18:13
19.2.2014
Reports are now coming in that Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has sacked the head of the armed forces, Col Gen Volodymyr Zamana.
17:56
19.2.2014
Security analyst, Mark Galeotti, a professor at New York University who is also a co-host of RFE/RL's Power Vertical podcast, has been writing about what the Ukrainian authorities' "antiterrorist" operation might mean in practice. He suggests that it could effectively involve a "low level form of martial law." Read more here.
17:34
19.2.2014
Dmytro Shurkhalo from RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service has been talking to our Central Newsroom about the situation on the ground in Kyiv. Here are a few of the things he had to say:
On how traffic and transportation have been affected by the violence, in Kyiv and beyond:
On the fires burning on Kyiv's Independence Square:
On how traffic and transportation have been affected by the violence, in Kyiv and beyond:
"All three Kyiv metro lines remain shut down since yesterday afternoon. I actually talked to native Kyiv residents who say that the metro service has never before been closed for the period of 24 hours since the time when the metro in Kyiv started running."
"As far as I know, railway traffic coming from the west [of Ukraine] is blocked. Vehicle traffic from the west also faces difficulties -- there are check points installed on the outskirts of Kyiv to prevent cars from the west from reaching the city. I cannot say if the roads from the East have been blocked as well, but many bus lines and private cars cannot reach Kyiv -- I personally know people who could not set out for Kyiv from the Poltava region."
"In downtown Kyiv, in the Khreshchatyk district, everything is shut down -- almost all agencies, offices, public catering, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Life seems to be more normal, almost as if nothing was going on, the further from the center one goes."
"As far as I know, railway traffic coming from the west [of Ukraine] is blocked. Vehicle traffic from the west also faces difficulties -- there are check points installed on the outskirts of Kyiv to prevent cars from the west from reaching the city. I cannot say if the roads from the East have been blocked as well, but many bus lines and private cars cannot reach Kyiv -- I personally know people who could not set out for Kyiv from the Poltava region."
"In downtown Kyiv, in the Khreshchatyk district, everything is shut down -- almost all agencies, offices, public catering, cafes, and restaurants are closed. Life seems to be more normal, almost as if nothing was going on, the further from the center one goes."
On the fires burning on Kyiv's Independence Square:
"A new expression has been created -- 'fire barricades'. In order to prevent the police from storming the [Independence Square occupied by demonstrators] people -- protesters -- keep putting tires on fire, which makes an improvised firewall between the protesters and [Interior Ministry] troops. [The troops] are dousing the tires with water cannon but protesters are faster at keeping the fire burning and the water cannons are not coping."
17:15
19.2.2014
Meanwhile, AFP and Interfax are reporting that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has called on the European Union to pressure Ukrainian opposition leaders to cooperate with authorities to end the crisis convulsing Ukraine.
A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said Lavrov called on EU officials "to use their close and daily contacts with the opposition to urge them to cooperate with the Ukrainian leadership."
The statement said Lavrov had spoken by phone with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Russia has previously accused the EU and the United States of meddling in the Ukrainian crisis on the side of the opposition.
Moscow, a leading ally of the Ukrainian government, has also accused the opposition of using violence to forcibly oust the government.
A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said Lavrov called on EU officials "to use their close and daily contacts with the opposition to urge them to cooperate with the Ukrainian leadership."
The statement said Lavrov had spoken by phone with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
Russia has previously accused the EU and the United States of meddling in the Ukrainian crisis on the side of the opposition.
Moscow, a leading ally of the Ukrainian government, has also accused the opposition of using violence to forcibly oust the government.
17:00
19.2.2014
This is in from the news wires:
The French, German, and Polish foreign ministers will travel to Kyiv, ahead of an emergency meeting of the European Union to discuss sanctions against Ukrainians.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced the visit at a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris today.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels tomorrow to discuss whether to impose sanctions on Ukraine following the latest deadly violence.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius announced the visit at a joint press conference with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry in Paris today.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels tomorrow to discuss whether to impose sanctions on Ukraine following the latest deadly violence.
16:03
19.2.2014
No one wants #Ukraine to descend into chaos/choice is in President Yanukovich’s hands.
— John Kerry (@JohnKerry) February 19, 2014
16:00
19.2.2014
The Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior has just published a list of the names of servicemen it says have been killed in the Kyiv violence (in Ukrainian).
15:50
19.2.2014
In what appears to be a big development, the executive committee of Lviv's regional council has announced in a statement that it is taking power in the region into its own hands:
"The regime has begun active military action against people […] Dozens of people have been killed in Kyiv and hundreds have been wounded […] Fulfilling the will of society, the executive committee of the Lviv region's council, the People's Rada, is assuming full responsibility for the fate of the region and its citizens," the statement says.
The document reiterates that the main function of the executive committee is to maintain law and order in the region and help send activists to Kyiv and provide the Maidan activists with everything they need:
"The lawfully elected local councils and the executive committees created by them remain the legitimate authorities in the Lviv region. The majority of the district police departments have already announced their decision to take the side of the people of Ukraine and report to the executive committee of the Lviv region's council."
"The regime has begun active military action against people […] Dozens of people have been killed in Kyiv and hundreds have been wounded […] Fulfilling the will of society, the executive committee of the Lviv region's council, the People's Rada, is assuming full responsibility for the fate of the region and its citizens," the statement says.
The document reiterates that the main function of the executive committee is to maintain law and order in the region and help send activists to Kyiv and provide the Maidan activists with everything they need:
"The lawfully elected local councils and the executive committees created by them remain the legitimate authorities in the Lviv region. The majority of the district police departments have already announced their decision to take the side of the people of Ukraine and report to the executive committee of the Lviv region's council."
15:26
19.2.2014
And this is how the Kremlin-funded RT network is covering reports that weapons have been seized by protesters in Kyiv:
The recent events in Ukraine have shown "the escalation of violence and a massive use of firearms by the extremist groups. In many parts of the country, public authorities, military installations and depots with munitions are being seized. Court buildings are burning, the vandals are destroying private property and killing peaceful civilians,” the Ukrainian Security Service head, Aleksandr Yakimenko, said in a statement.
According to Yakimenko, “over the last day more than 1,500 firearms and 100,000 rounds of ammunition have come into the hands of criminals.”
Reacting to the “conscious, purposeful use of force by means of arson, killings, kidnapping and terrorizing people,” which Yakimenko treats as “terrorist acts,” the Security Service and Anti-terrorist center of Ukraine have decided to launch a counter-terrorist operation.
The Security Service head then urged all Ukrainians to stay calm and maintain peace and order. Special measures to reinforce public security and border security are being taken.
The recent events in Ukraine have shown "the escalation of violence and a massive use of firearms by the extremist groups. In many parts of the country, public authorities, military installations and depots with munitions are being seized. Court buildings are burning, the vandals are destroying private property and killing peaceful civilians,” the Ukrainian Security Service head, Aleksandr Yakimenko, said in a statement.
According to Yakimenko, “over the last day more than 1,500 firearms and 100,000 rounds of ammunition have come into the hands of criminals.”
Reacting to the “conscious, purposeful use of force by means of arson, killings, kidnapping and terrorizing people,” which Yakimenko treats as “terrorist acts,” the Security Service and Anti-terrorist center of Ukraine have decided to launch a counter-terrorist operation.
The Security Service head then urged all Ukrainians to stay calm and maintain peace and order. Special measures to reinforce public security and border security are being taken.