At least 75 people have been killed and hundreds more injured in three days of violence in central Kiev. Thursday was the deadliest day so far, as snipers opened fire on demonstrators as protesters raced to carry away the wounded and dead.
It was broad daylight, but one of Ukraine’s darkest moments as an already bloody central Kiev turned even bloodier.
Witnesses say snipers on rooftop buildings fired at demonstrators. Others say they heard automatic weapons being used.
It’s unclear if the protesters confronted police, who then responded. Or if they were the ones confronted.
The bodies of those killed were laid out in the center of the square. The injured were rushed out in a flurry of ambulances.
As the death toll quickly rose, both sides blamed the other.
Ukraine’s Interior Ministry issued an order authorizing police to be armed. It says it’s in response to officers being kidnapped by the protesters.
The opposition is determined to maintain their position in the square until their demands are met: namely that the President, Viktor Yanukovych, step down.
A truce that was announced on Wednesday night by the president on his website, but not confirmed by the opposition, failed to bring any calm.
Meanwhile the city’s acting mayor resigned from the president’s party of regions, long with nearly 10 others.
The standoff and violence are unprecedented and Ukraine’s 23 years of independence. As the uncertainty of what will happen next looms, it seems everyone is on edge.
