BBC Online :
Ukraine’s PM has blamed the country’s security services for failing to stop violence in the southern city of Odessa that left more than 40 people dead.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the BBC there would be “full, comprehensive and independent investigation”.
Most of the victims were pro-Russian separatists who died in a fire after barricading themselves in a building.
The PM’s comments came as Ukrainian troops surrounded the pro-Russian stronghold of Sloviansk in the east.
Yesterday Yatsenyuk said of the Odessa violence: “I personally blame the security service and law enforcement office for doing nothing to stop this crackdown.”
It appears for the moment that the Ukrainian troops are leaving aside the stronghold of Sloviansk. Kiev talks of it being encircled and the fighting does appear to be concentrated in towns outside.
I spoke to one person last night in Sloviansk who said people there were extremely nervous. They were expecting the place to be stormed and that it could be their last night in control, with heavy fighting. But that did not happen.
We have seen pro-Russian groups in Donetsk and Luhansk and places to the south of here reacting very angrily to the deaths in Odessa – trying to take over government buildings once again. Yesterday Yatsenyuk said: “These security forces are inefficient and they violated the law.”
He said the police chief of the Odessa region had been removed and that the prosecutor’s office had started an investigation.
“The prosecutor’s office is to investigate
everyone – starting with the chief of police, his deputies and every single police officer.”
Some 42 people died in Odessa on Friday, most of them in the fire at the Trade Unions House, where separatist protesters had barricaded themselves following running battles with pro-Kiev activists.
Yesterday Yatsenyuk blamed pro-Russian groups for “provoking the unrest”.
He accused Russia and pro-Russian protesters of orchestrating “real war… to eliminate Ukraine and eliminate Ukrainian independence”.
Ukraine’s PM has blamed the country’s security services for failing to stop violence in the southern city of Odessa that left more than 40 people dead.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the BBC there would be “full, comprehensive and independent investigation”.
Most of the victims were pro-Russian separatists who died in a fire after barricading themselves in a building.
The PM’s comments came as Ukrainian troops surrounded the pro-Russian stronghold of Sloviansk in the east.
Yesterday Yatsenyuk said of the Odessa violence: “I personally blame the security service and law enforcement office for doing nothing to stop this crackdown.”
It appears for the moment that the Ukrainian troops are leaving aside the stronghold of Sloviansk. Kiev talks of it being encircled and the fighting does appear to be concentrated in towns outside.
I spoke to one person last night in Sloviansk who said people there were extremely nervous. They were expecting the place to be stormed and that it could be their last night in control, with heavy fighting. But that did not happen.
We have seen pro-Russian groups in Donetsk and Luhansk and places to the south of here reacting very angrily to the deaths in Odessa – trying to take over government buildings once again. Yesterday Yatsenyuk said: “These security forces are inefficient and they violated the law.”
He said the police chief of the Odessa region had been removed and that the prosecutor’s office had started an investigation.
“The prosecutor’s office is to investigate
everyone – starting with the chief of police, his deputies and every single police officer.”
Some 42 people died in Odessa on Friday, most of them in the fire at the Trade Unions House, where separatist protesters had barricaded themselves following running battles with pro-Kiev activists.
Yesterday Yatsenyuk blamed pro-Russian groups for “provoking the unrest”.
He accused Russia and pro-Russian protesters of orchestrating “real war… to eliminate Ukraine and eliminate Ukrainian independence”.
