Riot police shooting protesters in Kyiv. Death toll rises (video, photo, livestream)
The conflict has blazed up again. Maidan has regained its positions from riot police. There are a lot of injured, including those with gunshot wounds. At least 25 people have died today, Ukrainian media say. The parleamentary sittings scheduled are unlikely to be held today. Barricades are re0erected in Hrushevskoho and Instytutskaya streets. Snipers are reported to be on roofs.
Riot police and internal forces did resort to arms, the Ukrainian Interior Ministry admits in its statement but stresses that they make use of armes solely for self-defence.
Olesya Zhukovskaya, a Maidan medical volunteer, was shot by a Berkut-dressed sniper and severely injured. Before she lost consciousness the girl managed to tweet ‘I am dying…’
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{movie}20.02.14 Dead and injured in Kyiv (shocking footage)|right|14925{/movie}
There are a lot of snipers in the streets running to Maidan, espresso.tv reports.
{movie}Snipers in the streets of Kyiv. Hospital. Killed protesters.|right|14919{/movie}
Riot police have left a lot of trucks and buses in the streets. There are also a lot of empty vodka and beer bottles, Belsat TV journalist Ales Barazenka reports. ‘It looks like a tactic step because we don’t know what made siloviki retreat so fast. This might be a scenario once tested in Belarus: riot police gave ground to let protesters burn off steam and then renewed their attack,’ he stressed.
{movie}Shooting AK-47 to people in Kiev|right|14916{/movie}
‘At about 9am Kyiv time, the tide of war in Kyiv changed dramatically. After having been beaten back to a small strip of territory on Independence Square 36 hours ago, the forces of Maidan counter-attacked against the line of riot police using live ammunition. Riot police retreated in panic. Barricades are currently being rebuilt on Institutska St. and Zhovtnevyj Palace (the building with columns which overlooks Independence Square). The counterattack also targeted the police line dividing Independence Square from European Square. Police have now retreated to their original line on Hrushevskoho St. where they have set up concrete barriers. Ukrainian House was recaptured,’ Facebook community Euromaidan in English reports.
{movie}Riot police using service butllets, video by RadioSvobodaOrg|right|14918{/movie}
Snipers shoot at medics that carry out wounded people from Maidan Yuri Sirotyuk, a member of Svoboda All-Ukrainian Union, said. According to his words, as a result of using firearms by law-enforcement officers there are a lot of wounded people. The injured people are delivered to Ukraine hotel.
