U.N. chief 'alarmed' at reports of wider fighting in Ukraine

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is alarmed by reports that fighting in Ukraine has spread southward, which if confirmed would mark a "dangerous escalation" of the crisis, Ban's spokesman said on Thursday. "The international community cannot allow the situation to escalate further nor can a continuation be allowed of the violence and destruction that the conflict has wrought in eastern Ukraine," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters. The U.N. Security Council will meet at 2 p.m. EDT to discuss the Ukraine crisis at the request of Lithuania. (Reporting by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)