Russia. Crimea. History. Nikolay Starikov

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СКАЧАТЬ and seized the Kiev office of the Party of Regions. During the assault, all windows were broken and internal rooms burned. All cars in a garage as well as the ones parked around the building were crashed. During the storming, the militants were throwing bottles with “Molotov’s cocktails” into the windows. When female employees were leaving out the building, the crowd tore off from them their hats and knick-knackery[63]. Two employees of the Party of Regions office were killed during the storming. The first one – when he went out to negotiate with the militants about letting women to leave the building. The second body was recovered after the fire was extinguished[64]. Almost simultaneously, the Euro-Maidan protesters seized the House of Officers, which is located at the crossroads of the Krepostnoy (Fortress) alley and the Hrushevsky street near the building of the Supreme Rada – just opposite to the Mariinsky Park.

      • At 13:00 started an active violent confrontation between the police and the Euromaidan activists in Mariinsky Park. Militants began erecting barricades there. Stones, fireworks, firecrackers, Molotov cocktails were throwing to the police rows. The law enforcement forces used stun grenades, traumatic weapons in response. There were tens of wounded from the both sides[65]. There were documented cases of using firearms and sniper rifles by militants. The battlefield has spread over the park from the Square of the Constitution (where the building of the Supreme Rada is located) to the Hrushevsky street 9A. Medical doctors confirmed the death of three people in the House of Officers. Two of them were wounded with firearms, the third was fatally injured in a car accident. One more victim of the unrest passed away in an Ambulance after a fatal bullet wound at Mazepa street[66]. According to the Department of Health of the Kiev City Administration, there were about 165 calls to emergency medical aid services from injured protesters. 109 of them were hospitalized. Reasons for complaints – injuries and chemical burns of eyes. According to the information of the Interior Ministry, the number of injured police officers exceeded 100. Almost 50 police officers of various special units, who got different injuries of varying severity, were delivered to the Central hospital of the Interior Ministry – according to a report as of 22:00. Several policemen got serious head injuries. In addition, several law enforcement officers received poisoning with unknown gaseous substance.

      • As of 17:30 the police special forces “Berkut” and the Interior Troops completely purged the Governmental quarter and the October Palace from the protesters. They also took control over the Square of Europe. The Head of the Security Service of Ukraine and acting Interior Minister warned that if the protests do not cease by 18:00, the law enforcement troops would be obliged to suppress the disorder by all legal means[67]. Closer to the evening, forces of “Berkut” and the Interior Troops have driven back all the protesters to the Maidan Nezalezhnosti. During that day and the following night as a result of severe clashes between the law enforcement forces and the opposition supporters 25 people were killed. More than 350 were injured, and more than were 250 hospitalized[68].

      • The five soldiers of the Interior Troops, killed in Kiev 18 February, got the bullet wounds in the area of head and neck – obvious result of sniper fire. This was declared by the Commander of the interior troops of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine Lieutenant-General Stanislav Shuliak in his address. “During the implementation of tasks of maintaining public security and public order in the Government quarter in Kiev on 18–19 February 2014, 5 soldiers of the Interior Troops of Ukraine died of gunshot wounds” – said in an official declaration of the press department of the Ministry[69].

      • The journalist of the Ukrainian newspaper “Vesti” (“News”) Vyacheslav Yeremei was wounded by a gunshot in chest. In the evening of 18 February, armed militants attacked a taxi car that he happened to be in. When the car stopped at a traffic light, militants in helmets, masks, and camouflage wear began to throw “Molotov cocktails” at the car, after that all people, who were in the car, were severely beaten. The journalist was delivered to a hospital in critical condition and placed in an intensive care ward, where he passed away on February 19 at night[70].

      • The situation at the Western Ukraine extremely aggravated.

      • According to the Health Ministry since 18 until 21 February 77 people died in Kiev; Interior Ministry reported about 16 killed police officers[71].

      18 February became the turning point – the militants for the first time explicitly used firearms, and for the first time they were explicitly killing people. Driven back at bay to Maidan by the police forces, they were surrounded there. The only thing remained to do was to give the order to the “Berkut” forces to purge the Maidan, and to let them use firearms. But during the night, this order was not given. One armored police vehicle tried to break through the barricades, but was burned, and the driver had a narrow escape.

      What was necessary to do? The answer is simple: firmly curb the incipient chaos. Declare martial law, curfew, give an order to disperse the militants by force, if necessary – by a military. The “peaceful protest” has been neutralized by troopers of “Berkut”, who just firmly stood at their positions; the violent coup should have been suppressed by decisive actions of the same “Berkut” and other law enforcement units. In a matter of minutes, not even hours, the special forces surrounded the militants and hold them blocked on a limited area; subway trains were stopped, all entrance roads to Kiev were blocked. It was the most real chance to rescue Ukraine. Save Ukraine from the chaos and civil strife. Yanukovich has not given this order. Yanukovich quailed and did not dare to act. Yanukovich began to make arrangements with the opposition leaders and the western envoys. The ensuing chaos and civil unrest were the direct consequence of that not-given command to suppress the riot. The head of Ukraine began his favorite game on two sides – and that, and this – and this finally has led him to the loss of power.

      But on the evening of 18 February perplexity and dismay reigns the Maidan, the opposition is on the verge of defeat. However, the treason on the very top of the Ukrainian power has saved it (the opposition). Yanukovich has chosen money, has chosen personal safety guarantees for himself and for his son-billionaire. Yanukovich has betrayed everybody who had been fighting on the side of the law and against the putsch[72].

      On the night 19 February 2014 in Lvov region militants seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition[73].

      • In Kiev, the command to purge Maidan from militants has never been given. The events of those days will be still subject of thorough analysis and investigation. And they were: as if creating an alternative of the hesitant President Yanukovich, the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Alexander Yakimenko took the initiative[74]. He declared about the start of an anti-terrorist operation if the country: ““Security Service of Ukraine and the Anti-Terrorism Centre today decided to commence an anti-terrorist operation on the territory of Ukraine”. According to his words, it was done because the actions of various radical and extremists groups jeopardize lives of millions of Ukrainians”[75].

      • The press department of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine claimed 19 February that the police and the Interior Troops of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine has not used firearms when protecting the public order and localizing the clashes in the center of Kiev. “Taking into account the character of fatal wounds of the killed civilians (“blind” injuries, wounds in napes) as well as the specs of the weapons seized, one can admit that these injuries could have been caused to the injured by other protesters. Police reminds that the day before during the liberation of streets of Kiev from the participants of the mass unrest, СКАЧАТЬ