Talk:Maidan snipers

Ukraine Research Thoughts
Okay, I got sucked in more than I meant, and within a week I feel for my part like I've cracked the case and could prove it to anyone real and not brain-dead (tested this at the JJREF in this thread - no one was convinced and said so but CE - they're unreal or brain dead - perfect response then.) I also sort-of revived my old blog Petri's been pimping on Facebook with this new post that might lead to more adds. I was about to start a section here on the hotel, but I've been putting it together more at that thread, wondering how important it is to get what where ATM. So it comes up, how big should this page get before it become its own Wiki, or should. Or maybe just a multi-page thing like Ghouta. Or maybe, we should be teaming up with Ukrainians on a bigger site they really could use now. In Ukrainian, and English somehow so everyone (the most people) can follow too, and contribute. I don't know. We're not the best people to do this, even if we do solve it so well so quickly. I would like to see it in someone else's hands and focus on Syria, and still feeling kinda bad I left Libya behind, etc. Thoughts? --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:47, 1 March 2014 (UTC)

Videos

 * Shooting people in Kiev / Стральба па пратэстоўцах у Кіеве. (20.02.2014, APTN) – Feb 20, 2014
 * Революцiя Україна Київ Контратака Майдану вул.Інститутська 2014.02.20 – Full video 41 minutes
 * Силовики стріляють бойовими кулями (Siloviki fire fighting bullets) – RadioSvobodaOrg, Feb 20, 2014
 * Ukrainian police fire at protesters in Kiev – video – reposted by The Guardian
 * Here on Facebook it is suggested that the troops are not Berkut at all, but "Right Sector" extremist.
 * Ukraine: Snipers target police in Independence Square – RuptlyTV, Feb 20, 2014
 * ''Anti-government forces armed with hunting rifles took up sniper positions in a downtown Kiev hotel on Thursday, overlooking protesters and police clashing in Maidan Square below. Police marksmen targeted gunmen appearing in the windows as the two groups exchanged live fire.
 * This seems to be a rebel video filmed at the Ukraine Hotel. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 18:59, 20 February 2014 (UTC)


 * 40-minute video: http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a25_1393030880
 * I can't even see this one over here, old player or not. Will rely on help if enhancements of short clips is needed. Unless it works for me tomorrow. (??) I hear it's extra-brutal, staring after 10:00 anyway (with the part before perhaps holding clues). This one sounds like it'll be important to analyze carefully. --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:14, 22 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Also copy on youtube. Didn't watch it yet. The uploader has made some "truth" videos, this one showing the snipers up close. He says their weapons are "AKMS" which aren't used by the state anymore but were in that raided weapon depot. No military boots. Yellow armbands - i've seen those on videos of "right sector" worn by their "security" people, but of course that doesn't mean much on its own. --CE (talk) 15:44, 22 February 2014 (UTC)
 * I already linked to the original 41 minute video. At 3 minutes you shall see that the "fake Berkut" are defending a museum on Institute Street opposite the Maidan. The claim that these are Right Sector is totally bogus. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 18:50, 22 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Ah, seeing it now, sorry. However, the one above is implied as a segment, but it's a different video, with the tree shooting. On the long one, maybe the same scenes, but a different angle. I have the Youtube video saved (only way I can even watch it well) Not seeing much that's different - rioters advancing on something official, getting shot in the legs and sutff on occasion. At 35:08 you can see one of their white power crosses they try not to display too much these days. Any interesting points anyone can point me to? --Caustic Logic (talk) 02:41, 23 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Fake Bullet Holes Radio Svoboda YT video, 2:16 I had seen this in a re-posting. I replied to a comment calling the bullet holes in the shield fake. (One hole is square. Pick-axe? The blood where the metal was wounded - real or nail polish? Gunshot or poked fingertip? Not sure) That posting was then deleted (maybe coincidence). This version won't be embarrassed away. Are those comments in Russian or Ukranian or both? That matters. Several claim this is faked, one at least cursing the kid who'd lie to the world like that. These comments have by far the most up-votes, including by me - some have 20+ votes up. (The built-in translation there now is really handy. ) --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:45, 23 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Yanukovich death squads – Pravyi Sector


 * Как снайперы убивали активистов на Институтской. Полная версия видео (Snipers killed activists Instytutska. Full version of the video)


 * Майдан, который не покажут в новостях. Часть1 (Maidan, which does not show in the news. Part 1)


 * Policeman urges media to report the truth, title says 20.2, published on 19.2 with English and German subtitles. Reports of Berkut injured live-threateningly, quite dramatic "interview" --CE (talk) 14:05, 27 February 2014 (UTC)


 * RT live-streams by alleged date and time (not uploaded by RT):
 * 19,2., 00:05-01:05 h
 * 19.2., 01:05-02:05 h
 * 19.2., 02:05-03:05 h
 * 19.2., 03:05-04:05 h
 * 19.2., 04:00-05:00 h
 * 19.2., 05:00-06:00 h
 * 19.2., 06:00-07:00 h
 * 19.2., 12:00-13:00 h
 * 19.2., 14:00-15:00 h
 * 19.2., 16:00-16:30 h
 * RT original uploads:
 * Seven hours from 22.1.
 * Six hours from 18.2. (night footage ... 17/18 or 18/19?)
 * 7.5 hours from 20.2.
 * --CE (talk) 14:05, 27 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Looks like a great trove. I'll try to save these, but I'm afraid they'll be gone before I have time. If someone else made a backup set just in case, wouldn't hurt, except obviously time taken. They should be reviewed too and mined for data. --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:02, 27 February 2014 (UTC)
 * I don't know about trying to save all these. The last one should show any sniping of protesters that happened in the square on the 20th. I'm not sure what time it starts, but it seems to be pre-noon anyway, and it clearly runs past sundown. Ah, wait ... if it stays live, sunset seems to be at about 6:40 video, local sunset at 5:24 = vid start at about an 10:40 AM? Might this be too late, and they're witholding the main segment? Didn't find it yet. At about 1:08-ish there are multiple shot-like sounds, but no noticeable reaction like people getting shot. Anyone else? --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:50, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

BBC under sniper fire? (not original posting) At 2:28, the reporter says "the majority of the gunfire seemed to be coming from police lines," showing the militant front line way down Instytutska. That's not "unseen snipers" nor, at least with that line, does it seem unwarranted. It's any murky sniping on the Maidan/from the hotel that matters, and they get some. Right after, "...but not all of it." The footage at 2:36 looks to me like after most everything, and just after sunset (or ...?). Walking on the north side of the hotel, seeing the metro station to the SE. Not quite the Maidan if so. He was clear which window it came from - one of the upper floors, fifth row from the left, second from the top, window's open. Whoever was up there was intent on making sure the BBC crew got to document another pointless bit of the government crime spree. Except: "I saw the shooter. He was wearing one of the protesters' green helmets." Okay? And there you go. Also not "unseen sniper" but what can you do? --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:49, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

Alleged Government Orders
Reuters reports, Feb. 25, that activists have found the smoking gun this it was the embattled government, not provocateur snipers, that sealed its own legal fate by killing innocent protesters. Everyone agrees the shooting by snipers was from Hotel Ukraine. This news clarifies who they must have worked for.
 * Ukrainian journalists are going through thousands of papers they say were found near Yanukovich's opulent residence near Kiev after he fled the capital and some documents have already started to surface in the Internet.


 * Although its authenticity could not be confirmed, parliamentary deputy Hennadi Moskal, a former deputy interior minister, published a document online detailing a plan to surround Independence Square - the cradle of the uprising - with snipers and open fire on the protesters below.

In the end they seem to have surrounded it from only one side, but that's not totally clear yet. I suppose this alleged order will be around in image form? --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:02, 27 February 2014 (UTC)

Victims

 * (split from above section - many but not all of these were killed by )

Pravda Ukraine List
A list of victims from February 19th and 20th with photos is published by Ukrainian Pravda:
 * Загиблі герої Майдану – pravda.com.ua, 21.02.2014


 * Interesting. This is more when it was just protesters shot? I suspect these were, peaceful, doing nothing. Compared to the list of sniper target characteristics to look for: some kind of effeminate or sensitive looking guys predominate - this one was in Tears for Fears maybe - a longhair - some kind of artist - several middle-aged men (50+ predominates), a 73-year-old, a few in their 30s, a few in their teens, not so many of prime fighting age. No ovious toughs shown. This guy is closest - too pudgy. One is "member of the district council Horodenka Ivano-Frankivsk from Svoboda" I only translated a few. --Caustic Logic (talk) 23:40, 21 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Fighting age, or fitness, won't likely matter here like it does in Syria, except with people already recruited. Mainly we should look for visible clues that might suggest a person Nazi thugs would pick to put a bullet in, as a bonus for creating another protester "shot by government sniper" to help "justify" your rampage as you go. --Caustic Logic (talk) 07:31, 24 February 2014 (UTC)

I'm making a list of Google-translated entries. Unless I counted wrong, there are 68 (I was wrong - 67) protesters/activists/others (it's really a mixed bag) and 11 policemen killed. It'll take too long to finish before posting. Name orders tend to be family first, personal second, but there seem to be exceptions. Only select photos for now. --Caustic Logic (talk) 07:31, 24 February 2014 (UTC)


 * (main list moved to front page --CE (talk) 15:35, 27 February 2014 (UTC))

Vesti Journalist
Entry #9 above: Vyacheslav Veremiy, a journalist of the newspaper "Vesti", 32 years. Titushky vystrelyly man in the chest. He died in the hospital the morning of February 19, 2014 due to loss of blood from the gunshot wound. Without father left 4-month son Vyacheslav. photo

Vesti means News. According to Wikipedia, there are three Vestis - A Russian TV channel until 2010, now Rossiya 24, a newscast of the latter, and also - the only newspaper - Israel's only Russian language daily. Israeli!!! Jew!!! Nazi mobs!!!

But, no ... it's just not a full list. Here is Vesti.ua reporting their reporter's death early on the 19th. Google translated:
 * Early this morning, 19 February, in the Kiev hospital emergency department died correspondent "Kiev" newspaper "Vesti" Vyacheslav Veremei . Late at night on the eve of masked men (неизвестные в масках ) opened fire on our journalist. Doctors fought for several hours life of Fame (celebrity?), but he died on the operating table.


 * Revision of "Vesti " expresses its heartfelt condolences to the families of Vyacheslav . Mourn with you . We also demand that the law enforcement authorities to conduct an investigation as soon as possible and find the killers of our journalist.


 * We appeal to all the witnesses of what happened with the request to provide information that will help find the criminals . Contact email address : info@vesti.ua.

"Masked" is usually not the right word for "helmeted." Police don't usually need to be "identified" and tracked down. The killers are, implicitly, the allies and agents of the (apparent?) new government, and the case might just be dropped now. It could be said this is a lie by a pro-Y news agency. Then, a reported for a pro-Y agency was killed. Hm. Maybe by the government did it to make the "extremists" look bad? Then, it's acknowledged at least that the extremists look bad. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:12, 24 February 2014 (UTC)

Via RT: -- Petri Krohn (talk) 06:40, 25 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Ukraine turmoil LIVE UPDATES
 * Tuesday, February 25 – 05:42 GMT:
 * ''The suspected shooter of Ukrainian journalist Vyacheslav Veremyi, of the local Vesti newspaper, has been arrested, reported the paper, quoting MP Pyotr Poroshenko.
 * ''Veremyi died of a gunshot wound in the chest after masked men attacked him last Tuesday on the way home in Mikhailovskaya Street in central Kiev.


 * Ah! They got an ID and an arrest? I'm curious about the details, considering the management change and all. Shot on the way home they say. That's consistent with targeting. I was wondering if he was out investigating them at the time and saw something they didn't want reported. But maybe his job is unrelated. --Caustic Logic (talk) 11:26, 25 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Vesti.au report on it (Google Translates poorly) "On Wednesday evening (in a place, attackers) with bats attacked Vyacheslav Veremyya and IT specialist editorial Alexei Lыmarenko ." Another line says "Machine -?- and -?- -?- grenades. Taxi Driver and Alexei -?- of cars and -?- -?-" Needs work. --Caustic Logic (talk) 12:43, 25 February 2014 (UTC)

Those curious about how this story progresses could follow this Vesti page for all articles about him (are there 27 already? and that's with none since the 27th? What happened after that?) I'll check the most recent:
 * Finally, our investigation into the murder of journalist Vyacheslav Veremei engaged Prosecutor General's Office and the Interior Ministry, Feb. 27. It features video evidence, with several stills, and more details in general.
 * Today, February 27 , nine days after the death of our journalist Vyacheslav Veremei . In fact there is not suspected , but the investigation is conducted , so staff of the newspaper "Vesti" very much hopes that the perpetrators will be found and punished . As it turned out , at the crossroads of Big Zhitomir and Vladimir on the night of 18 on February 19 killed another man - Vitaly Vasiltsov - and at least one was injured . We carefully collect all the video and witness the bloody night and we are grateful to everyone who will tell us something about those events .

It goes into "events at the crossroads," with Zytomir and other places mentioned (to, from, etc. unclear) Local police had no role - being unarmed, they simply stayed away when a huge crowd of thugs rolled up in black SUVs. They blocked the road, attacked various cars, throwing grenades in after smashing windows (?).
 * This crowd was raging about 11 pm to 4 am. They threw stun grenades toward maydanovtsev, gathered at St. Michael's Square . Constantly heard the queue from a Kalashnikov . The bandits stopped cars, beat them and threw grenades . Passed only trolleys and ambulances . Also beat people passing by . lso beat people passing by . Bandits led by a few people who pointed out to beat anyone who does not beat in what car to throw grenades.

A woman named Eugenia gave this account of the attack on Vyacheslav:
 * In the taxi that drove Vyacheslav, threw stun grenades . Firing of weapons was constant . Slavik in a gray jacket tried to escape in our direction , but three men knocked him down and beaten with metal pipes . Fourth supervised . Slavik got up again , they knocked him down and beat him with all his strength . Finally released him , he ran to us, but along the way began to lose consciousness and fell right at the front wheel of our cars , "- she said. (video still - different video? - same video as the 2nd)
 * Eugenia and her husband jumped out of the car and tried to help Slavik . " He said," I am a journalist ... I was beaten ... I can not breathe, "- says Eugene. Slavik asked to turn it on its side , because it was easier. "I undid the zipper on his blue sweater , someone brought water, I washed the blood from his forehead . I kept saying to him: " Do not fall asleep , do not close your eyes ." Ten minutes he looked at me with his blue-gray eyes . I still see them. In the right eye, he shone a whistle , maybe when they smash the car , it got there , "- says Eugene.
 * Ten minutes later there was an ambulance. The car was another wounded, but not so hard. So the guy was replaced on a stretcher Slavik . Doctors put him on the neck collar safety , loaded into the car. First ten minutes standing , and then went .

So, apparently, he was not shot? The initial report that his killer was captured turns out to be untrue also, or perhaps more likely, was deemed untrue after that person was mysteriously released.
 * Recently lawmaker Poroshenko said Vyacheslav Veremei killer arrested, but it is not. The theme of Avakov ( В тему Аваков ) denied detention killer Vyacheslav Veremei. As said, " Vesti " Attorney General Oleg Mahnitsky suspects yet (at large). The investigation of all crimes resonance leads Attorney General's Office in conjunction with the Ministry of Internal Affairs .

--Caustic Logic (talk) 13:41, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Patterns
First pass, general: Feb. 18 had the most interesting shootings and deaths, while the 20th had the greatest number and randomness. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:12, 24 February 2014 (UTC)

Cops Killed Early: The interesting day, the 18th ... note the 11 killed policemen have no death dates. They are, or tend to be, the 18th. It's not clear of the listed 11 is the whole list of slain police officers. The bulk of riots on the 20th injured, burned, beat, and captured police in huge numbers. It's hard to imagine no more getting killed, but this RT report of the 19th suggests only one of these 11 died after that first night:
 * Twenty-six people were killed overnight in the most violent clashes yet to have occurred between security forces and protesters since the opposition took to the streets of Kiev in November 2013. Ten of the casualties are Ukrainian police officers, who died of gunshot wounds, as did the rest of the victims, the Interior Ministry reported.

Further, he explained it must be "violent protesters" since “police officers and interior troops do not use fire arms. Law enforcers are only using non-lethal weapons." This was apparently true, at least until they were coming under fire like this. On the 19th, apparently, it was decided police would again be armed and authorized to fire in self-defense. Trapped! If false-flag provocateur snipers were responsible for crimes pinned on the state, the allegation part could not work on the 18th nearly as well as it did on the 20th. With this cop-killing provocation, it seems, guns were tricked into the authorities' hands, and just as quickly, those guns were blamed for beautiful young people punctured on the Maidan, just as planned.--Caustic Logic (talk) 13:17, 25 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Urs has done some more digging and found descriptions for the videos showing burning busses and intimidated passengers - those were apparently counter-protesters from Crimea on their way home on the 20th. Even more interesting is a (German) translation of an interview in a video already deleted (youtube account deleted due to "several reports" of copyright issues, of course). Counter-protesters who drove to Kyiv on the 17th and arrived in the morning of the 18th for a demonstration in the Mariinsky Park on the other side of the government buildings, maybe 300m east of the lower right corner of your map. They say a huge mob attacked them around 11 am, threw Molotow cocktails, stones, pepper spray etc, and after "the guys from Berkut" tried to protect them, some in the mob started to shoot. The interviewee says s/he saw "5 people killed", unclear if police or counter-protesters. --CE (talk) 12:40, 27 February 2014 (UTC)

Armed Protesters
Here's one participant offering an assessment of their limited gun situation (limited hangout? from LA Times, Feb 20): [QUOTE]"Some of the protesters here had their officially registered hunting rifles with them, and they started shooting back," said Nikolay Mosiyenko, a 46-year-old retired lieutenant colonel of the Ukraine Armed Forces, who joined the protest at its outset last fall.[/QUOTE] Of course, they were planning a hunting trip afterwards, never intending to shoot people, during protests in the capitol. Because that would void the legality (in spirit anyway) of them being "hunting rifles." [QUOTE]"If that was the idea of Yanukovich's anti-terrorist operation, I must say, it failed utterly," Mosiyenko said. "He never got the backing of the army in a situation when the police can no longer cope." Mosiyenko was referring to a government warning Wednesday that it was undertaking an "anti-terrorist operation" to end the protests...[/QUOTE] That's an astute assessment. He's quite the tactician, for a simple protester-hunter. --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:27, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

Mapping the Events
The yellow circle by the October Palace is the big "rotary phone dial" clock from early in the 40-minute video. 4:00 if accurate. The action then runes southeast up the Instyutska towards the apparent seat of Ukraine's government. Behind them, the Maidan, overlooked by the hotel (among other things) where protesters were shot dead on the 20th. Thanks to CE for initial tips and Wikimpaia markings. When we identify areas of interest in a broader or narrower zone, different maps might be made. --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:07, 26 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Updates (for next version) - "Government building" is where the ministries work. Parliament is behind/north of that. To the south, presidential administration, to the SE, Regions party HQ, torched with a worker apparently murdered. Isn't it odd how as soon as the Nazi hordes get to this vital area, parliament can suddenly vote differently (is the roster full or didn't a lot of members feel compelled to run away?), dismiss and appoint and re-jigger whatever they want? It's as if this Nazi mob were a bunch of knights, saving the princess of Ukrainian democracy held prisoner by some dragon (the law on the land) they had to slay to set her free. --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:21, 27 February 2014 (UTC)


 * The Ukraine hotel is where Maidan snipers were said to be stationed. -- Petri Krohn (talk) 23:20, 26 February 2014 (UTC)
 * Yes indeed, and by both sides. Other than up the Instyutska, it's the only place they're mentioned shooting from. The one going up the street had ther shields up against fire from the SE. So ... if the snipers at the hotel were on the government side, why did they never shoot those guys in the friggin back? All killed were by luck shots to the head and chest. And if that's because the snipers there were rebel ones, then ... well, the people at the Maidan too were reported getting shot with snipers (still parsing reports) --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:16, 27 February 2014 (UTC)

The long 40-minute video shows the militants in the stretch between the hotel and what must be the metro station, with the circular plaza. The final line they're holding there, furthest point we see, is at its far edge, about at the "n" in Instytutska. That's just over 100 meters from the government center. I don't think they show what, if anything, happened next. Did the people who torched the Regions HQ come from the other side, or what it these guys, after they finished busting through? --Caustic Logic (talk) 15:12, 28 February 2014 (UTC)

Hotel Ukraine
(forthcoming)

Instytutska Front Lines
Palace Bridge: The first front-line on the push down that red line was at the pedestrian bridge between the Maidan and the October palace. north of that seems to be, as of noon, part of the insurgent-held Maidan at large. The long video, at its start, shows people and supplies packed densely on the street up to and beneath the bridge, but stopping cleanly at its far edge. Past there, the people are thinner and busier, inching forward behind shields, sometimes being shot, dragging debris and tires for the next front line, or dragging back wounded. This is not an area of protest, but of some militant endeavor. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:57, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Metro Station: The furthest front line that's visually established is at the far edge of the metro station, just over 100 meters from the edge of the government compound (ahead and to the left in the composite view below, stitched from portions of the 40-minute video. From right to left, note: the round terminal of the station, a White Power Celtic cross, the one and only such neo-Nazi symbol that ACLOS has spotted so far on February 20. The rest of a row of shields, beynd which is one further barricade of various junk that's not yet adequate. At the end of the long video (around 40:30) the men are draggind a burned-out bus up the street, presumably to beef up that front line. But after this, videos of this front and the government's nerve center just beyond get thinner to perhaps non-existent. Time of this establishment: if the big clock by the bridge is accurate, the long video starts at 12:15 PM (see 0:01, and at 5:40 note it's 12:21). So 40 minutes after the start, minus unknown edits/gaps, means it ends no earlier than 12:55 PM, likely a bit afterwards - 1:30-ish sounds right. --Caustic Logic (talk) 10:57, 2 March 2014 (UTC)

Timeline
I'll start with a BBC timeline. I'm not sure how comprehensive it is - the death toll seems to stop at about 50, when it seems to have finally hit 80+. This covers only 4 hours on the 20th. And there seems to be no one point, like I thought, where 20 protesters - clearly, not militants - on the Maidan were shot at once. Anyway, other sources can be added. Emphasis on guns, control, security situation. Most entries of people saying stuff, etc. left out. --Caustic Logic (talk) 14:16, 27 February 2014 (UTC)


 * Are those local times or UK times? It seem they are UK times because I looked up the SPIEGEL livetickers and it seems that their reporting is one hour later, for example the snipers shooting at Hotel Ukraine are reported by BBC at 10:51 and by SPIEGEL at 11:57. Which sounds logical and means that the local time is two hours ahead of the BBC timestamps and one hour ahead of SPIEGEL. On the 18th SPIEGEL has no liveticker but reports about the demonstration in the park I mentioned above, although they make it seems that anti-Government protesters clashed with Berkut, not mentioning the pro-Government/anti-Fascist protesters attacked. SPIEGEL links below (will check that for discrepancies and interesting stuff later) --CE (talk) 14:50, 27 February 2014 (UTC)

It did say GMT, I think, and is either way. Should be done in local. Will be updated soon. --Caustic Logic (talk) 00:23, 28 February 2014 (UTC)


 * As it happened: Clashes in central Kiev

09:21: Both parliament and cabinet buildings are evacuated, with reports of police surrendering - (BBC Monitoring)

09:25: The BBC's David Stern in Kiev says: ... The sound of the gunfire from Institutskaya street can be heard throughout Independence Square, and makeshift hospitals are littered with casualties and the seriously injured.

09:30: Journalist Christopher Miller in Kiev tweets: "More than 50 captured police led inside the energy building next door to city hall pic.twitter.com/KUKEnERFQU"

09:30: "Dozens of activists are killed in Thursday's confrontation by fire aimed directly at protesters' heads, chests and hearts. Sniper rifles and Kalashnikovs were apparently used," a 5 Kanal TV presenter said.

09:38: The Ukrainian Health Ministry in a statement on Thursday says that 28 people have died and 287 have been hospitalised during two days of street violence.

09:59: A statement from Ukraine's presidency via BBC Monitoring says: "The opposition leaders' calls for a truce and dialogue were nothing but a way for playing for time to mobilize and arm militants from Maidan [Independence Square]."

10:02: More from President Viktor Yanukovich's statement: "They (the protesters) went on to the offensive. They are working in organised groups. They are using firearms, including sniper rifles. They are shooting to kill."

10:10: At least 21 civilians have been killed near Independence Square

10:13: Polish Foreign Minister Radoslav Sikorski: "We've seen these horrific pictures from Kiev which are some of the largest uses of force in Europe in recent memory. "

10:37: One policeman is killed and 28 suffer gunshot wounds on Thursday, Interior Ministry spokesman Serhiy Burlakov tells the Associated Press.

10:44: Thirteen of the protesters killed in Independence Square on Thursday morning died from single gunshot wounds fired by a sniper, a medic in Independence Square tells Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

Duncan Crawford, BBC reporter in Kiev tweets this picture of bullet holes in windows at the back of the hotel:

10:51: Kateryna Kruk, The Guardian tweets: "Snipers are shooting from from Hotel Ukraina and Instytutsjka, more dead around"

11:01: Leaders of protesters' "self-defence units" put out a Facebook statement saying they "will do all they can to stop the bloodshed and guarantee top officials' security" if police stop firing, says BBC Monitoring's Vitaliy Shevchenko.

11:21: One of the three top opposition leaders in Ukraine - Arseniy Yatsenyuk - says snipers are firing at protesters from the Ukraina hotel, which dominates Independence Square.

11:31: The lobby of the Ukraina hotel - overlooking Independence Square - has been turned into an impromptu morgue, AP reports, with the bodies of seven dead protesters laying side by side under white sheets on the marble floor in front of the reception desk.

12:22: Erin Alexis tweets: Situation in #Ukraine horrifying. Reports of #doctors being shot by snipers as they care for the wounded. Terrible.

12:38: In a televised statement Interior Ministry spokesman Valeri Mazan denounces the protesters: "Today, despite it being the day of mourning, despite the truce, they fire at riot police and internal military forces, targeting them with weapons since the early morning on Instytutska street. At this moment there are more than 20 injured police officers who have been taken to hospital for medical treatment."

12:46: "The armour-piercing ammunition used by snipers' "fells protesters one after another", says journalist Dmitriy Steshit, who works for Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda. He tweets from Institutska Street in central Kiev.

Commenting on reports that witnesses had seen snipers firing live ammunition during the clashes, Lidington told the BBC he had raised the issue with the ambassador, who had not been able to give a "definitive view". He said: "There should be a full and independent thorough investigation of those killings." "The people responsible for those shootings need to be held to account, wherever they come from."

13:29: Igor, Kiev emails: Everyone has a right to protest, but nobody has a right to destroy a beautiful city, and hold the same city and its population hostage to political demands by violent means.


 * SPIEGEL:
 * Report from the 18th
 * live ticker from the 19th
 * live ticker from the 20th