World Bulletin/News Desk

The United Nations Security Council will meet for an emergency session to discuss the escalating crisis in eastern Ukraine at 8 p.m. New York time on Sunday (0 GMT Monday).

"The Council will meet at 8 at Russia's request," a council diplomat told Reuters on condition of anonymity. Another diplomat said negotiations were under way on Ukraine's participation.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said earlier it would put an urgent discussion of the situation in Ukraine on the Security Council agenda, calling Kiev's plans to mobilise the army to put down a rebellion by pro-Russian militants in eastern Ukraine "criminal".