interior and defence ministries said today.

Separatist sources confirmed the loss of the town hall in Mariupol, a city with a population of nearly 500,000.

The city was the scene of a rebel attack on troops last week that left three militants dead.

The separatists had held the town hall since 13 April.

"The town hall is liberated and can function normally," Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page.

In Artemivsk, the defence ministry said that nearly 100 separatists "opened fire with automatic weapons, machine guns and used grenades" in the attack on the military base.

In a statement, it said a soldier was wounded, but not critically.

Kerry accuses Russia of deception in Ukraine

US Secretary of State John Kerry has accused Russia of deception and destabilisation in Ukraine.

Mr Kerry said tonight thatRussia had not taken 'single step' to meet the deal agreed in Geneva last week.

He said it is "stoking the very instability" in Ukraine that it says it wants to quell and said it was engaged in a "full-throated effort" to actively subvert democratic process in the country.

Mr Kerry warned that it would be an expensive mistake if Russia continued its actions and said the window to change course is closing.

US President Barack Obama earlier said that Russia is not abiding by agreements aimed at defusing the crisis in Ukraine, in his first public comments since the Geneva meeting.

President Obama, who was speaking in Tokyo at the start of a four-nation tour of Asia, said he had been pessimistic from the off that Russia would stick to what