CLASHES BECAME WARFARE AGAINST PEOPLE’S SELF-DEFENSE IN DOWNTOWN KYIV – ongoing updates.

Feb. 20: last night’s truce was broken on Maidan in the center of Kyiv. As of this evening, Maidan’s medical service reports over a HUNDRED dead. Fifty-eight of them have been identified.

Late afternoon: MPs gathered in Parliament and started work aimed at resolving the crisis. Many members of the Party of Regions are absent, a number of them are reported to have fled Ukraine. (For example,Rinat Akhmetov is now said to be in London having flown there from Donetsk).

Current events, continued from EVENTS OF MORNING AND AFTERNOON, 09:08 to 10:52; 11:00 to 12:00; 12:00 to 13:00; 13:00 to 14:00; 14:00 to 15:00; 15:00 to 16:00; 16:00 to 17:00.

Several Snapshots from This Morning

Berkut Takes Down Ukrainian Flag

Facebook User Dmitry Skryabin:
Berkut officers, who live and eat at the expense of Ukrainian taxpayers, tore down the state flag of Ukraine at the main square of the Ukrainian capital. No one can say better than Alexander Roitburd: “If the state flag is a banner of resistance, if the state anthem is a song of protest, then the country is occupied.”

Onischenko – Another ‘Regional’ Leaves Party

Site Maidan.Org.Ua Twitter, referencing Interfax:
MP Onishchenko has ceased his membership in the Party of Regions and its faction. He announces that he’s joining the anti-crisis group of MPs working towards a conflict resolution.

French Writer Bernard-Henri Lévy Urges Europe to Boycott Closing Ceremony of Olympics

LB.ua:
French philosopher and writer Bernard-Henri Lévy, who has recently visited Kyiv and spoke from the Maidan stage, published a piece in the French Le Monde paper, calling for Europe summoning Europe to leave Sochi and to boycott the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, as a sign of protest after the events in Ukraine.

17:04 – Ternopil Berkut Swears Oath of Allegiance to the Ukrainian People

17:12 – Families of Yanukovych’s Sons Flee Ukraine

According to MP Oleh Lyashko, Yanukovych’s sons’ families have fled Ukraine. A plane with them on board has left the Donetsk Airport, according to the Donetsk prosecutor’s office. It is unclear if Yanukovych’s sons were also on board.

17:21 – European Foreign Ministers Leave Ukrainian Presidential Administration

Interfax-Ukraine: Foreign Ministers Radoslaw Sikorski of Poland, Laurent Fabius of France and Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany left the Ukrainian Presidential Administration building on Thursday evening after a meeting with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The meeting lasted for almost six hours, an Interfax-Ukraine correspondent said. The ministers emerged from the administration building with grave faces and quickly got into their cars, refusing to speak to reporters.

17:30 – Cherkasy police moved to the side of the people.

17:33 – Another Sniper Sighting

Speakers from the stage informed that a sniper appeared again at the Hotel Ukraine. They strongly request the hotel’s owners to assist self-defense squads in their neutralization.

Death Toll Confirmed at Over 100

The coordinator of the Maidan medical service reported more than 100 people killed today. Over 500 people were hospitalized.

17.40 Batkivshchyna: Ukrainian Olympic delegation refused to participate and left the Olympics in Sochi.
https://www.facebook.com/smirnovaulya/posts/606478909408074?stream_ref=1

Yulia Smirnova
Ooh…ran off my feet…finally, I stopped for a moment and realized that they’re gone.
No tears… only a question – when is that bastard going to shut up forever? It drowned Ukraine in blood. How long?
Bodies of 17 people are transported to Mykhailivskyy Church for requiem service. A girl’s body is among the dead.
Rest in peace, dear and precious Ukrainians! We will never forget you.

Rest in peace, dear and precious Ukrainians! We will never forget you.

Woman reacts to dead bodies being compiled carefully for identification and transport.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/revolutioninukraine/permalink/773771975985826/?stream_ref=1

Near the Central post office, an hour ago. People are crying and falling on their knees. And yet not long ago, people were walking here with balloons, laughing and were joyful.

Human rights advocates restored the picture of this morning events. According to the correspondent of “Hrani,” the bloodshed started after the soldiers, who were guarding the Zhovtnevyy Palace, had pelted the closest barricade with bottles full of incendiary mixture [ie: Molotov cocktails]. In response, a squad of around 50 protesters launched an unexpected furious attack and climbed up the slope to the Zhovtnevyy Palace putting the enemy to flight. Special forces members, guarding the palace from the side of Hrushevskiy Street, were afraid that they would be cut off, and they started to retreat towards Verkhovna Rada. Internal troops soldiers, covering the retreat of Berkut, were surrounded near the concrete barricades at Hrushevskiy Street, between the Dinamo stadium and the Ukrainian House. According to eyewitnesses, a troop leader took his shoulder straps off and promised never to serve in the army again. He was released together with the soldiers.
http://grani.ru/Politics/World/Europe/Ukraine/m.224872.html

Medical workers amidst devastation and carnage:
kp.ru/daily/26197.4/3084144/ … #Киев pic.twitter.com/tCRu3S5kwz

Dr. Olga Bogomolets confirming deaths:

The main event at this time – MPs are gathering in the Verkhovna Rada [Parliament], the quorum is almost gathered.

Kyiv City State Administration officially confirms 67 dead, many still not identified.

Priest holding crucifix and helmet prays over the bodies of five protesters:
pic.twitter.com/BJ7yVqPGnr