An aerial view shows the anti-government protesters camp in Independence Square in central Kiev on February 21, 2014.
Ukrainian police shot back when protesters opened fire on officers between the main protest square in Kiev and the parliament building, a police statement said today.
The statement did not say whether there had been any casualties. It said the police had sent in armed reinforcements to enable the officers to retreat when they came under fire.
The protesters did not immediately comment on the police statement.
Ukrainian protesters opened fire on Friday on police between Kiev's Independence Square and the parliament building, a police statement said.
"Participants in the mass disorder opened fire on police officers and tried to burst through in the direction of the parliament building," the statement said.
Opposition leader Arseny Yatsenyuk, speaking in the parliament building about 1 1/2 km (one mile) from Independence Square, said armed police had entered the premises but the deputy speaker said they had been forced back out of the building.
© Thomson Reuters 2014