Article content

[np_storybar title=”Ukraine’s PM visits Odessa” link=””]

Ukraine’s prime minister on Sunday visited the city where a horrific blaze killed dozens of pro-Russian demonstrators during political riots — seeking to defuse mounting tensions by calling the deaths a “tragedy for all Ukraine.”

Arseniy Yatsenyuk said police were being investigated for their failure to maintain order in Friday’s violence, while hinting strongly that he sees Moscow’s hand in the events.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Russia refuses to rule out military intervention in Ukraine after dozens of separatists burned alive in Odessa Back to video

“This is not a tragedy only for Odessa,” Yatsenyuk said. “This is a tragedy for all Ukraine.”

The prime minister said he has charged prosecutors with “finding all instigators, all organizers and all those that under Russian leadership began a deadly attack on Ukraine and Odessa.”

More than 40 people died in the unrest – some from gunshot wounds, but most in a fire that tore through a trade union building.

Odessa is the major city between the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in March, and the Moldovan separatist region of Trans-Dniester where Russia has a military peacekeeping contingent. Concerns are mounting that Russia ultimately aims to take control of a huge swath of Ukraine from Trans-Dniester to the east.