- Foreign minister to meet in Switzerland to discuss Ukraine crisis
- Fresh violence erupted overnight in restive east
- Kiev interior ministry says military base attacked in Mariupol
(CNN) -- Russia and Ukraine were meeting face-to-face Thursday with a lot of political ground to cover. The crisis in eastern Ukraine is spiraling so fast, it has left diplomacy writhing in the dust.
In the city of Mariupol, a gang of 300 attacked a Ukrainian military base Thursday, leading to gunfire between the two sides.
In Donetsk, the self-declared chairman of the people's council said he wants a referendum by May 11 to ask residents if they want to join Russia.
And in Slaviansk, pro-Russian militants are firmly in control.
Amidst it all, the U.S. is talking fresh sanctions -- which will certainly not make the mood in Russia more conciliatory.
Such are the challenges that the EU and the US confront when they try to bring together Kremlin and Kiev on Thursday to find a way out of worst East-West crisis since the end of the Cold War.
Kiev's embattled new leaders are struggling to reassert their authority in eastern towns largely controlled by armed pro-Russian separatists. They have tried dialogue, they have tried force -- both to little effect.
The Geneva gathering will be the first meeting since the crisis worsened.
Attack on military base
Early Thursday morning, about 300 pro-Russian militants repeatedly attacked a military base in Mariupol, Ukraine's acting president said. Soldiers opened fire, killing three attackers, wounding 13 and detaining 63 others. But some soldiers surrendered.
"The 25th airborne brigade whose soldiers showed cowardice and laid down weapons will be disbanded," Oleksander Turchinov told parliament. "Guilty soldiers will stand before the court. "
Talking referendum
Meanwhile the Donetsk People's Republic wants to follow Crimea's lead and hold a referendum early next month, said Denis Pushilin, the self-declared chairman of the people's council. The referendum will essentially ask residents which country they want to be a part of: Russia or Ukraine.
Moscow annexed Ukraine's Crimea region last month after its predominantly Russian-speaking residents voted yes in a referendum.
"The threats to Russian-speaking people were absolutely clear and that is why people of Crimea voted for their future and asked Russia for help," Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. "Russia never planned any annexation, never, quite the contrary."
Threats of sanctions
Kiev and the West don't believe Putin. They accuse Moscow of stirring up the unrest, pointing to the 40,000 Russian troops that NATO says are assembled near the Ukrainian frontier.
Moscow insists the troops are conducting exercises.
On Wednesday, U.S. President Barack Obama said Russia's actions risk more sanctions for the country.
"What I've said consistently is that each time Russia takes these kinds of steps that are designed to destabilize Ukraine and violate their sovereignty, that there are going to be consequences and what you've already seen is the Russian economy weaker, capital fleeing out of Russia," Obama told CBS.
Advance stalled
Since the ouster of pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych in February after months of protests, Kiev's interim government has faced a wave of protests in the Russian-speaking east.
Pro-Moscow protesters took over government buildings in many parts.
And when Ukraine's armored vehicles rolled Wednesday, its attempt to take back eastern towns from pro-Russian militants seemed to stall.
In Donetsk, six armored vehicles sent into the nearby city of Kramatorsk in the morning later showed up carrying Russian flags in Slaviansk.
Russian Ambassador to the EU Vladimir Chizhov told CNN's Christiane Amanpour those Ukrainian soldiers "preferred to switch sides and join the people."
Ukraine's Defense Ministry said the vehicles had been seized by militants.
In the cities of east Ukraine, the atmosphere seemed more relaxed than it was a few days ago, with many residents apparently welcoming the presence of pro-Russian forces and their seized military vehicles.
At the same time, on the road toward Slaviansk, CNN's Phil Black encountered a heavily fortified and well organized police checkpoint and saw signs of a large military buildup. Attack helicopters passed overhead while armored vehicles and troop carriers rumbled by.
But despite the heightened military activity, there has so far been no effort to move into the town itself. Pro-Russian protesters were digging in and consolidating their power.
CNN's Nick Paton Walsh and Radina Gigovaj contributed to this report
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