KIEV - Ukraine will establish an elite Special Operation unit in the near future to counter threats to state security, acting Defence Minister Mykhailo Koval said here Wednesday.

"The President of Ukraine, who is Supreme Commander of the armed forces, and the National Defense and Security Council, have approved the creation of a new structure, which will participate in fighting and guard the security of our country," Koval told reporters during a media briefing.

The new force would be formed from troops involved in the government's military operation in the east and other combat-ready personnel, Koval said, without specifying the size of the unit.

The move comes amid unrest in eastern Ukraine, where fierce fighting between government troops and armed activists, who demand independence from Kiev, has been raging since mid-April.