Wednesday, February 26 update from a palJust found out that Berkut have now been abolished – very pleased; I was giving out ‘abolish Berkut’ leaflets yesterday.
The remaining Maidan ‘Self-Defence Units’ have now taken on new roles – guarding public buildings, directing traffic and acting as tour guides in the Independence Square area.
Last Friday I did a sub-editing shift on a national newspaper in London.
A friend ‘subbed’ the Ukraine Kiev piece and admitted afterwards it was incredibly difficult to follow the sequence of events, get his head round what had happened, who was who and what all the trouble was about.
And why, indeed, they were fighting in the first place.
Welcome to Ukraine!
Then the guy proofing the page came over.
UPDATES FROM PAL IN KYIV
SATURDAY FEBRUARY 22,
3pm In Kyiv it is all over. Government has collapsed and top people fled. Non -extremist opposition in control everywhere and impeachment of yanu has kept more extreme elements happy.
Population out in force clearing up city and areas that were battle zones a day ago are now full of people posing for pics and collecting bullets as souvenirs.
Funerals on maidan. Focus now switched to the east but even there looks ok. Unclear where yanu is.
Just been to church where priests helped during titushki scare. For me and I think city sense of pressure has lifted.
1pm Went to Independence Square (Maidan) yesterday evening, large sections of the crowd were quite angry about the deal with Yanukovych.
Various news sources have reported an unprovoked attack on all public buildings remaining in state hands, by some radical protestors, after 10 this morning.
I was so worried that I got up early and scribbled some notes for a speech to give on Maidan – about the importance of being better than the govt and using power wisely.
FROM A BRITISH PAL WORKING IN KYIVAnother day of drama in Kyiv – though I’d expected that the visit by EU bigwigs would mean a truce.
About 9.30 am I was still in the flat, having slept well after the previous sleepless night. I started hearing what sounded like gunshots and muffled thumps, then ambulance sirens – it was clear something was up.
Then I heard shouting outside – assuming it was protestors lining the route for the UE bunch, I quickly got dressed and left the flat – grabbing a large sheet of paper and marker pens to make some kind of sign.
Miles from Nowhere 