Vladmir Putin warns of consequences of Ukrainian use of army

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that if Kiev authorities have used the army against pro-Russian activists in east Ukraine there will be consequences.

"If these people have advanced to the so called 'acute phase' (of confrontation with protesters), this is not an acute phase, it is just a punitive operation and it will of course incur consequences for the people making these decisions, including (an effect) on our interstate relations," Putin said in a televised meeting with regional media.

(Reporting by Alexei Anishchuk; Writing by Alessandra Prentice and Lidia Kelly, editing by Nigel Stephenson)