As the recent Russian troop-building has been accompanied by Russian state media spreading disinformation on a planned Ukrainian attack on Donbas, the disrupted riots may be viewed as a pretext for Russia to start new aggressive action against Ukraine.
The police first reported about the group on 30 January, but gave more details at a briefing on 31 January, saying that a number of mass riots were planned in the capital city of Kyiv, and in Sumy, Chernihiv, and Poltava oblasts. The first of such protests was reportedly scheduled for Monday, January 31. The protest action was reportedly aimed at "violent actions, the organization of mass riots to swing and destabilize the situation in the country."
National Police chief Ihor Klymenko stated at today's press briefing,
"The main purpose of the rally was to destabilize the situation in Ukraine and create international resonance. Two people were detained, they were declared suspects, proceedings were opened, and the suspects' connections with the Russian special services are being investigated."
The police showed hidden camera footage allegedly showing a discussion on the 31 January actions among the organizers. The detainees - the suspected organizer and accomplice - are charged under Article 294 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine (organizing mass violent riots). Under these charges, they may face up to eight years in prison.
Interior Minister of Ukraine Denys Monastyrskyi said during the briefing that up to 5,000 people were to be involved in the riots. They were going to resort to violence and set fire to tires. The organizers also prepared fake blood to spray it on sham activists to make it appear the result of police violence. A group of medics was to come into play and confirm the violence in order to get publicity from the central TV channels.
"One of the scenarios of aggression against Ukraine is paid violent mass actions. This can be used as an element of a hybrid war," Monastyrskyi stated.
According to him, in 2014, Russians held the same kind of rallies with the participation of pseudo-activists who provoked violence and incited other citizens in Luhansk, Donetsk, and Crimea. These territories are currently under Russian occupation.
"Unfortunately, the phenomenon of paid rallies is quite common [in Ukraine], and this is not the first paid rally, but this rally from the very beginning was aimed at upsetting the domestic political situation and violence against law enforcement officers and other people participating in the rally," Monastyrskyi added, stressing that this was not a planned peaceful rally.
Monastyrskyi clarified that the potential connection of the mass riots with occupied Donbas or Russia is being studied, although also suggested that some political forces in Ukraine may also be interested in unrest and destabilization.
Police chief Ihor Klymenko told about the details:
- The first paid protest was to take place in Kyiv today, January 31, at about 11:00 near the President's Office (OP).
- Fierce clashes were planned, including with law enforcement.
- The organizers didn't inform the police of the planned rally — it was assumed that the application would be submitted on 31 January mentioning a protest of 500 people so that the Ministry of Internal Affairs would not have time to prepare for the event.
- In total, the group spent more than UAH 1 million ($35,000) to organize the rally, prepared 200 flares, 200 smoke flares, 2000 leaflets, 320 flags, 20 tires, 10 fire extinguishers, 12 radio stations for coordinating the actions of the crowd near the OP, fake blood. The police said they knew which bank issued this amount of cash to the group.
- The protests were then to spread to the Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, and Cherkasy Oblasts (the Sumy and Chernihiv Oblasts border Russia).
According to the police chief, the even neat the President's office should have started with the speakers' speeches, then the titushkas were going to "warm up the situation," then code words of the speakers should have been a sign for the beginning of clashes with the police. One of the "actors" had to be covered in fake blood to mimic an injury of the rally participant -- Klymenko called it "the sacred victim technology" -- which should become an impetus for further clashes.
Later in the day, Ukrainska Pravda reported, citing two sources in law enforcement, that the organizer of the provocations turned out to be the ex-police colonel Yuriy Holoban, who was suspected of collaborating with Russian-backed militants of Ukraine's Donbas. Holuban was fired from the National Police in 2018. The Security Service of Ukraine had launched a probe into his possible collaboration with militants of the Russian puppet states of Ukraine's east, but it brought no results.
As Russia has accumulated some 100,000 of its troops on the Ukrainian border, which the West sees as a sign of preparation for a large-scale invasion, the US State Department has earlier said
that Russia had prepared plans for sabotage and internal destabilization of Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, called "possible destabilization of the Ukrainian government by Russia through hybrid tactics" one of the options for Russian aggression.
And on January 22, the British Foreign Office, citing British intelligence, warned that Moscow is likely planning to bring a pro-Russian leadership led by Yevhen Murayev to power in Kyiv.
UK warns of Russian plan for coup in Ukraine. Here is what we know about its potential leader
Earlier, Ukrainian state websites were under a massive cyberattack with a Russian trace.
The article was updated with details about the organizer
Further reading:
- Ukrainian official sites under massive cyberattack with a Russian trace
- Of Kremlin plans and thinking. The “Murayev coup” plot seen through the prism of the Surkov Leaks
- SBU busts “anti-Ukrainian” anti-vaxx network with presumable Russian handlers, arrests leader
- The pro-Russian network behind coronavirus riots in a small Ukrainian town (2020)
- Ukraine detains deep cover GRU sleeper agent who might be highest-ranking MH17 witness yet
- Sunday Saakashvili rally attempted to seize palace in Kyiv, 32 law enforcers hospitalized (2017)
