Ukraine’s interior minister has warned pro-Russian activists who have taken over state buildings in eastern cities to enter talks to find a political solution or face “force”.
Arsen Avakov said the situation would “be resolved in 48 hours” either way.
Earlier, a number of people held inside a state security building in Luhansk since Sunday were freed.
The EU, Russia, US and Ukraine are to meet next week in the first four-way meeting since the crisis erupted.
The talks are aimed at breaking the impasse since Russia annexed the southern Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea in February. Russian troops are now massed along the borders of the two countries.
Source: BBC News