Ukraine protests live: Death toll mounts amid 'sniper attacks' as fresh fighting breaks truce

By Hannah Strange, London, Roland Oliphant and David Blair, Kiev12:14PM GMT 20 Feb 2014

At least 24 killed as gunfire rings out in Independence Square; reporters see bodies with bullet wounds to heads. Follow live developments here.

 Hopes that truce could end violence dashed as fighting breaks out in Independence Square
23 bodies in civilian clothing counted by reporters amid suggestions of sniper attacks

1 policeman has been reported killed and dozens have been captured by protesters
Telegraph correspondent sees several bodies with single bullet wounds to head
Foreign ministers from Poland, France and Germany meet President Yanukovych in Kiev
EU foreign ministers to hold emergency meeting on possible sanctions

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15.24 Ukraine's police force has said it used live rounds in self-defence during this morning's clashes.

"For the purpose of preserving the lives and wellbeing of law enforcement officials, a decision was taken ... to use weapons in self defence," the interior ministry said in a statement, adding that its staff "have the right to use firearms" if their lives or wellbeing are threatened.

The interior ministry said 67 police officers had been captured by protesters, their whereabouts unknown.

14.38 Video: The Telegraph's David Blair in Kiev says this looks like "the early stages of civil war".

14.33 William Hague, the foreign secretary, has arrived at the emergency meeting of EU foreign ministers, and has condemned this morning's violence as "indefensible". In comments as he entered the meeting, he said:

The latest scenes and events in Kiev, including the killing of more protestors we’ve heard about this morning is utterly unacceptable and indefensible and the United Kingdom condemns these actions in the strongest terms.

By permitting such actions to take place, the Ukrainian Government is putting itself at odds with reasonable opinion all across the world.

We have summoned the Ukrainian Ambassador in London this morning to register our emphatic protest at these events and to call for immediate and far reaching change in the attidute of the Ukrainian authorities to ensuring a peaceful and democratic settlement of the issues in Ukraine.

It is not right to describe protestors as terrorists. A great many of them of course are simply seeking a better future for their country.

I think the European Union today has to act in a way that helps to stop the violence because without an end to the violence there will be no other progress of any kind in Ukraine either politically or in the desperate economic situation of the country.

So helping to stop the violence is the immediate priority. But we also have to act in a way that ultimately promotes a peaceful and democratic settlement of all of these issues. There has to be an international response to what has happened over the last few days and that is why we will be discussing sanctions measures against those responsible for the violence.

It is time on all sides for people to turn away from violence. But the Ukrainian Government of course bears the greatest responsibility and the particular responsibility to take the lead in making sure that happens."

14.23 The foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland, Laurent Fabius, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Radek Sikorski have updated Baroness Ashton over the telephone from Kiev, where they are meeting with both sides of the Ukrainian crisis, our correspondent in Brussels, Bruno Waterfield, reports.

The three will talk to meeting of EU foreign ministers by video conference.

Their talks with President Yanukovych will continue later this afternoon and evening.

14.05 Our correspondents in Kiev, David Blair and Roland Oliphant, say protesters have regained all the territory they had lost over the past few days, pushing security forces back to the area around the parliament. Thousands of people are in Independence square building and reinforcing barricades but the atmosphere has calmed since this morning's violence.

The Telegraph can confirm a death toll among protesters of 23, based on body counts by our reporters on the ground; however they believe it may rise. They also witnessed some 50 police officers being captured and led away by protesters, their destination unknown.

How this morning's fighting began is still unclear, with conflicting reports as to which side advanced first. What is known is that at one point police began to withdraw from the square, chased by protesters. Then the shooting began.

13.40 Our Brussels correspondent, Bruno Waterfield reports that diplomats at the EU have prepared the following draft statement ahead of the EU foreign ministers' meeting to begin shortly: "In light of the deteriorating situation, the EU [has decided] as a matter of urgency targeted measures against those responsible for violence and use of excessive force."

Top of the sanctions list is expected to be Vitaliy Zakharchenko, the interior minister. Sanctions are expected to enter into force between next Tuesday and next Saturday for legal reasons.

13.10 As accusations of blame fly, it is still unclear exactly what sparked today's clashes. Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has claimed that "extremists and hardliners" are seeking to ignite a civil war. Conflicting reports have suggested that protesters chased police as they withdrew, or alternatively that police were advancing on protesters. Last night Mr Yanukovyuch announced a surprise truce, but, conversely, seemed determined to end the crisis by force as the security forces announced a sweeping anti-terror operation. We will be examining this question as further details emerge.

Ukraine protest in pictures: Renewed fighting breaks Kiev truceA protester carries Molotov cocktails

12.50 In Brussels, as foreign ministers prepare for an emergency meeting on the Ukraine crisis at 2pm GMT, EU sources have told our correspondent Bruno Waterfield that possible sanctions include a visa ban and asset freeze on interior ministry and security officials and an embargo on arms and equipment used for internal repression. There is not expected to be any specific targeting of Mr Yanukovych or his family at present though officials will put the onus on the president to resolve the crisis through negotiations, and warn against the imposition of a state of emergency,

However, our correspondent cautions, the sanctions on the table could change given the rapidly developing situation. If the death toll continues to rise or if authorities are concluded to be responsible for sniper attacks on civilians, "all bets are off", he says.

12.18 Interior Ministry spokesman Serhiy Burlakov has told AP that a policeman has been killed and that 28 suffered gunshot wounds, bringing the toll from the morning's clashes to 22. An AP cameraman has reported seeing government snipers shoot at some protesters in Kiev.

12.16 A Ukrainian alpine skier and her coach have pulled out of the Sochi Games in protest at the authorities' use of force, AFP is reporting.

Bogdana Matsotska and her coach Oleg Matsotskiy, who is also her father, said they were "outraged" by President Viktor Yanukovych's "bandit-like" actions to enter dialogue. They are the first members of the Ukrainian team confirmed to have pulled out of Sochi 2014.

12.13 This is our before and after of how Independence Square has been transformed during the three month crisis.

12.02 Telegraph correspondents Roland Oliphant and David Blair report from Independence Square, where they have counted 10 bodies apparently targeted by snipers.

12.00 Protesters display live rounds found in Independence Square:

Ukraine protests: ten killed 'by sniper' as fresh fighting breaks Kiev truce

11.57

Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has told the Ukrainian government not to be a "doormat", as the Kremlin and EU continue to pull in different directions over the crisis. Moscow has branded the fighting an "attempted coup d'etat" on the part of protesters, an interpretation at odds with the condemnations of government repression emerging from the West.

Mr Medvedev's remarks to the Russian cabinet do however underscore unease within Moscow as to how ally Viktor Yanukovych is handling the crisis. He suggested Russia might hold off on releasing $2 billion in aid to Ukraine this week, as was scheduled, until it could be sure of the direction the leadership was taking.

"We need partners who are in good shape and for the authorities that work in Ukraine to be legitimate and effective, so that people don't wipe their feet on the authorities like a doormat," Mr Medvedev said in televised remarks.

Mr Medvedev insisted that Ukraine must "protect its people, protect its security structures... Only in that case can we develop full econonomic cooperation."

Russia will "try to do everything to fulfil the promises that were given", he added.

Ukraine protests live: Death toll mounts amid 'sniper attacks' as fresh fighting breaks truceProtesters man the barricades

11.30

Clashes have been underway since early this morning in Kiev's Independence Square. So far, 21 protesters are believed to have been killed, according to a Reuters photographer who counted bodies in the square. The Telegraph's correspondents on the ground - Roland Oliphant and David Blair - have seen ten bodies laid out on a pavement, a number of which displayed single bullet wounds to the head. Protesters believe the victims have been killed by sniper attacks.

Ukraine protests: casualties rise as fresh fighting breaks Kiev truce(AFP)

Independence Square became a war zone once again as gunfire rang out and protesters bombarded police with Molotov cocktails and rocks. There were conflicting reports of how the violence erupted, with suggestions that protesters attacked police as they withdrew from their positions, and conversely that police had been advancing, causing protesters to repel them.

Read our coverage this morning from our team in Kiev: 21 killed amid 'sniper attacks' as fresh fighting breaks Kiev truce.

Source http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/ukraine/10651076/Ukraine-protests-live-Death-toll-mounts-amid-sniper-attacks-as-fresh-fighting-breaks-truce.html

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