Protests have continued throughout Ukraine as several thousand students ditched their classes and joined protests in the centre of Kiev.

The government announced last week that it was halting preparations for the signing of a political and trade agreement with the European Union after Russia imposed trade restrictions and threatened that more were to come.

The march by up to 3,000 students from Kiev universities followed a huge demonstration on Sunday.

The round-the-clock protests are meant to pressure President Viktor Yanukovych to change his mind and sign an agreement with the EU at a summit on Friday.

But the government says that EU refusal to provide financial aid to the struggling Ukrainian economy has sealed its course.

Jailed Ukrainian opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko went on a hunger strike yesterday in solidarity with the pro-European protesters.

She made her announcement in a letter read out on Monday night to 20,000 EU integration supporters who thronged central Kiev for the second day running.

"I am announcing an indefinite hunger strike demanding that President Viktor Yanukovych sign an association and free trade agreement with the EU," the former letter said.

"And if Yanukovych does not sign our agreement with the EU on November 29, wipe him off the face of Ukraine through peaceful and constitutional means" along with his "political and corrupt" cronies, Ms Tymoshenko added.

The so-called EU Associate Agreement would have put Ukraine on the path to eventual EU membership and out of Russia's orbit.