Two Ukrainian soldiers have been killed after pro-Russian forces shot down helicopters during the first major government offensive in the east of Ukraine.
A spokeswoman for the pro-Russian militants also said one of their men was killed and another injured, according to the AP news agency.
Ukrainian Interior Minister Arsen Avakov urged local residents to stay indoors during the "anti-terrorist operation" in rebel-held Slavyansk early Friday morning.
A man, said to be one of the helicopter crew, is taken away Posting on Facebook, he said the city was "tightly surrounded" after government troops seized nine rebel-held road checkpoints.
"Against Ukraine's special forces, terrorists used heavy artillery, including grenade launchers and portable anti-aircraft missile launchers," Mr Avakov said.
Vyacheslav Ponomarev, the insurgency-appointed mayor of Slavyansk, said self-defence forces had shot down two helicopters and taken one person hostage.
A helicopter lands at Andreevka, 7 km from the centre of Slavyansk Shoulder-launched missiles had downed the aircraft, according to the Ukrainian defence ministry.
A third helicopter, said to be carrying carrying medical staff, was also hit and one person wounded, according to the ministry.
Ukrainian officials believe the use of such heavy weaponry proves Russian forces are in the area - something repeatedly denied by Moscow.
Separatist forces were still reported to be firmly in control of Slavyansk's streets, with Ukrainian armoured vehicles restricted to the city's outskirts.
The offensive by the Ukrainian government marks the first significant military response by Kiev.
A spokesman for Russian President Vladimir Putin said the "punitive operation" had destroyed a peace plan agreed with Western powers in Geneva last month.
"While Russia is making efforts to de-escalate and settle the conflict, the Kiev regime moved combat air forces against peaceful settlements, began a reprisal raid, essentially finishing off the last hope for the feasibility of the Geneva accords," Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying by Russian news agencies.
A Ukrainian solider at one of the seized road checkpoints Officials have been criticised for being slow to act to stop the pro-Russian forces seizing swathes of its Donbass coal and steel belt.
The armed groups seeking union with Moscow have seized a number of government buildings in towns in eastern Ukraine.
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