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Ukraine unrest: 'Four dead' as protesters storm parliament building and ruling party offices in Kiev Ukraine unrest: 'Four dead' as protesters storm parliament building and ruling party offices in Kiev
(about 1 hour later)
A lawmaker for a Ukrainian opposition party and a coordinator for the protesters' medical team say three protesters have died in clashes with police outside the parliament building in central Kiev. At least four anti-government protesters have reportedly died outside of the Ukrainian parliament building after violent clashes with the police in central Kiev on Tuesday.
Oleh Musiy, a top medic for the protesters, told the Associated Press that three activists have died. Opposition lawmaker Lesya Orobets made the same statement on Twitter. Emergency officials in Kiev said that another person was found dead after clashes between protesters and police at the offices of the president's party. Three protesters were killed in the unrest, the opposition reported, and emergency workers found another person dead after a fire at the ruling party's office in Kiev.
More to follow The violence comes after Ukraine’s law enforcement agencies set a deadline for protesters to end street clashes with police in Kiev by 6pm (1600 GMT), and vowed to restore calm if “disorder” does not stop.
AP Plumes of smoke and tear gas filled the air in the capital and stun grenades boomed, as thousands of angry anti-government protesters clashed in a new eruption of violence two days after the government and the opposition reached an unstable compromise that saw jailed activists released.
In response, protesters vacated a government building in Kiev they had been occupying since 1 December.
The clashes dimmed hope for an imminent solution to the political crisis.
Opposition leaders have accused the pro-government factions in parliament of dragging their feet on the key opposition demand of constitutional reform to limit the President's powers.
Thousands of demonstrators marched towards parliament hurling stones, shouting "shame!" at police, and set trucks blocking their way on fire to put pressure on politicians.
The police retaliated by using stun grenades and fired what appeared to be small metal balls into the crowds.
Dozens of protesters and police staff were injured, as well as journalists working for the Associated Press and the Reuters news agencies.
The protests began in November after President Viktor Yanukovych froze ties with the EU in exchange for a bailout from Russia as the two economic blocks manouvered to gain influence over the former Soviet republic.
Russian president Vladimir Putin promised Mr Yanukovych 15 billion dollars (£8.9 billion) in loans in December, but after purchasing Ukrainian bonds worth three billion dollars (£1.79 billion) Russia put the payments on hold.
The Russian finance minister said on Monday that two billion dollars (£1.19 billion) more would be purchased this week.
Tensions among protesters and officials soared after Russia's finance minister offered to resume financial aid to Ukraine, just as Mr Yanukovych was expected to nominate a new prime minister, prompting fears among the opposition that he would tap a Russian-leaning loyalist.
“After weekend progress in Kiev, sorry to see renewed violence,” US ambassador Geoffrey R Pyatt said in a Twitter post. “Politics needs to happen in the Rada (parliament), not on the street.”
Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko called on Mr Yanukovych to agree to the reforms and to call early elections or face a serious escalation of the crisis.
“We are talking minutes, not hours,” Mr Klitschko told reporters in parliament.
Mr Yanukovych still remains popular in the Russian-speaking eastern and southern regions of the country, where economic and cultural ties with Russia are strong.
AP and PA