The memorial service called "Memory Candle" was attended by Igor Plotnitsky, the leader of the self-proclaimed Lugansk People’s Republic, who condemned the government in Kiev over its alleged involvement in the killings of 48 people who burned to death in Odessa's House of Trade Unions.
"Today, we commemorate our people who were burned in Odessa. This fire consumed not only our people but also the independent Ukraine, because a state that burns its own people cannot belong to the people or defend their rights," Plotnitsky said.
Forty-eight people died and more than 250 were injured in the fire. The Odessa violence came three months after the overthrow of the Ukrainian government, with Lugansk refusing to recognize the new Kiev authorities. No perpetrators have been brought to justice.
