The parliament in Kyiv has been discussing the violent clashes that have taken place in the east of the country overnight.

Pro-Russian activists launched an attack on a Ukrainian National Guard base in the city of Mariupol, which reportedly resulted in the deaths of three rebels.

The acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov said “after a third assault attempt with machine guns, grenades and Molotov cocktails the criminals were counter-attacked by the National Guard. Three criminals were killed, 13 were injured and 63 have been arrested.”

Turchynov has also announced the disbandment and punishment of the pro-Kyiv paratroopers that surrendered their weapons to separatists and returned to their base in the Donetsk region on Wednesday.