KIEV, May 02. /ITAR-TASS/. One man was killed in clashes between supporters of Ukraine’s federalization and Euromaidan activists in the Ukrainian Black Sea city of Odessa, the press service of the Odessa police department said on Friday.
“One man received a gun wound in his right lung and died before the arrival of an ambulance car,” the press service said.
Mass riots were reported from the Odessa on Friday. The riots were instigated by aggressively behaving footballs fans from Kharkov and Right Sector radicals who had arrived from Kiev, police sources told Itar-Tass.
About 1,500 young men wearing masks and Right Sector armlets armed with chains, clubs and shields tried to stage a march along Odessa’s central streets, chanting “Glory to Ukraine,” “Death to Foes,” “Stab Moskals” [Moskal is an ethnic slur for Russians used in Ukraine] and other anti-Russian slogans.
They were met by activists from the Kulikovo Pole (Kulikovo Field) movement, who spoke against what they call the usurpation of power in Ukraine, for a referendum on federalization of the country and granting the Russian language the official state language status. Police failed to prevent clashes, which have spread to Deribasovskaya Street and Grecheskaya Square. A number of people have been injured. Policemen are using their shields to take injured people from the site of clashes. Barricades were built in the central streets in Odessa. Radicals have seized a fire engine and are trying to ram the barricades. According to preliminary information, several persons were taken to hospital.
Until now, rallied of supporters of the current Kiev authorities had never attracted more that 200-300 people, while Kulikovo Pole activists organized actions involving tens of thousands of people every weekend.