Independence Square (Maidan) turned into a battlefield (Image: Drugoi Livejournal) |
The temporarily truce offered by Yanukovich and announced after
Wednesday’s night talks with the oppositional leaders was broken early in the
morning as the Thursday’s Parliamentary session has started. The sides accuse
each other of the beginning of clashes, as pro-Yanukovich forces and
representatives of riot police claimed that protesters have started the
clashes, while activists of Euromaidan and numerous journalists state that
fighters of “Berkut” and riot police have started the clashes throwing Molotov
cocktails and provoking violence and chaos. The accounts on the beginning of
the violence remain conflicting.
Extremely violent clashes sparked between “Berkut” and protesters in the
area of the Parliament building and in the governmental district as well, where
fierce attacks occurred on Tuesday as well. “Berkut” have brutally attacked
protesters shooting live ammunition and birdshots and throwing bombs, leaving
dozens of dead and badly injured people in the streets of Kyiv downtown and in
Mariinsky Park, where the building of Parliament is located.
Bodies of slain Ukrainian protesters (Image: Kyiv Post) |
Parliament was immediately evacuated due to the emergency situation,
Cabinet of Ministers and the neighboring administrative buildings and offices
have been also evacuated as well. Banks and offices are closed in Kyiv downtown,
as Ministry of Interior urged people to remain at home and to not leave their
houses. There are reports about numerous gangs of thugs and so called “titushki”
attacking people and crashing the vitrines and cars in the living districts of
Kyiv.
Brutal attack of security forces armed with live ammunition and
Kalashnikov have lasted during the hours, turning Kyiv downtown into a battlefield,
which reminds Syrian coverage rather than Ukrainian one. Numerous snipers
located on the roofs of the administrative buildings and several hotels located
on Independence Square (Kozatsky Hotel, right on Independence Square, and Hotel
Ukraina, up from the Independence Square) have been targeting people leaving dozens
of dead. Ukrainian House, Myklailivsky Cathedral, turned into the hospitals,
have been receiving dozens of dead bodies and hundreds of injured.
Lines of riot police in Kyiv (Image: Den') |
Death toll is increasing with a terrible pace, as Ministry of Health
officially reported about nearly 65 deaths, while medical workers and lawyers
state that the death toll could be between 75-100 people only during Thursday’s
horrible attack. “Berkut” has targeted even medical workers and volunteers helping
the wounded.
Numbers of injured rises to hundreds and more, as it is almost
impossible to estimate an exact numbers of casualties amid this mess in Kyiv
downtown.
Nearly 30 thousands of protesters remain in Independence Square and more
are arrivi9ng, including the people from other governorates as well, despite
the closed entrances to Kyiv and cancelled trains from Western Ukraine.
Ukrainian radical group “The Right Sector” declared that they haven’t
signed any truce with Yanukovich authorities and announced total mobilization, preparing
for more confrontations.
Clashes in Lviv, Western Ukrainian city (Image: Reuters) |
Hospitals are working without pauses, doctor and medical personnel are exhausted,
but more and more hospitals offer their services for free for Ukrainian
protesters wounded during the clashes.
Casualties are serious among the security personnel as well, as snipers
have been targeting policemen too, according to the reports.
Meanwhile there were alarming reports about foreign snipers presented in
Kyiv as well.
Military troops are being sent to Kyiv from different governorates of
Kyiv on Thursday. Column of paratroopers from Dnipropetrovsk heading to Kyiv
had a road accident, as three soldiers died and at least 8 have been injured.
Another troop of soldiers from Dniprotetrovsk also failed to reach Kyiv, as
people have blocked railway and the train with the soldiers.
Fierce battle in Kyiv downtown (Image: Drugoi Livejournal) |
People continue to block soldiers in different regions of Ukraine
preventing them from moving towards Kyiv. Meanwhile many Ukrainian governorates
including Western and Central ones are controlled by the revolutionaries now
and officially declared that Yanukovich is not their President anymore. People’s
Councils and interim governments have been formed on the places and execute
power now. It’s worth mentioning, that those regions controlled by the
revolutionaries, do not experience chaos and attacks of thugs. Police and
security forces in these regions refused to go against the people and turned on
the people’s side.
Members of pro-Yanukovich Party of Regions withdraw from the ranks of
the party in Kyiv and other regions as well. Deputy Head of Kyiv Volodymyr
Makeenko have also withdrew his mandate from the Party of Regions on Thursday
and ordered to resume work of Kyiv subway. Subway is currently working, except
of several central stations. In the afternoon though subway was working as
well, but it was transporting riot police and ”Berkut”, according to the
reports of subway workers.
Clashes in the night in Kyiv (Image: Drugoi Livejournal) |
Representatives of the Western countries and EU ministers are presented
in Kyiv on Thursday observing horrible situation and trying to help to find the
ways to resolve the crisis in the country. Amid the fierce clashes EU ministers
France Laurent Fabius, German Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Poland Radoslaw
Sikorski have met oppositional leaders and visited with them Maidan (Independence
Square) and hospitals with the wounded activists. Europeans are outraged by the
brutal force used by Yanukovich regime against Ukrainian citizens and call for
immediate stop of violence and start of negotiations in order to resolve the
crisis and stop deaths of people. EU is ready to mediate in these talks, as it
was stated many times before.
EU ministers later had a meeting with Ukrainian President Yanukovich.
The meeting lasted almost six hours and it was interrupted by Yanukovich when
he called Russian President Vladimir Putin for consultations. After the meeting
was over, EU ministers have left without the planned press conference and
headed to the Representative Office of EU in Kyiv. EU Herman Van Rompuy has
declared later that EU is officially imposing personal sanctions against
Ukrainian high officials and regime of Yanukovich including visa restrictions,
freezing of financial assets and arresting of the property. Sanctions will be
imposed in the nearest future, probably since Friday, 21 February. Inability of
Ukrainian President and government to handle the situation and to stop violence
and refusing to negotiate became the key reasons for EU to impose sanctions.
Priest praying for the slain protesters (Image: Eromaidan Twitter) |
It’s worth mentioning also that USA have already imposed targeted
sanctions against several Ukrainian officials responsible for killing of people
and the current crisis in Ukraine. Canada has imposed sanctions almost one
month ago.
Meanwhile, ruling Party of Regions is facing a split, as many of its
members withdraw from its ranks claiming that they are ready to support people
of Ukraine. One of the prominent members of Party of Regions Sergiy Tygipko has
formed a coalition within the ranks of Party of Regions and called the MPs to
gather in Parliament and to resolve the crisis in a legitimate way, stopping
the violence of the streets of Kyiv and other cities of Ukraine.
Maidan (Independence Square) in the morning (Image: Drugoi Livejournal) |
MPs have gathered in Ukrainian Parliament at nearly 3 p.m., but there
were not enough members for taking a decision, as at least 226 MPs should be
presented during the session to be able to vote for the draft laws. The atmosphere
was extremely tense, as several members of Party of Regions MPs initiated a
dispute and attempt of a fight inside of Parliament, and many MPs started to
leave the session room. Representatives of Tygipko group also failed to appear
at the beginning.
Though after the long pause there is quorum in Parliament, as 239 MPs
have registered their cards in the voting system. The session was officially
opened by Vice Speaker Mr. Koshulinsky, as Speaker Rybak has reportedly fled
the country. The voting process has started, the issues on the agenda are the
following: 1. Condemning of use of brutal force and violence against
protesters; 2. Withdrawal of the troops and security forces from Kyiv streets;
3. Cancelling of the so called “anti-terrorist operation” announced by SBU in
Ukraine. In addition to that there will be voting for the changing of
Parliament authority, for the Constitutional reform and for the forming of the
new government.
Clashes in Kyiv downtown (Image: Reuters) |
MPs have supported at the moment the decision to withdraw all the troops
of security forces and “Berkut” from the streets of Kyiv and other Ukrainian
cities and lifting the blockade of Kyiv.
Parliament is voting for the draft of condemning of violence in Kyiv and
stopping of anti-terrorist operation, including release of the detained
activists and protesters, what was also supported by the overwhelming majority
of Parliament. MPs are singing National Anthem currently.
This moment could be a decisive one for Ukraine and could change the
developments in the country since the Thursday’s night.
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