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| Ukrainian MPs brawl as nationalists are accused of playing into Russia's hands | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A brawl erupted in the Ukrainian parliament chamber on Tuesday after the country's communist leader accused nationalists of playing into the hands of Russia by adopting extreme tactics early in the Ukrainian crisis. | |
| Two deputies from the Svoboda far-right nationalist party took exception to the charges by communist Petro Symonenko and seized him while he was talking from the rostrum. His party supporters rallied to his defence and a brawl broke out with deputies from other parties joining in and trading punches. | |
| The fight erupted hours after Ukraine launched an "anti-terrorist" operation against pro-Russian separatists occupying government buildings in several of its eastern cities. | |
| Police arrested 70 pro-Russian demonstrators in Kharkiv on Tuesday, as protesters in two other cities held similar standoffs. Ukrainian authorities gave few details of the operation that cleared the building in Kharkiv but said two police had been wounded by a grenade. | |
| Against the backdrop of the deepening crisis in the south-east, Symonenko stirred nationalist anger in parliament when, referring to the pro-Russian protesters who had seized buildings in eastern Ukraine, he suggested that nationalists had set a precedent earlier this year by seizing public buildings in protest at the rule of the ousted president, Viktor Yanukovych. | |
| Now, he said, armed groups were attacking people who wanted to defend their rights by peaceful means. | |
| "You are today doing everything to intimidate people. You arrest people, start fighting people who have a different point of view," he said, before being pulled away from the rostrum by the Svoboda deputies. | |
| Symonenko did not appear to have been hurt in the brawl involving other deputies. But one deputy later resumed his seat in the chamber with scratches on his face clearly showing. | |
| The communists backed Yanukovych and his Regions Party through the three months leading up to him fleeing the country on Feb. 21 after more than 100 people were shot dead by police snipers in Kiev. | |
| Ukrainian special forces in combat gear, helmets and balaclavas and carrying machine guns stood guard outside the building early on Tuesday. A partly destroyed sign near the main door read: "Avakov – to jail", a reference to the Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov. | Ukrainian special forces in combat gear, helmets and balaclavas and carrying machine guns stood guard outside the building early on Tuesday. A partly destroyed sign near the main door read: "Avakov – to jail", a reference to the Ukrainian interior minister, Arsen Avakov. |
| Avakov made mention of the operation to clear the buildings on his Facebook page: "An anti-terrorist operation has been launched. The city centre is blocked along with metro stations. Do not worry. Once we finish, we will open them again." | Avakov made mention of the operation to clear the buildings on his Facebook page: "An anti-terrorist operation has been launched. The city centre is blocked along with metro stations. Do not worry. Once we finish, we will open them again." |
| The Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the interior ministry saying those detained were suspected of "illegal activity related to separatism, the organisation of mass disorder, damage to human health" and breaking other laws. | The Interfax-Ukraine news agency quoted the interior ministry saying those detained were suspected of "illegal activity related to separatism, the organisation of mass disorder, damage to human health" and breaking other laws. |
| Ukraine's acting president, Oleksander Turchinov, made a televised address to the nation in which he accused Moscow of orchestrating the protests in an attempt to repeat "the Crimea scenario". | Ukraine's acting president, Oleksander Turchinov, made a televised address to the nation in which he accused Moscow of orchestrating the protests in an attempt to repeat "the Crimea scenario". |
| Russia has denied Ukrainian charges of involvement but warned Kiev against any use of force against Russian-speakers. On Tuesday, Russia's foreign ministry called on Kiev to stop massing military forces it said were tasked with suppressing anti-government protests in the south-east of the country. | Russia has denied Ukrainian charges of involvement but warned Kiev against any use of force against Russian-speakers. On Tuesday, Russia's foreign ministry called on Kiev to stop massing military forces it said were tasked with suppressing anti-government protests in the south-east of the country. |
| "We call for an immediate halt to military preparations which could lead to an outbreak of civil war," the ministry said in a statement. | "We call for an immediate halt to military preparations which could lead to an outbreak of civil war," the ministry said in a statement. |
| The pro-Russian protesters still barricaded inside official buildings in Luhansk and Donetsk demanded that referendums be held on whether to join Russia, similar to the one that preceded Moscow's annexation of Crimea. | The pro-Russian protesters still barricaded inside official buildings in Luhansk and Donetsk demanded that referendums be held on whether to join Russia, similar to the one that preceded Moscow's annexation of Crimea. |
| "An anti-Ukrainian plan is being put into operation … under which foreign troops will cross the border and seize the territory of the country," the prime minister, Arseny Yatseniuk, said in public remarks to his cabinet. "We will not allow this." | "An anti-Ukrainian plan is being put into operation … under which foreign troops will cross the border and seize the territory of the country," the prime minister, Arseny Yatseniuk, said in public remarks to his cabinet. "We will not allow this." |
| Ukrainian authorities have made no mention of plans to extend their operation so far. Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Vitaly Yarema, as saying there would be no storming of Donetsk's regional authority building, which has also been occupied by protesters. | Ukrainian authorities have made no mention of plans to extend their operation so far. Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted Ukraine's deputy prime minister, Vitaly Yarema, as saying there would be no storming of Donetsk's regional authority building, which has also been occupied by protesters. |
| He said the decision was made after talks in Donetsk with the protesters involving influential and wealthy businessman Rinat Akhmetov, who is from the city. | He said the decision was made after talks in Donetsk with the protesters involving influential and wealthy businessman Rinat Akhmetov, who is from the city. |
| The US secretary of state, John Kerry, is reported to have told the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in a phone call that Washington was watching events in eastern Ukraine with great concern and any further moves by Moscow to destabilise Ukraine would "incur further costs for Russia". | The US secretary of state, John Kerry, is reported to have told the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, in a phone call that Washington was watching events in eastern Ukraine with great concern and any further moves by Moscow to destabilise Ukraine would "incur further costs for Russia". |
| Kerry "called on Russia to publicly disavow the activities of separatists, saboteurs and provocateurs" in Ukraine, the US state department said. The two discussed convening direct talks in the next 10 days between Ukraine, Russia, the US and the European Union to defuse tensions. | Kerry "called on Russia to publicly disavow the activities of separatists, saboteurs and provocateurs" in Ukraine, the US state department said. The two discussed convening direct talks in the next 10 days between Ukraine, Russia, the US and the European Union to defuse tensions. |
| In an article in the Guardian, Lavrov denied Russia was destabilising Ukraine and accused the west of "groundless whipping-up of tension". Separately, he warned authorities in Kiev against any use of force against pro-Russian demonstrators. | In an article in the Guardian, Lavrov denied Russia was destabilising Ukraine and accused the west of "groundless whipping-up of tension". Separately, he warned authorities in Kiev against any use of force against pro-Russian demonstrators. |