Ukraine's far-right warriors set for war with Russia | The Times UK - Jan. 15, 2022 |

Ukraine's newly decorated war hero remains troubled by an ill-chosen remark concerning the bones in the cage of his unit's pet wolf.

By rights Dmytro Kotsyubaylo, nom de guerre Da Vinci, should be basking in glory. Last month the 26-year-old captain became the first living recipient serving in the ultra-nationalist Right Sector volunteer battalion to be awarded the title Hero of Ukraine by the country's president.

Photographs of him shaking hands with President Zelensky at the ceremony in the Ukrainian parliament, where he was also decorated with the Order of the Golden Star for courage on the battlefield, marked not just a moment of personal glory for him but a political rehabilitation for a unit mired in controversy since its formation.

Unsolved Maidan massacre casts shadow over Ukraine | Atlantic Council - Feb. 18, 2020 |

Imagine a European capital city where dozens of unarmed protesters are shot down in broad daylight. Now imagine that six years later, those responsible for the slaughter have still not been brought to justice. Inconceivable? Incredibly, this is precisely the situation in today's Ukraine, where scores of protesters participating in the country's Revolution of Dignity Maidan Revolt were killed in the vicinity of Kyiv's Independence Square in late February 2014.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has inherited this thorny case from the previous administration of Petro Poroshenko, says that everything is being done to uncover the truth about these crimes. Emphasizing that he and his team have the political will and determination to see this through, he nevertheless cautions that enduring flaws in the legal system still stand in the way.

Zelenskyy acknowledged last week that the killings on Maidan remain "the most complicated case in our country." He told the media that evidence and documents have been lost, while the scene of the crime has been tampered with and "cleaned up." He could not say when those who gave the orders would be found, but gave assurances that the matter is being "dealt with faster than several years ago." It is receiving proper attention, he stressed, "and we are doing everything possible."

... ICC jurisdiction with respect to alleged crimes committed on Ukrainian territory from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014.

• violence a day before overthrow 20 Feb.
• Maidan massacre on day of overthrow
• massacre by fire in Odessa on May 2
• military violence Crimea and 8 yrs militias in Donbas

Where is the ICC report?

Ukraine: Extremists Reject EU Deal, Demand Violent Overthrow | Fri Feb 21st, 2014 |

The extremist leaders took the stage and in a fascist style rhetoric rejected this EU brokered deal. This leader made a clear threat and demanded the resignation of president Yanukovich by 10am tomorrow morning. If he doesn't step down, the mob will march on the presidential palace and force him out. We will be armed and no one can stop us.

How the Events of Sniper Fire In Instytutska Street Unfolded - Videos | Feb. 22, 2014 |

Ukraine crisis: What we know about the Kiev snipers | BBC News - April 3, 2014 |

Related reading ...

Unsolved Maidan massacre casts shadow over Ukraine

'Sapere aude'

Just days ago, Serhiy Prytula was planning to launch a political party to challenge the Ukrainian president. `That was another life,' he says now. ...
In 2019, he left a succesіful career as a radio and TV presenter, actor and comedian to go into politics. He ran for parliament with the Holos, or Voice, party as part of the self-described "patriotic opposition" to Zelenskyy, who Prytula knew well from their parallel careers in media.... Yet Holos only won 20 seats and the party's leader, singer Svyatoslav Vakarchuk, soon quit. Prytula followed, planning to found his own liberal-right party.

But these days, when every week feels like a year, two years is a lifetime. And for now, Prytula -- like millions of other Ukrainians -- has paused life in favor of simply managing the war, setting aside his political differences with Zelenskyy, his career in both politics and show business, as well as his friendships with the many Russians he has worked with over the years.
[...]
[Prytula's press secretary Maria] Pysarenko asks journalists not to identify the building in central Kyiv where the supply center is being run. But while most of the city center has been eerily quiet for days, a constant stream of vehicles arrives here to both unload goods and to pick up items they will ferry to territorial defense brigades around the city.
[...]
With the supply center, Prytula is expanding the fund he set up eight years ago, when Russia fomented war in eastern Ukraine. The money raised then went to support the Ukrainian armed forces fighting Russian-backed separatists, purchasing drones, sniper rifles, radio stations and night vision goggles.
[...]
The lack of experience and background checks on people being given arms has caused some concern. One Territorial Defense member described a tense standoff between two units in Kyiv that did not recognize each other and suspected the other of being Russian saboteurs. There have also been cases of journalists being assaulted by Territorial Defense members.

Such is the fog of war, Prytula shrugged.