Russia's Transparent Design

"[Russian President Vladimir] Putin and Yanukovych have ordered and financed another round of separatist unrest in the east. Not many people have gathered, but they are behaving aggressively. In Donetsk, the crowd brought many children and women for the storming. They are provoking a spillover into blood."
"The situation will be brought back under control without blood. The Interior Ministry will not shoot at people, at this gang of paid-up provocateurs. Among the protesters, there are many that have been deceived, many that have been paid."
Ukraine Interior Minister Arsen Avakov

Pro-Russian supporters deploy a Russian flag and the flag of the so-called Donetsk Republica as they storm the regional administration building in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk on April 6, 2014 (AFP Photo / Alexandr Khudoteply)

Masses of hundreds of pro-Russian demonstrators on Sunday took to the streets in several major cities in eastern Ukraine. Emboldened and without doubt stimulated by Vladimir Putin's repeated statements that Russia has every intention of intervening within its former satellites which host Russian expatriates to ensure that ethnic Russians and Russian-speakers are protected from harassment and violations against their physical well-being.

Inspired by the knowledge that if they riot, if they demand that Ukraine hand them over to Russian rule there will be repercussions in response to their violence that can later be attributed to the iron fist of an oppressive government doing harm to Russians, they will be 'rescued' by Russian military coming to their aid -- and assisting them in achieving their goal of secession -- out they come. No doubt assisted by Russian agitators arriving for that very special purpose.

In Donetsk, where former President Viktor Yanukovych had most of his political support, people wearing masks, carrying sticks and stones surged into the buildings of the provincial government building, smashing windows. Hundreds outside, many waving Russian flags, enjoyed speeches delivered from the building by their leaders holding a banner reading "Donetsk Republic". The activists within the building insisted on a referendum to be held for the province to join Russia.

    A breakaway group broke into the regional administration building and hung a banner 

 

Roughly half of eastern Ukraine's residents are ethnic Russians. They have been convincingly assured by agitators that the acting authorities in Ukraine are all nationalists with the intention of doing ill to Russians. A charge the interim authorities deny, counter-charging they have no intention of overturning the civil rights of Russians within the country. And pointing out their belief that Moscow has embarked on a mission of separation for the east of the country.

The large contingents of Russian troops on the border added to speculation of unrest in eastern Ukraine, all geared to building momentum toward persuading Russians in Ukraine that with the removal of their choice for president their lot will now be a difficult one, and they would be far better off within the Russian Federation. A change in fortunes they are swift to embrace, and to agitate toward, to further break up the Ukrainian geography, gifting Russia with additional hegemony.

To the northeast of Donetsk, hundreds of people in Luhansk surrounded the headquarters of the local security services, scaled the facade and planted a Russian flag on the roof. Demonstrators rained eggs at the building, changed to stones when the eggs were exhausted, then used a smoke grenade and finished off the assault with a firebomb whose flames were quickly extinguished. Message received.

In Kharkiv, local media reported similar protests. The day previous, Ukraine's security service announced its discovery and detention of 25 armed gang members who were planning to seize an advantage in Luhansk province. An anti-tank grenade launcher, 300 machine guns, a large number of grenades, along with five handguns and firebombs were seized by the Security Service of Ukraine.

The following day, when the violent protests had taken place in the three provinces, the body of a journalist, Vasily Sergiyenko, who was abducted from his home city of Korsun-Shevchenkivskyi on Friday was found in a forest 150 kilometres outside Kyiv. The journalist had played an active role in protests that had led to the removal of former President Yanukovych.