Newsletter Newsletters Events Events Podcasts Videos Africanews
Loader
Advertisement

Ukrainian police officers injured in clash with far-right protesters at presidential event

Ukrainian police officers injured in clash with far-right protesters at presidential event
Copyright  YouTube/Ukraine National Police
Copyright YouTube/Ukraine National Police
By Rachael Kennedy
Published on
Share this article Comments
Share this article Close Button
Copy/paste the article video embed link below: Copy to clipboard Copied

More than a dozen Ukrainian police officers were injured during a clash with far-right protesters at a campaign even for Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Saturday

ADVERTISEMENT

Ukrainian police clashed with members of a far-right group who were protesting at a presidential campaign event in Cherkasy on Saturday. 

According to a statement from Ukraine's national police, 15 officers were injured in the altercation. 

Pictures posted to social media show several injured officers, including police chief Valery Lyuty, who can be seen with a cut to his eye and a bloodstained face.

The protest, staged by the far-right National Corps Party, was planned to coincide with an election campaign event led by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. 

When several demonstrators attempted to the rush the stage during Poroshenko's speech, police officers pushed back, sparking the subsequent violence.

An investigation has been launched against the group for "threats of violence" and hooliganism. 

Ukraine's presidential election is set for the end of March following a tumultuous political campaign.

Among the three frontrunners for Ukraine's top spot is current president Poroshenko, former prime minister Yulio Tymoshenko, and an actor inexperienced in politics, Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Tymoshenko also announced in late February that she had launched impeachment proceedings against Poroshenko following a media expose linking him to a corruption scandal. 

READ MORE: Politicians launch impeachment proceedings against Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko

Go to accessibility shortcuts
Share this article Comments

Read more

Zelenskyy slams 'brutal' Russian strike that killed 21 pensioners in Donetsk

Russian forces launch overnight strikes on eastern and western Ukraine

Russia launches over 500 drones and missiles at Ukraine in massive overnight attack