Seventeen members of a far-right group have been detained for attacking the headquarters of Ukraine’s largest pro-Russia political party in Kyiv.
Police said on May 23 that members of the far-right National Corps were arrested for hooliganism after they clashed with security guards and threw smoke bombs, fireworks, and paint cans at the headquarters of the Opposition Platform - For Life.
The party is led by Viktor Medvedchuk, a close associate of Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is godfather to one of the Ukrainian politician’s daughters.
The National Corps is the political wing of the far-right Azov movement that emerged during fighting with Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The National Corps have demanded authorities file charges of treason against Opposition Platform - For Life and its leaders.
On March 10, a delegation of Ukrainian lawmakers from the Opposition Platform - For Life met with deputies from the Russian State Duma in Moscow.
The party said the two sides were discussing the creation of a inter-parliamentary element of the Normandy Format, a diplomatic process involving Ukraine, Russia, Germany, and France to end fighting in eastern Ukraine. Medvedchuk reportedly discussed the initiative with Putin.
