-- 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
As regards the Russian bailout agreed with Yanukovych, this is just in from the wires:
A top Russian finance official says Moscow has no legal obligation to pay further tranches of a $15 billion bailout package for Ukraine that was agreed with ousted President Viktor Yanukovych.
Deputy Finance Minister Sergei Storchak said on February 25 that Moscow believes there's a "slight" risk debt-burdened Ukraine will not repay the first installment.
Russia disbursed $3 billion in an initial tranche, but suspended the next $2 billion tranche after violence and political turmoil roiled Ukraine last week.
Moscow has declined to recognize the former opposition politicians who have taken over as Ukraine's authorities.
Moscow agreed the bailout in November after Yanukovych rejected signing cooperation accords with the European Union.
Ukraine's new authorities have estimated the country will need $35 billion over the next two years to stave off financial ruin.
08:5226.2.2014
A lot of news this morning (see the summary above for the latest developments). This just in:
Ukraine's acting President Oleksander Turchynov has assumed the duties of commander in chief of the country's armed forces.
The move was announced in a decree published on the presidential website on Wednesday. The announcement comes one day after acting Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said he had signed an order to disband the country's Berkut special police force.
The Berkut have been blamed by antigovernment protesters for violent attacks against demonstrators. Avakov said on his official Facebook page that "there is no Berkut any longer."
Further details are expected to be given at a briefing on Wednesday.
There are thought to be some 4,000 Berkut troops, who are well-trained and specialize in riot control and rapid-response operations.
08:5426.2.2014
Wow. @HromadskeTV being broadcast on #Ukraine 1 Channel, previously a Yanukovych/govt propaganda machine.
Kids' drawings on the streets on Kyiv, honoring protesters who died:
10:0826.2.2014
The rumblings in Crimea continue.(From our Ukraine, Russia, and Tatar-Bashkir services):
Opposing groups of protesters are rallying outside the Crimean parliament.
Hundreds of pro-Russian activists are protesting against Ukraine's new government, which came to power after antigovernment demonstrations toppled President Viktor Yanukovych on Saturday.
The protesters are demanding a return to the Crimean Constitution of 1992, which gave the peninsula more autonomy.
They also want a referendum on Crimea's legal status.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Crimean Tatars who support the new leadership in Kyiv and who oppose Crimea's possible separation from Ukraine are also rallying.
The Crimean parliament is scheduled to discuss the crisis at an extraordinary session on Wednesday.
Russian lawmaker Leonid Slutsky, who visited Crimea this week, said earlier that Russia is ready to carry out "any measures to defend the interests of its compatriots residing in Crimea."
11:0326.2.2014
Glenn Kates wrote last week about Olesya Zhukovskaya, a 21-year-old Ukrainian medical volunteer, who tweeted "I'm dying" after being shot.
After widespread fears that she was dead, she eventually tweeted that she was alive and in the hospital in a stable condition.
