The opposition says a planned assault by protesters has been halted, after a truce was agreed between its leaders and President Viktor Yanukovych. The president has appointed a new military chief of staff to ease the tension.
The violence left at least 26 people dead and more than 400 injured on Tuesday. Protesters say the casualty toll is substantially higher. The anti-government rallies in Kiev turned violent on Tuesday morning when radical activists attacked riot police with fireworks and petrol bombs.
The police began to surround Independence Square. They dismantled barricades and dispersed demonstrators with stun grenades and water cannon. Demonstrators and police have clashed since November, when the government backtracked on European integration, angering many in the west of Ukraine.
