Clashes broke out again today in Ukraine, this time in the eastern oblasts of Kharkiv, Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Melitopol, and Dnepropetrosvk. All of the protests were pro-Russian, and in some capital cities government offices were seized after clashing with police.
Most of the demonstrations were very similar. The protesters were made up of young males wearing masks and carrying sticks. In some of towns that had their regional administration buildings seized the protesters used firecrackers, stun grenades or other explosives to storm buildings and overtake police.
In Donetsk, dozens of protesters currently occupy the building and gave an ultimatum that the local government agree to a referendum to join Russia, make Russian an official language, and establish a system federalism. The deadline to comply is midnight. It’s possible that protesters may also attempt to block the local airport with trucks so no planes can land.
In Kharkiv the administration building was also seized by protesters after clashes that left around 15 people injured. The protesters took down the Ukrainian flag and raised a Russian flag in it’s place over the building. The demands from these demonstrators are the same as the demonstrations in Donetsk: A referendum vote to join Russia and make Russian an official language.
Luhansk was another town with the state administration building seized by protesters. They have the same demands, and people were injured in clashes.
Ukrainian officials were quick to condemn the riots in the eastern states of the country. The rioters taking over buildings are few in number and believed to not be Ukrainian but from Russia. The locals call these rioters ???????? ??????? or ?Putin’s Tourists.?
The European Union and the United States need to make some serious decisions on what to do with the situation in Eastern Europe. The Kremlin has made it plain they were not done when they seized control of Crimea and have every intention of taking control of more of Ukraine. The region continues to destabilize and time is running out.
Edited/Published by: SB
