Ukrainian presidential candidate condemns military operation in eastern regions

DONETSK, April 16./ITAR-TASS/. People’s deputy, Ukrainian presidential candidate Oleh Tsariov has condemned the special operation of Ukrainian security forces in the east of the country.

“If we want to preserve unity of Ukraine, we should learn to listen to each other and remember that there is only one way out of the crisis - peaceful talks,” Tsariov is quoted on Wednesday by the local media.

The lawmaker also commented on the fact of an attack on him by a group of radically minded activists. Strangely enough, but it is among the representatives of the current authorities that there are people who are obviously interested in the conflict escalation and even in the disruption of the election. It is also obvious that the regime is not controlling the situation in the country,” Tsariov said at a news conference in Donetsk. “It is clear that it (the regime) cannot event protect presidential candidates from attacks of extremists. I get the impression that thus they just want to deny residents of the southeast of the country the right to vote for their candidate.”

Referring to the opening of a criminal case against him by the prosecutor’s office, the presidential candidate noted that his statements contained nothing that would be contrary to the law.

Late on Monday, after a TV appearance on Ukraine’s ICTV channel Tsariov was attacked by an aggressive armed crowd that blocked the television channel’s building. He was taken to hospital in a grave condition after that. Tsariov told reporters later that he “would not refuse from participation in the Ukrainian presidential election under any circumstances, even under the threat of violence.” On Tuesday, the prosecutor’s office of Kiev launched a prejudicial inquiry within the criminal case against Tsariov “in connection with public addresses in which he called for the separation of the country, encroached on the state’s territorial integrity and voiced separatist intentions.