100 police injured as far-Right protesters hurl grenade outside parliament

Up to 100 police and members of the national guard were injured when a grenade was thrown at them as protests in Ukraine turned ugly on Monday. At least 10 of the officers were said to have been seriously hurt – some with life-threatening injuries – in the explosion outside parliament in Kiev.The police were being pelted with fire crackers and petrol bombs before an explosion was heard. Several police were knocked off their feet by the blast and there were pools of blood on the street.

A grenade was just thrown at servicemen guarding the Verkhovna Rada [parliament]. Several National Guard soldiers have been seriously wounded. Their lives are in danger

Ukraine’s internal minister Anton Gerashchenko

The attack happened during clashes between police and about 200 nationalist protesters who were stopped by police using teargas from storming parliament. MPs had just voted in a rowdy session to approve more powers in areas of Donetsk and Luhansk, which are under control of pro-Russian rebels. Members of far-right Ukrainian Svoboda party were behind the grenade attack, a minister said. Up to 30 demonstrators, including the one who threw the grenade had been arrested.

Investigation and punishment are inevitable. Around 30 people are detained. There will be more. The person who threw the grenade has been caught, grenades have been seized, including an F1 maximum destruction grenade

Internal minister Arsen Avakov

Europe kiev grenade