At least 25 people, including nine police officers, were killed Tuesday in bloody clashes in the Ukrainian capital that are threatening to tip the former Soviet nation into civil conflict, RIA Novosti reports.
With police engaged in an overnight battle to clear central Kiev of anti-government protesters, fears abounded that the death toll could rise as eyewitnesses reported seeing bodies not apparently accounted for by the authorities.
The scale of the violence prompted UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to appeal for restraint and “genuine dialogue” between authorities and the opposition.
Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said Wednesday that opposition activists had crossed the line by calling for supporters to take up arms at mass protests intended to oust him from power.
In an address to the nation Wednesday, Yanukovych said opposition leaders neglected the main principle of democracy by taking to the streets instead of obtaining power through fair elections.
