Courtesy of Mish.
Let’s tie up some loose ends on Ukraine, even as much uncertainty remains.
Documents Reveal Plans to Use Army on Civilians
Financial Times: Papers reveal Yanukovich plans to turn army against protesters
The Yanukovich regime had drawn up plans for a massive crackdown on protesters in Kiev using thousands of police and troops – and the chief of Ukraine’s armed forces on Thursday last week ordered 2,500 army troops into the capital for an “antiterrorist” operation.
That order was never fulfilled, but leaked documents on Monday showed just how close Kiev came to a bloodbath that could have far exceeded the 100 deaths that occurred in clashes with police and snipers in downtown Kiev last week.
As well as the military documents, Ukrainian journalists were on Monday combing through piles of papers found dumped near Mr Yanukovich’s luxury home outside Kiev, giving a fresh glimpse into his lavish spending and lifestyle.
One document apparently found at the log-built mansion at Mezhyhirya, posted online by Mustafa Nayem, an investigative journalist with the Ukrainskaya Pravda website, was a receipt for $12m in cash. Others included receipts stretching into millions of dollars for spending on decor at a gaudy home that has become a focal point of public rage.
But the most chilling were military and security papers. One set revealed that snipers who killed dozens of protesters on Kiev’s central square last Thursday came from Ukraine’s “Omega” special forces.
Hunt for Yanukovich
Financial Times: On the trail of Ukraine’s missing Viktor Yanukovich
Viktor Yanukovich’s whereabouts remained unknown for a third day on Monday, as rumours swirled that Ukraine’s deposed president was hiding out in Crimea, a pro-Moscow stronghold with easy water access to Russia via the Black Sea.
While a few Ukrainian news outlets reported on Sunday night that Mr Yanukovich had succeeded in fleeing the country on his private yacht – the Bandido – by late Monday there were no reports of his arrival at a foreign destination. His options for escape, meanwhile, appeared to be narrowing.
Arsen Avakov, Ukraine’s interior minister, announced early Monday that the new government had opened up a criminal case against Mr Yanukovich for “the mass murder of peaceful citizens”. He added the government had been keeping careful watch over the former president’s movements.
Russia Denounces Interim Leaders
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