13:33
26.2.2014
Meanwhile, with Ukraine's troubled economy...
The United States has sent a team of financial experts to Ukraine to help the country's new leaders deal with an urgent economic crisis.
Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the experts would remain in Ukraine following his departure later on Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, Burns met with former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is widely seen as a potential presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, Stepan Kubiv, the newly appointed head of the Central Bank, said the bank's reserves declined to about $15 billion, an eight-year low, from $17.8 billion at the end of January as the regulator spent dollars to arrest the decline of the national hryvnia currency.
Kubiv also said as much as 7 percent of deposits were taken from banks last week as police clashed with protesters in Kyiv.
Visiting U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns said the experts would remain in Ukraine following his departure later on Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, Burns met with former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is widely seen as a potential presidential candidate.
Meanwhile, Stepan Kubiv, the newly appointed head of the Central Bank, said the bank's reserves declined to about $15 billion, an eight-year low, from $17.8 billion at the end of January as the regulator spent dollars to arrest the decline of the national hryvnia currency.
Kubiv also said as much as 7 percent of deposits were taken from banks last week as police clashed with protesters in Kyiv.
14:14
26.2.2014
BREAKING: Pro-Ukrainian protesters have stormed the regional parliament of the Crimean Autonomous Republic.
14:25
26.2.2014
This is just in from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service:
Viktor Yanukovych's presidential offices, as well as the national bank and other buildings in Kyiv have been searched as part of an investigation into suspected premeditated murder by Ukraine's ousted president.
The Prosecutor-General's Office said today that Yanukovych's former residence outside Kyiv was also searched.
It said that, apart from Yanukovych, his chief of staff Andriy Klyuyev, former Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, and several other officials are being investigated on suspicion of murder linked to three months of unrest that culminated in the ouster of Yanukovych by parliament on February 22.
Oleh Makhnytsky, the acting prosecutor-general, told the Reuters news agency that Ukraine will urgently contact international organizations with an official request to help trace bank accounts and assets controlled by Yanukovych and his allies.
Makhnytsjky accused them of stealing "not millions, but billions" of dollars.
The Prosecutor-General's Office said today that Yanukovych's former residence outside Kyiv was also searched.
It said that, apart from Yanukovych, his chief of staff Andriy Klyuyev, former Prosecutor-General Viktor Pshonka, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, and several other officials are being investigated on suspicion of murder linked to three months of unrest that culminated in the ouster of Yanukovych by parliament on February 22.
Oleh Makhnytsky, the acting prosecutor-general, told the Reuters news agency that Ukraine will urgently contact international organizations with an official request to help trace bank accounts and assets controlled by Yanukovych and his allies.
Makhnytsjky accused them of stealing "not millions, but billions" of dollars.
14:30
26.2.2014
RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service also has some more details on the storming of the Crimean parliament:
Anti-Russian protesters have stormed the parliament building in Ukraine's autonomous Crimea republic.
Some protesters required medical aid after fighting broke out between rival groups of demonstrators during the unrest Wednesday in the Crimean capital, Simferopol. One man was reported to have died.
In Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia would take measures to ensure the security of the facilities and weapons of Russia's Black Sea Naval Fleet, which is based on the Crimean coast.
The storming incident occurred after rival groups of protesters -- reportedly numbering in the thousands -- clashed outside the building.
During the confrontation, anti-Russian protesters burned a red flag symbolizing the Soviet Union.
Lawmakers were inside the building holding an extraordinary session to address the future of Crimea following the ouster of Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Activists who support the new Ukrainian authorities, along with Crimean Tatars carrying Ukrainian flags, outnumbered pro-Russian activists during the confrontation.
Crimea is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and is populated by many Russian speakers.
Anti-Russian protesters have stormed the parliament building in Ukraine's autonomous Crimea republic.
Some protesters required medical aid after fighting broke out between rival groups of demonstrators during the unrest Wednesday in the Crimean capital, Simferopol. One man was reported to have died.
In Moscow, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Russia would take measures to ensure the security of the facilities and weapons of Russia's Black Sea Naval Fleet, which is based on the Crimean coast.
The storming incident occurred after rival groups of protesters -- reportedly numbering in the thousands -- clashed outside the building.
During the confrontation, anti-Russian protesters burned a red flag symbolizing the Soviet Union.
Lawmakers were inside the building holding an extraordinary session to address the future of Crimea following the ouster of Russian-backed Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Activists who support the new Ukrainian authorities, along with Crimean Tatars carrying Ukrainian flags, outnumbered pro-Russian activists during the confrontation.
Crimea is home to Russia's Black Sea fleet and is populated by many Russian speakers.
14:45
26.2.2014
Thousands at #Simferopol protest. Bottles and missiles thrown. One person dead #ukraine pic.twitter.com/xrRRmVebGn
— Will Vernon (@BBCWillVernon) February 26, 2014
14:55
26.2.2014
This video posted by EuroMaidan PR seems to show concrete barriers being erected on the road into Sevastopol:
15:11
26.2.2014
Amid reports that one person has died in the turmoil in Simferopol, Roland Oliphant from "The Telegraph" has just tweeted this:
Didn't see any bodies, but if anyone died in that I'll wager they were crushed. Very frightening, struggling to breathe stuff in that mob.
— Roland Oliphant (@RolandOliphant) February 26, 2014
16:09
26.2.2014
A top Russian official has told the Kremlin-funded RT network that he doubts Yanukovych would be offered asylum in Russia.
16:13
26.2.2014
It seems that Mykhaylo Dobkin, the head of the Kharkiv regional administration, is resigning his post with a view to running for president.
16:17
26.2.2014
.@AndersFoghR: "Ukraine is a close & long-standing partner to NATO. And NATO is a sincere friend of Ukraine" http://t.co/4QcIBvHMIe
— NATOSource (@NATOSource) February 26, 2014