20 April 2014

Today Easter was celebrated throughout the country. In Kyiv, people shared baskets of ‘Paska’, eggs, kobassa and other traditional food. In Luhansk, residents brought Easter baskets to the Ukrainian troops.

In social media throughout Ukraine and Russia the hashtag #ВизиткаЯроша [Yarosh's business card] today set new records.

This is the back-story:

Authorities in Kyiv suspended military operations against the separatists in Donetsk region for Easter. However, there was an attack in Slavyansk early this morning. According to Russian media, who instantly appeared at the scene as it unfolded, at 2:20am a checkpoint on the way to Slavyansk was attacked by gunmen in two cars. Pro-Russian men, who were in control of the checkpoint, returned fire. One man, a local resident Pavlo Pavelko, was killed.

The report was distributed via Russian media, and has been specifically traced to Dmitry Kiselyov. He is a journalist close to Russian President Vladimir Putin and who is the subject of visa bans imposed by the United States and EU as part of sanctions against Russia.

Russia blames members of the Right Sector for attacking the checkpoint (that they paid Pavelko and others to carry out the attack). The basis for this accusation is that business cards of Yarosh, the leader of the Right Sector, have been found in the two cars that are under investigation. They found as well as a large number of weapons that are not used in the service of the Ukrainian Army (this has been verified by the Ukrainian Interior Ministry).

But in terms of the business card, what social media is picking up on is that Russian TV found Yarosh’s card in a completely burned car.

The Right Sector has denied all accusations of their connection to the shooting in Slavyansk. The Security Service of Ukraine has stated that Russian security services were involved in staging this provocation.

However, on a more serious tone than the social media/photo sensation, the provocations have successfully continued inciting fear throughout Ukraine. People all over the country are increasingly afraid to leave their homes, to travel, to demonstrate publicly and to engage in political debate. In spite of the accusation that the Russian government were behind the provocation, it is increasingly difficult to know whom to trust. Although, it is unlikely that the Right Sector were involved in the attack and the evidence presented by Russian media is laughable.