Ukraine is practically in a state of war with Russia, it was claimed tonight as Moscow warned Russian-leaning eastern regions have plunged into lawlessness.

Russian forces tightened their grip on Crimea yesterday despite a US warning to Moscow that annexing the southern Ukrainian region would close the door to diplomacy in a tense East-West standoff.

American aid is on the way, John Kerry promised crowds in Kiev as he visited sites where more than 80 anti-government protesters were killed last month.

Russian forces controlling the strategic region of Crimea have demanded that the crew of two Ukrainian warships must surrender, according to Ukrainian sources.

Ukraine's acting interior minister has said a warrant is out for the arrest of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

Ukrainian law enforcement agencies say they have no information about the whereabouts of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who has reportedly been seen in Sevastopol, a port on Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula which is the home of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.

With an ally claiming presidential powers and the whereabouts and legitimacy of the nominal president unclear, newly freed opposition icon Yulia Tymoshenko may feel her chance to take Ukraine’s leadership has come.

Hours after her release from prison, former Ukrainian Prime Minister and opposition figurehead Yulia Tymoshenko appeared before an ecstatic throng at the protester encampment in Ukraine’s capital today.

Ukraine's parliament has voted to call early presidential elections for May 25.

A top aide to Ukraine’s beleaguered president says he has no intention of leaving the country.

Protesters in the Ukrainian capital claimed full control of the city today following the signing of a Western-brokered peace deal aimed at ending the nation’s three-month political crisis.

Ukraine's opposition leaders have signed a deal with the president and European and Russian mediators for early elections and a new government in hopes of ending a deadly political crisis.

Ukrainian protesters have agreed to a deal with the country’s president on defusing a deadly political crisis, European officials say.

Ukraine's president has announced early elections and promised a coalition government.

There are reports a political deal to end the bloodshed in Ukraine has been reached following marathon crisis talks.

It is an indication of how powerful, how unaccountable and secure Russia president Vladimir Putin and his circle of oligarchs feel that they can orchestrate such terrible, anti-democratic violence in Ukraine while their pet project — the incredibly expensive, €37.5bn Olympics at Sochi — offers the world a prime-time insight into modern Russia.

Fierce clashes between police and protesters have shattered a brief truce in Ukraine’s besieged capital leaving at least 22 people dead.

The office of Ukraine’s embattled president says he and leaders of the country’s raging protests have called for a truce.

The European Union has threatened sanctions against Ukraine following deadly violence between riot police and protesters in Kiev in which at least 25 people died and 241 were injured.

At least 25 people have been killed and more than 240 injured during clashes between police and protesters in the Ukrainian capital, health officials said.

Amid cries of “Glory to Ukraine!” and with flaming tyres lighting up the night sky, thousands of riot police armed with stun grenades and water cannons attacked the sprawling protest camp in the centre of Kiev.

Thousands of police armed with stun grenades and water cannons have clashed with anti-government protesters in the centre of Ukraine’s capital, Kiev, and police say at least 13 people have been killed.

Hundreds of Ukrainian protesters threw rocks at police outside parliament today, as opposition politicians accused the government of stalling constitutional reform which would decrease the president’s powers.

Anti-government demonstrators in Ukraine’s capital ended their nearly three-month occupation of Kiev City Hall yesterday, as promised, in exchange for the release of all jailed protesters.

Ukrainian police have opened an investigation into the kidnapping of an opposition activist, who said he was held captive for more than a week and tortured.

As Ukraine’s hard-line pro-Moscow prime minister and his government resigned, Russian president Vladimir Putin says that he will still provide the country with the $15bn (€11bn) bailout as agreed.

The prime minister of crisis-torn Ukraine has submitted his resignation.

Ukraine’s embattled president has offered to make a top opposition leader the prime minister, but it is unclear whether the overture will mollify the radical faction of protesters who have clashed with police for much of the last week.

Ukrainian anti-government protesters have seized a regional administration building, according to news reports, and officials warned that police could storm the city hall in Kiev to free two policemen allegedly captured by protesters.

As riots spread from Ukraine’s embattled capital to nearly half of the country, President Viktor Yanukovych promised yesterday to reshuffle his government and make other concessions.

Enraged protesters stormed government offices in three western Ukraine cities today, forcing one governor to write a letter of resignation, as demonstrations against the pro-Russian president and his allies intensified outside the smouldering capital.

Ukrainian opposition leaders issued a stark ultimatum to President Viktor Yanukovych to call early elections within 24 hours or face more popular rage.

Anti-government protests in Ukraine’s capital escalated into fiery street battles as thousands of demonstrators hurled rocks and firebombs to set police vehicles ablaze. Dozens of officers and protesters were injured.

Hundreds of protesters have clashed with riot police in the centre of the Ukrainian capital Kiev today, after the passage of harsh anti-protest laws seen as part of attempts to quash anti-government demonstrations.

KARL MARX famously remarked that major historical events occur twice — the “first time as tragedy, then as farce”.

About 20,000 people protested in Ukraine’s capital yesterday, maintaining more than a month of rallies opposing the government’s decision to shelve a key deal with the EU.

The European Union suspended association talks with Ukraine yesterday as more than 200,000 protesters massed in the heart of Kiev demanding that the government recommit itself to the West.

The European Union has announced its suspending efforts to reach an association agreement with Ukraine.

The withdrawal of riot police from two areas in Ukraine’s capital is raising opposition hopes that three weeks of escalating protests have begun to erode police support for President Viktor Yanukovych and his government.

Anti-government protesters in Ukraine are claiming victory after riot police backed down from a showdown in Kiev’s main square.

Top Western diplomats headed to Kiev today to try to defuse a stand-off between Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s government and thousands of demonstrators, following a night in which police in riot gear dismantled protesters’ encampments outside government buildings.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters poured into the streets of Ukraine’s capital yesterday, toppling a statue of former Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and blockading key government buildings in an escalating stand-off with the president over the future of the country.

Thousands of Ukrainians angered by the president’s turn away from Europe and by police violence are heading for the centre of the capital for a mass rally.

A solution to Ukraine’s political turmoil is remaining elusive with thousands of people continuing to gather on Kiev’s Independence Square and besiege key government buildings.