Ukrainian troops were shot at during May 9 protests in Mariupol, report finds

A lasting
testament to Mariupol’s brief occupation by Russian-backed groups in May, the
city’s devastated central police station has not been touched since.

Between seven and 13 people are believed to have been killed and more than 40 people wounded on
May 9 when Ukrainian troops entered the city and fought their way through to
the police headquarters.

The
soldiers were confronted by an angry crowd of protesters, who believed troops
had been dispatched to seize the police station from officers that had refused
an order to disperse their demonstration. What happened next is hotly disputed.

At the
time, Ukrainian troops were accused by Russian journalists of putting down a peaceful
protest and “massacring” demonstrators in the vicinity of the police station.
Many in the West expressed concern that Ukrainian forces had used excessive
force when faced with a hostile yet unarmed crowd.

But, according to a report, by renowned open-source investigative group Bellingcat, the available video evidence shows that soldiers entered the
city to rescue officers trapped in the building during an assault by armed
separatists.

An armed separatist outside Mariupol police headquarters, May 9 2014. Image courtesy of Bellingcat.

An armed separatist outside Mariupol police headquarters, May 9 2014. Image courtesy of Bellingcat.

Bellingcat’s report, entitled A Reconstruction of Clashes in Mariupol, Ukraine, 9 May 2014, goes on to state that Ukrainian troops fired warning shots into the ground when they were approached by an angry crowd. Using the crowd as a shield, a provocateur fired directly at the troops, who again responded with a limited number of warning shots. These bullets ricocheted to injure several protesters, killing at least one who had already fallen to the ground, according to the report.

A man fires a pistol at retreating Ukrainian troops as another prepares a Molotov cocktail, May 9, 2014. Image courtesy of Bellingcat.

(WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT)

The report’s
author, Pieter van Huis, examined more than 166 videos and 16.3 hours of
footage in order to compile the report, which he began in August last year.

He found
that Ukrainian soldiers had made a concerted effort to avoid firing directly at
protesters, despite taking fire and suffering casualties themselves. Of the 13
people the report lists killed, 6 of those were Ukrainian law enforcement
members, soldiers, or members of the pro-Kyiv Azov battalion.

“The report rebuts allegations that Ukrainian soldiers intentionally shot peaceful demonstrators,” Van Huis told the Kyiv Post. “In fact, the available digital evidence shows that Ukrainian forces generally restrained themselves – despite being shot at by an armed local resident and separatist militants.”

The report
also identifies one of the shooters that used unarmed protesters as a shield
and a number of those involved in the armed separatist assault on the Mariupol’s
police station. 

One of the armed separatists pictured above under arrest by Ukrainian soldiers, May 9, 2014.
Image courtesy of Bellingcat.

In the
largely Russian-speaking city of Mariupol, perception of the May 9 event is
often a defining factor in determining loyalty. And with the imminent threat of
a full-on Russian assault, at least one man in the town has already been
arrested for providing information to the enemy – information that led to the Jan.
24 rocket attacks and 30 civilian deaths.

“The city
is split 50/50 for Novorossiya and Ukraine,” says Rostislav, a twenty-something
taxi driver who did not want to give his last name for fear of reprisal.

“Ninety
percent of my friends are for Ukraine, but they are young. There are many older
people with small minds who only believe what they see on Russian television.”

Note:  Despite verbal and written requests to the
General Prosecutor’s office, the Kyiv Post was not able to ascertain the status
of the official investigation into the May 9 shootings.

You can read the report in full
here.

Kyiv Post editor Maxim Tucker can be
reached at tucker@kyivpost.com or via twitter @MaxRTucker