Poroshenko Loses Control Over Anti-Russian Front – German Media

As result of the explosion in front of the Ukrainian Parliament in Kiev, about 125 people were injured, including members of the National Guard of Ukraine, the newspaper reported.

During the protests against the constitutional reform, an unknown person threw a hand grenade in front of the Verkhovna Rada, killing one of the police officers and injuring many more.

Among the victims, there was also a French journalist and a Ukrainian TV reporter. The OSCE called on the Kiev government to investigate the attacks on journalists, the article said.

As reported by the newspaper, the outrage among nationalists was triggered by the parliamentary debate on the special status of the Donbass region that took place on Monday. The Ukrainian government approved plans to grant special status to the eastern regions of the country, with  265 deputies voting in favor of the necessary amendments to the constitution.

However, a recent survey showed that many pro-Western deputies, including former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, do not support the constitutional reform. Granting special status to the Donetsk and Lugansk regions provoked fierce protests, although the autonomy of Donbass is one of the central provisions of the Minsk Agreement.

The situation in Ukraine is becoming increasingly difficult for the West because Poroshenko can no longer mobilize anti-Russian parties to pursue its policy.

For instance, the right-wing extremist organization Right Sector went out of control months ago. The armed clashes between its activists and the police, as well as the organization’s plans to get rid of the current government, made people talk about the opening of a second front.