Three people were killed in a raid on a base in eastern Ukraine overnight, the country’s interior minister says, as the US, Russia, the EU and Ukraine begin crisis talks in Geneva.
The three pro-Russian separatists were killed in a clash with Ukrainian forces in Mariupol.
The Geneva meeting is the first such gathering since the crisis escalated.
The West says Russia is aiding the pro-Russian activists occupying buildings.
In a live TV phone-in on Thursday, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin warned Kiev of “the abyss they’re heading into” in eastern Ukraine and urged dialogue.