Kiev increased police presence in the center of the city of Odessa in southwestern Ukraine on Thursday, the anniversary of the 2014 massacre, when dozens were burned to death in the House of Trade Unions, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene
ODESSA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 02nd May, 2019) Kiev increased police presence in the center of the city of Odessa in southwestern Ukraine on Thursday, the anniversary of the 2014 massacre, when dozens were burned to death in the House of Trade Unions, a Sputnik correspondent reported from the scene.On May 2, 2014, following clashes between anti-government protesters and supporters of the new Ukrainian government, a group of radical nationalists locked protesters in Odessa's House of Trade Unions before setting the building on fire. At least 48 people died and around 250 others received injures following the clashes and the blaze.
On Thursday, the press service of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry stated that police in Odessa boosted their presence in connection with the anniversary of the tragedy. First Deputy Interior Minister Serhiy Yarovoy said that on Thursday there would be more than 2,000 security officers securing the city.
Police and National Guard officers are seen on patrols in the center of Odessa, according to a Sputnik correspondent. Law enforcement officers also cordoned off the Kulykove Pole square, where the House of Trade Unions is located.
Yarovoy noted that the commemorative events were going on quietly, without any incidents.
"At the moment everything is calm, people come to lay flowers," Yarovoy said during a briefing.
The clashes in Odessa became one of the deadliest events during the Maidan and anti-Maidan demonstrations in Ukraine that started in late 2013. Moscow has repeatedly criticized Kiev's steps in investigation of the deadly tragedy and urged the international community and human rights groups to probe the causes of the massacre.
According to the latest statement issued by the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU), Kiev's investigation into the Odessa tragedy did not meet the criteria of independence and impartiality.
The HRMMU's assessment echoed the statement released by the Human Rights Watch in January that also slammed Kiev for failing to ensure justice for the victims of the Odessa massacre.
