Odesa calm during anniversary of May 2 tragedy

The second anniversary of the May 2 tragedy in Odesa was commemorated peacefully without significant violence, Odesa Regional Administration Head Mikheil Saakashvili announced that evening. Several attempts to stir tensions were thwarted, including an attempted visit by pro-Russian oligarchs Yuriy Boyko and Vadim Novynsky. The public’s tolerance and peacefulness “demonstrated to potential tourists and investors that the situation in Odesa is calm and normal for visiting,” he said.

Up to 14 people were arrested on May 2 in Odesa, some of which had smoke bombs and mace cans in their possession, according to a police spokesman, as reported by the hromadske.od.ua news site. Several fights were reported in the city, and a bag of grenades was found near Kulykovo Field, where pro-Russian demonstrations were held two years ago.

Fights between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian forces in Odesa on May 2, 2014 led to the burning of the Trade Union building where many pro-Russian activists had taken cover, resulting in 46 dead and more than 200 injured. Odesa is Ukraine’s third most-populous city and the site of the country’s largest port.

Zenon Zawada: The calm in Odesa further demonstrates that Russian President Putin’s vision for a Novorossiya separatist region stretching across the Black Sea coastline has little support among the residents of these southern regions. Ukraine’s territorial integrity beyond Crimea and Donbas is not under threat.

Reports swelled ahead of May 2 that Russian intelligence services would exploit the tragedy to stir tensions. Saakashvili played a significant role in preventing that from happening, securing hundreds of police and National Guardsmen from the president last week. The Security Service of Ukraine also deserves credit for preventative measures, which resulted in armaments and explosives being discovered and removed in the days leading up.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government should follow the advice of European authorities in conducting an independent, transparent investigation of these deaths and punishing those responsible.