A statement on the government website warned residents that "columns of military hardware will move through the city" and conduct exercises. Turchinov reiterated on Wednesday that Ukraine's armed forces were on full military alert, citing the "real danger" of a Russian land war against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, pro-Russian separatists seized control of the local government building and police headquarters in the eastern town of Horlivka, a police official in the regional capital Donetsk said.
The official confirmed local media reports that separatists had taken over the buildings, but was unable to provide details.
"They've taken them. The government administration and police," he said, adding that there were no weapons in the police HQ. Russia-Italy Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, in a phone call on Wednesday, said all sides in the Ukrainian crisis must observe an international deal reached in Geneva to de-escalate it, the Kremlin said.
EU
European Council President Herman Van Rompuy said the European Union is ready to provide economic aid to Ukraine in cooperation with the International Monetary Fund.
"Of course we need a fully fledged agreement with the IMF but the European Union is ready for macro-financial aid in the framework of the overall package. So we are ready to support Ukraine," he told reporters after meeting in Prague with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.
Sanctions
Germany's Angela Merkel and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Wednesday leading industrial powers would stand united on further sanctions against Russia if needed, despite Moscow's threat to retaliate against foreign energy companies.
The chancellor also voiced the hope, after talks with Abe in Berlin, that Japan would win its long battle against deflation, but said Europe did not face the same immediate threat and had no need to imitate Japanese-style stimulus measures. REUTERS