At least 75 people were killed in Kiev as the truce declared on Feb. 19 came to a violent end. Meanwhile, unconfirmed sources say the number of dead may reach up to 100.
Eyewitnesses reported police using ball rounds, Molotov cocktails and water cannons during the clashes at the Independent Square. However, some of the protestors are saying that people were using combat weapons against the police forces earlier in the day.
Around 3 p.m. Kiev time, Ukrainian journalist Mustafa Nayem reported 21 activists were killed in the Ukraine Hotel, all of them shoot in the neck, head or heart. The hotel is used as a base for international media. Today, however, the hotel was used as a medical base for treating the wounded.
In his statement President Yanukovych put all the blame on opposition leaders, saying yesterday’s call for truce was just a way to prepare and arm people at Independence Square.
At the same time, opposition leaders Vitaliy Klitschko, Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Oleh Tiahnybok stressed that the latest confrontation in the centre of Kiev is a provocation by the authorities. They say the aim was to show the world the aggression of the protestors.
The foreign ministers of Germany, Poland and France refused to answer journalist’s questions after the meeting with Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 20. The ministers met opposition leaders later that day and headed to another meeting with the president of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the government is gathering in Verkhovna rada in attempt to pass the laws which would help to solve the crises in the country.
This video filmed by the protestor shows the police forces using military weapons even though the Ministry of Internal Affairs had earlier denied all accusations.
