NATO holds 'extraordinary' meeting

NATO said it would hold an "extraordinary" meeting of the alliance's Ukraine Commission yesterday, after an upsurge in fighting between pro-Russian rebels and Kiev left dozens of people dead.

Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg would separately meet with EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini yesterday as the deepening crisis put pressure on Brussels to tighten sanctions against Russia.

Over the weekend, NATO's Stoltenberg urged Russia to "stop destabilising Ukraine and respect its international commitments."

"Fighting in eastern Ukraine has sharply escalated with indications of a large-scale offensive by Russian-backed separatists," he said.

Mogherini's meeting with Stoltenberg at NATO headquarters in Brussels was a further indication of the seriousness of the crisis.