On the night of June 13, armed and masked paramilitary thugs from the Right Sector, Automaidan and Maidan Self-Defence occupied the Odessa regional office of the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU).

About 50 to 60 fascist activists, acting with complete impunity, invaded the premises and proceeded to burn Communist flags, symbols and literature. They hung a Ukrainian flag at the front of the building.

They also claimed to have found literature from the Peoples’ Republics. This was clearly an attempt to justify their raid, which they also said it was motivated by links between the Communist Party and terrorist attacks in the city.

Bizarrely they also claimed to have been called to the building by the regional secretary of the KPU who “asked them for protection”. Of course the Communist Party denies such outlandish claim.

On June 13, the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission visited the premises and issued the following report:

“In Odessa, on 13 June, the SMM visited the office of the head of the communist party and confirmed earlier media reports that it had been occupied the previous day by Pravyi Sektor (Right Sector) and Odessa self-defence. The SMM observed four Pravyi Sektor activists, wearing camouflage uniforms with a baseball bat and truncheon who said that there were five-six additional activists inside. On 15 June, the SMM saw Ukrainian and Pravyi Sektor flags still outside the premises and met the head of the Pravyi Sektor, who denied the SMM access to the building. On the phone, the police told the SMM that an investigation had been launched under Article 356 (unsanctioned action) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.” (OSCE SMM report)

Remember that the organisations involved in the illegal raid on the KPU offices were also involved in the Odessa massacre on May 2, 2014, which resulted in dozens of anti-Maidan activists being killed (many burnt to death at the Trade Union house).

There have been a number of attacks on Communist activists in Odessa, as well as an increase in the activities of the fascist Right Sector.

The newly appointed governor of Odessa is the former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili who is a fugitive from justice in his own country.

Sources: Timer, Vesti, Slovo