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Political turmoil in Kharkiv over, heavy police patrols ensure order

Public transport in the city has been running normally, and the city airport operates according to schedule as well

© ITAR-TASS/Valery Sharifulin

KHARKIV, March 05. /ITAR-TASS/. Nothing reminded of an arena of heavy political clashes in the city of Kharkiv on Wednesday morning, especially after a tent compound put up earlier near a monument to Vladimir Lenin had been liquidated.

Heavy police cordons near the regional administration building are the only exception to the usual life in the city. About twenty law enforcers with helmets on their heads and equipped with shields and batons have been guarding the building of the city administration. There are many militiamen in streets adjoining the square of Liberty in the city’s downtown.

Kindergartens and secondary schools in the city perform their usual functions. City shops have sufficient supplies of foodstuffs and commodities. The price of a standard food basket barely increased. "If any prices are up, it is a result of overall inflation trends in Ukraine," a commerce director at one of the shops told Itar-Tass.

Public transport in the city has been running normally, and the city airport operates according to schedule as well. Nevertheless, a flight from Moscow was cancelled on Wednesday, but the other two flights from Moscow on schedule are to arrive on time.

The railway service to Russia operates as well, but bus service from Kharkiv to Russia’s Belgorod is more convenient: it takes only around two hours, including passport checks on the border. Fares have not been raised.

Drivers have no problems at fueling stations; there are no queues there.

Russian television channels have been making broadcasts to Kharkiv as usually, no cuts have been reported. Ukrainian central and regional channels continue broadcasts of Russian films and entertaining programs.

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