A man armed with a grenade has taken a senior policeman hostage in the central Ukrainian city of Poltava.

The man pulled out a grenade and threatened to kill police as officers went to arrest him for allegedly hijacking a vehicle.

Today’s incident saw a junior officer originally taken hostage but then replaced by a more senior police chief who "volunteered to risk his life, according to 112. A huge emergency response, including explosives technicians and an investigative task force, are working at the site to bring the standoff to an end.

Deputy interior minister Anton Herashchenko said: “The latest news is that a police officer has been replaced by a chief of criminal investigation, who volunteered to risk his life instead of an ordinary criminal investigation officer. The criminal was provided with a car, and now he is riding across Poltava with the hostage, he is accompanied by police officers. Negotiations are ongoing to force the attacker to surrender to the police without harming himself or others”.