Pro-Russian separatists stormed
and seized government buildings in three cities in eastern Ukraine
yesterday, declaring sovereignty in one and demanding referendums
for independence in all three.
In the city of Donetsk around 2,000 protesters gathered.
According to Agence France-Presse, “nearly 100” of them
reportedly broke off and captured regional government
buildings, flying Russian flags and possibly plotting to use
explosives.
Radio Free Europe
writes that the protesters “proclaimed the creation of a
separatist republic… called for a referendum on the region’s
future to be held by May 11 and asked for Russia to send a
‘peacekeeping contingent’ to protect the separatists.” Activists in
Luhansk and Kharkiv seized an
armory and administrative buildings, respectively, and also
called for independence referendums.
“The situation will come back under control without bloodshed,”
Ukraine’s interior minister
said yesterday. “That is the order to law enforcement
officers, it’s true. But the truth is that no one will peacefully
tolerate the lawlessness of provocateurs.” Several police officers
were injured and in one case officers did use tear gas. The
minister noted today that all buildings are operating normally
again.
“I respect various political views, including those of our
opponents. But separatism and the use of arms against our own
state, which carries a direct threat to the security and life of
our citizens has nothing to do with politics,”
said the country’s pro-western interim president Oleksandr
Turchynov in a speech today, blaming the Russian government for
orchestrating a plot to destabilize Ukraine and said his government
plans on taking “anti-terrorist measures against” provocateurs.
The interim prime minister warned that
Russia has tens of thousands of troops ready only 19 miles from the
Ukrainian border.
The BBC highlights the
fact that despite that sizable ethnic Russian populations in
eastern regions, “opinion polls there have shown considerable
support for a united Ukraine.” The independent Russian news agency
Reed published an article today arguing that the
pro-Russian separatist movement in Ukraine has very limited
support.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
responded to the situation, saying that instability in Ukraine
is indicative of a greater western threat and that his Federal
Security Service (the successor to the KGB) may have to crack down
on non-governmental organizations within Russia, “develop Russia’s
border infrastructure in the Arctic,” and help stabilization
efforts in Central Asia once the U.S. leaves Afghanistan.
For more Reason coverage of Ukraine, click
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