Pro-EU, pro-Russian forces clash in Donetsk

Pro-Russian protesters in Donetsk attempted on March 5 to retake control of the state oblast administration building, which is the president’s representative organ in the region and also houses the oblast council. They were evicted the same morning before regrouping about 1,500 supporters for the new attempt. The leader of the Donetsk federalists, Pavel Gubarev, demanded a referendum to determine whether to create a federalized status for the oblast. He told the lenta.ru news wire that his fighters are armed and ready to fulfill a Crimean scenario in the Donbas region.

A counter-rally of 5,000 EuroMaidan supporters emerged after the takeover attempt, the Ukrayinska Pravda news site reported, and the two crowds were separated by police. The pro-Russian protest numbered about 2,000 supporters, Pravda reported. Some of them attacked the EuroMaidan supporters and by night fall, a brawl involving 400 activists was reported by Novosti Donbassa (novosti.dn.ua).

Zenon Zawada: Like most eastern Ukrainian cities, Donetsk is characterized by a pro-Russian population that is largely passive. Gubarev reportedly called for 50,000 supporters to come to the pro-Russian rally, with only a fraction appearing. Much to the frustration of Russian President Vladimir Putin, there aren’t enough locals to mount the secessionist revolt that he’d like to see in the Donbas oblasts of Donetsk and Luhansk. That could change should economic conditions worsen in the next year or two.