptic scenes of violence.
At the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, shocked Ukrainian athletes wanted to wear black armbands to mourn the dead, a request that was denied by the International Olympic Committee as it would interfere with rules on athletes' clothing.
Yesterday's unrest in Kiev was the deadliest yet since protests erupted in November after Yanukovych rejected an EU pact in favour of closer ties with Moscow.
Since then, the crisis has snowballed into a titanic tug of war for the country's future between Russia and the West.
Ukraine's health ministry said 26 people had died in the clashes since yesterday morning, including 10 policemen. Over 260 protesters and more than 340 police officers were injured.
