Bloody clashes in Donetsk may cause Russian-Ukrainian border closure

Massive clashes between protesters in Donetsk may be followed by the closing of the Russian-Ukrainian border, the Ukrainian media Fakty.ua said, citing the leader of the Ukrainian nationalist political party Svoboda, Oleg Tyagnybok, March 14.

“The information we received from our Donetsk colleagues is shocking. Militia let the bandits slaughter people. I believe that those bandits are ‘Russian agents,’ who were brought from the bordering regions of Russia. The Russian-Ukrainian border, therefore, must be closed,” Tyagnybok claimed to the press.

Donetsk, which used to be regarded as one of the calmest cities in the eastern Ukraine, shuddered from clashes between activists of pro-Russian organizations and supporters of the idea of a “united Ukraine.”

The clashes started on March 13 on the main square of the city, the Ukrainian media wrote.

At least one person died as a result of incidents and 28 people were hospitalized, Fakty.ua reported based on official sources.