KIEV, March 14 (RIA Novosti) – The city of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine declared a day of mourning on Friday after violent clashes between two groups of demonstrators Thursday left one person dead and at least 26 injured.
The faceoff between pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists, who simultaneously gathered at the city's central Lenin Square, turned violent when demonstrators broke through a police barrier keeping the sides separate.
One person was killed in the ensuing violence. Although the official cause of death is unknown, media reports said the man was fatally stabbed.
It was the first reported death in the country as a result of the ongoing political turmoil since last month’s deadly clashes in the capital Kiev that left nearly 100 dead.
On Friday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that Moscow reserves the right to defend Russians in Ukraine, citing the events in Donetsk as evidence that Kiev’s new government was unable to maintain law and order or ensure public safety.
