More than 40 people killed in Odessa in May 2 conflicts

Pro-Russian extremists attacked a peaceful rally for united Ukraine in Odessa (southern Ukraine) on May 2, four people were killed on streets and hundreds were injured. Witnesses stress that police officers did not prevent attacks. There is much video evidence that extremists were using weapons behind the shoulders of policemen. In their attempt to repel the attack, pro-Ukraine activists entered a camp of pro-Russian activists who had hid themselves in a Trade Union building. As a result of a fire in the building, about 40 pro-Russian activists died. Pro-Ukrainian protesters managed to save lives of some activists trapped in the building. According to information from pro-Ukrainian activists, most of people who died there were citizens of Russia and Transnistria, the unrecognized state on the territory of Moldova which is adjacent to Odessa region – officials only partially confirmed this information. 

Military expert Dmitry Tymchuk reported in his blog that Russian special military forces were accumulating their agents on the territory of Transnistria during March-April. Their goal was to destabilize Odessa and other regions in Southern Ukraine, while the active phase of their operation was scheduled for May 9 (Victory Day). It started a week earlier to cause the Ukrainian government to re-allocate its forces from the Donetsk region, where an anti-terrorist operation was activated on May 2, according to Tymchuk. 

Internal Affairs Ministry, State Securities Service and Foreign Affairs Ministry of Ukraine recognized that Russian citizens were among those organizing the attack. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the BBC that he blames Odessa’s law enforcement officers and Russian Special Forces for the tragedy.  “Russia and pro-Russian separatists are waging a real war – a war of annihilation of Ukraine and Ukrainian independence” – he said. All the top politicians, including the most popular candidate for the Presidential position Petro Poroshenko, blamed the local police for inactivity. The only exception was Yulia Tymoshenko, who said that the police did everything possible to prevent the conflict. Top police officials in Odessa were released the next day, including the head of police who had been earlier appointed by Tymoshenko’s party, according to ex-foreign minister Yuriy Lutsenko. 

The events developed further on May 4, after local police freed the pro-Russian extremists that had been arrested on May 2. The freed people and their supporters tried to occupy the police station and further escalate violence in Odessa. The Government reacted with another dismissal of top police officers. The violence on the streets was prevented by pro-Ukrainian activists whose urgent and massive gathering frightened off extremists. Later, the governor of Odessa region announced the creation of a special “battalion of regional defense” to re-establish peace and order in the region. 

Alexander Paraschiy: It was broadly expected that the long, 4-day, weekend would not be calm in Ukraine, though naturally it was expected that there would be much violence in the Donestk and Luhansk regions, not in Odessa. The events show how ill-protected the people in Eastern and Southern Ukraine are. But they also demonstrated that anti-Ukrainian mood is not supported by most citizens of Odessa and the citizens there are ready to protect their pro-Ukrainian positions even though the police remain silent. This allows us to believe that the risk is low for the escalation of pro-separatism movements in Odessa, and maybe other regions of southern Ukraine, unlike in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The events in Odessa have mobilized people who are ready to deter extremism – something like vaccine in mobilizing an organism. Although, we have to admit that a repetition of violent conflict, ignited by Russia’s Special Forces, is possible in other locations in the near future.