Angry anti-Russian demonstrators set fires and threw smoke bombs and flares outside the compound.
The Russian embassy in Kiev was besieged by angry protesters overnight as Ukrainians demonstrated against Moscow’s seizure of three Ukrainian ships in the waters off the disputed Crimean Peninsula.
Sunday’s incident represents a major escalation of Ukrainian-Russian hostilities, with President Petro Poroshenko branding Russian behavior as “unprovoked and crazy.”
Around 150 demonstrators gathered outside the Russian embassy in Ukraine’s capital Sunday night, setting fire to a car belonging to the embassy while throwing smoke bombs and flares, the BBC reported.
Ukrainian security service members attempted to keep the outpouring of anger under control, extinguishing fires where they could and blocking the entrance to the diplomatic compound.
One man, Oleksiy Ryabov, explained, “We gathered here today to protest against Russians over their actions today, over shooting of our military.” He added, “We are very angry. We should have severed all diplomatic relations with this country a long time ago.”
Each country blames the other for Sunday’s clashes in which several Ukrainian sailors were injured.
