More than 3,000 pro-Russian protesters stormed the regional administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Lugansk today.

A vanguard of around 20 youths armed with metal bars broke a window to get inside the building.

They pulled down the building’s Ukrainian flag, replacing it with a Russian one, and opened the building’s doors to the waiting crowd.

Inside the building’s courtyard, around 100 police massed together behind riot shields, but made no moves to evict the protesters, who cheered them for not attacking.

Protest leader Aleksey Uskoryakin said the takeover had not been planned. 

The protesters had intended to hold a rally and send a delegation to talk to regional MPs, but they were not in the building, Mr Uskoryakin said.

But the new occupants said they were contemplating the possible release of the building, “if the governor and lawmakers agree to negotiate.”

Lugansk activists seized the local state security service building three weeks ago.