Violent clashes in Donetsk between Ukrainians and pro-Russian groups as Moscow moves thousands of troops to border

Fighting broke out at rallies staged by opposing demonstrators. One person was killed and at least 10 were hurt

It comes as Russia confirmed today it has massed thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine



Meanwhile John Kerry warned of 'serious consequences' if Moscow tried to annex Crimea



And Obama declares U.S. will 'completely reject' Sunday's referendum to be held in Crimea on peninsula's status




Violence has erupted in Ukraine's eastern city of Donetsk between Ukrainians and pro-Russian groups as Moscow moves thousands of troops to the border.



Fighting broke out at rallies staged by opposing demonstrators. One person was killed and at least 10 were hurt, it has been reported.



Pro-Russian demonstrators shouted 'Russia, Putin!' and hurled eggs, bottles and other projectiles at rival demonstrators.

It comes as Russia confirmed today it has massed thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine as John Kerry warned of 'serious consequences' if Moscow tried to annex Crimea.



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Policemen grab a man during clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists during a rally in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk

Fighting broke out at rallies staged by opposing demonstrators and 10 people were hurt. Pro-Russian demonstrators shouted 'Russia, Putin!' and hurled eggs, bottles and other projectiles at rival demonstrators

Pro Ukraine protestors, some of them injured, are shielded by police at right during clashes with pro Russia protestors following a rally in Donetsk, Ukraine It comes as Russia confirmed today it has massed thousands of troops on its border with Ukraine as John Kerry warned of 'serious consequences' if Moscow tried to annex Crimea

Bloody clashes erupted between pro Russia and pro Ukraine protestors in the eastern city of Donetsk on Thursday evening, leaving dozens injured as police struggled to prevent the violence

A pro Russia protestor, left, is sprayed by with mace by WLDa pro Ukraine protestor during clashes between the two sides following a rally

The UN Security Council began meeting to discuss Ukraine in the presence of the country's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, who is to address the session

A referendum is set to be held in Crimea on the peninsula's status this weekend, and the US Secretary of State today said that there is no justification for it to take place.



He had earlier said that things could 'get ugly fast' after Russia's defense ministry said massive artillery drills have been launched in its Southern Military District - which covers the border area - involving 8,500 troops and a large amount of hardware.



Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov are dut to meet in London tomorrow.



It coincides with war games conducted by the country’s Airborne Troops.In a statement, the ministry said: 'The main purpose of these actions is to completely check teamwork of the units and make them implement combat missions on an unknown territory.

Policemen walk between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists. Several hundred people chanting slogans clashed with a similar-sized crowd condemning Moscow's takeover of Crimea

Ukraine's national security chief Andriy Parubiy said the Guard would be deployed to 'ensure state security, defend the borders, and eliminate terrorist groups'

Dozens were injured during the clashes, despite best efforts by police to shield the warring groups from each other

Russian paratroopers taking part in a night drill outside the Russian town of Rostov-on-Don

Russia said it was stepping up field training for tank, artillery and infantry units in three regions next to the Ukrainian border in a powerful display of military might

Russian paratroopers during their night drill outside Russian southern town of Rostov-on-Don. The armed forces are 'increasing the intensity of field training exercises,' the defence ministry said

'The event involves some 8,500 artillery troops and a large number of rocket artillery systems, military and special hardware, including Grad-M, Uragan and Smersh multiple rocket launchers, Msta-S 152-mm caliber self-propelled howitzers, Nona artillery systems and Rapira 100-mm caliber anti-tank guns.

'In response, Ukraine's parliament has voted to create a 60,000-strong National Guard to bolster the country's defences.

Ukraine's national security chief Andriy Parubiy said the Guard would be deployed to 'ensure state security, defend the borders, and eliminate terrorist groups'.

Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry also was talking tough, telling Congress: 'It can get ugly fast if the wrong choices are made, and it can get ugly in multiple directions.'Kerry will meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday in London in a last-ditch effort to halt Sunday's referendum in the Crimea.

President Barack Obama declared that the U.S. would 'completely reject' a vote opening the door for the strategic Ukrainian peninsula to join Russia if the election goes ahead.

An armed member of a local self-defence unit watches traffic at a checkpoint on the highway between Simferopol and Sevastopol in the Crimea peninsular

Members of a pro-Russian self defence unit stand in formation as they ready to swear an oath to the pro-Russia Crimea regional government in Simferopol

A member of the self-defense of Crimea sits near an old machine gun 'Maxim', outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye, outside Simferopol

Adding pressure on Russia, the Senate advanced a package on Wednesday of potentially tough economic sanctions against Moscow.

Obama made a point of welcoming Ukraine's new leader to the White House, declaring as they sat side-by-side that he hoped there would be a 'rethinking' by Russian President Vladimir Putin of the referendum.

Obama derided the vote as a 'slap-dash referendum' and warned that if it occurs, the international community 'will be forced to apply a cost to Russia's violation of international law.'



Women with their mouths taped over and others participants attend a pro-Ukraine rally in Simferopol

Ukrainian veterans of Euro-maidan movement stand still, with their hats off during the early morning religious prayer at the Independence Square in Kiev

Ukrainian veteran of the Euro-maidan movement Nikolay (right), 43, cooks a piece of pork fat on the flames of a makeshift fire while guarding, together with his colleague Romnaia (left), 21, at the entrance on the Presidential Palace in Kiev, Ukraine

Amid the maneuvering, Obama met in the Oval Office with new Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, praising him and the Ukrainian people as the two sat for TV coverage. The meeting was aimed at showcasing the United States' commitment to Ukraine, the former Soviet republic at the center of rising tensions between East and West. 'There's another path available and we hope President Putin is willing to seize that path,' Obama said. 'But if he does not, I'm very confident that the international community will stand firmly behind the Ukrainian government.' Yatsenyuk, a 39-year-old pro-Western official who speaks fluent English, defiantly declared that his country 'will never surrender' in its fight to protect its territory. He arrived in Washington seeking financial help to stabilize his fledgling government. The Senate bill that advanced out of committee on Wednesday would authorizes $1 billion in loan guarantees. The measure, which next would go to the full Senate, also would allow the Obama administration to impose economic penalties on Russian officials responsible for the intervention in Crimea or culpable of gross corruption. Pro-Ukrainian activists demonstrate a huge yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flag during a rally in support of Ukraine's territorial integrity in the eastern city of Kharkiv A man walks next to a poster calling people to vote in the upcoming referendum in the Crimea, is seen in Sevastopol, Ukraine







'Putin has miscalculated by playing a game of Russian roulette with the international community, but we refuse to blink and will never accept this violation of international law,' said Sen. Bob Menendez, chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.

In the 14-3 vote, all committee Democrats supported the measure. Some Republican expressed concerns about how the U.S. would pay for the loan guarantees and about provisions to expand the lending authority of the International Monetary Fund.

The bill stops short of going after Russian banks or energy companies as some legislators proposed, but it would give Secretary of State John Kerry more leeway as he readies for diplomatic talks with his Russian counterpart in Europe on Friday.



Russian President Vladimir Putin was at the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games where he addressed delagates

Obama urged Congress to move quickly to finalize the loan guarantees, which are supposed to supplement $15 billion in assistance from the European Union, as well as additional money from the International Monetary Fund.

The money pledged thus far is less than Ukraine says it will need in order to recover from its recent political upheaval. The country's pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, fled Kiev for Russia in late February amid growing protests over his decision to scrap an agreement to boost ties with Europe.

Shortly after Yanukovych left, Russia began moving military forces into Crimea, a strategically important peninsula where 60 percent of the population is ethnic Russian.

Yatsenyuk is serving as head of Ukraine's government in the lead-up to national elections in May. During his meeting with Obama Wednesday, he said Russia must recognize that Ukraine will not sever its ties with the U.S. and Europe.

'Ukraine is and will be part of the Western world,' he said.

Speaking to reporters following the meeting, Yatsenyuk cast Putin's move into Crimea as part of a broader plan to reassert Russian influence in Ukraine.

'The idea is not just to annex Crimea, but to invade central Ukraine, Ukrainian capital and to start a war,' said Yatsenyuk, who plans to address the United Nations on Thursday.

Putin has so far rebuffed efforts by the U.S. to punish Russia for its military maneuvers in Ukraine. The U.S. has put in place travel bans for Russian and Ukrainian officials involved in the Crimea advances.