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Ukraine Unrest Continues; President Ousted, Synagogue Firebombed

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Police in Ukraine strike out at protestors as opposition leaders called for the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Sunday
Police in Ukraine strike out at protestors as opposition leaders called for the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Sunday
A synagogue in eastern Ukraine sustained minor damage from firebombs hurled at it by unidentified individuals, the Times of Israel has reported.

The firebombs struck the Giymat Rosa Synagogue in Zaporizhia, which is located roughly 250 miles southeast of Kiev, on the night of Sunday, February 23, according to a report Monday on the news website timenews.in.ua.

The website also published photos that showed the traces of a fire on the facade of the balcony of the synagogue, which had just opened its doors in 2012.

A spokesperson for the Zhovtneviy District, which is where the synagogue is located, told reporters that no one was hurt in the attack and that police were actively searching for suspects. Officers found the neck of a glass bottle which was used as a Molotov cocktail, according to the Central Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Several Ukrainian media outlets had initially reported that the attack had happened in Kiev. That information has since been corrected as the attack was not in Kiev but in Zaporizhia.

The Ukrainian capital Kiev, as well as other cities throughout the region, have seen the eruption of a wave of violent demonstrations that culminated this weekend with the apparent ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.

The country’s new acting government has issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of the murder of about 100 protesters who died in street clashes last week, according to the Times of Israel.

The unrest began in November when Yanukovych refused to sign a deal that would have tightened Ukraine’s ties with the European Union. The Times of Israel stated that such a move is seen by many “as jeopardizing the country’s complicated relationship with Russia.”

Several Jewish communities in Kiev have stepped up their security arrangements during the unrest. Other communities put their activities on hold due to safety concerns.

Ukraine has a Jewish population of 360,000 – 400,000 people, with roughly a quarter of all the country’s Jews residing in Kiev, according to the European Jewish Congress. The Jewish Agency put the figure at 200,000.

Acting Ukrainian interior minister Arsen Avakov announced the arrest warrant for ousted president Viktor Yanukovych in a Facebook statement on Monday. He said Yanukovych was last seen in the pro-Russian Crimea region of Ukraine, but the ousted leader’s exact whereabouts are not clear.

European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton traveled to Kyiv on Monday, where she met with Ukraine parliament speaker Oleksandr Turchynov, who was made the country’s acting president on Sunday. Ashton also met with political party leaders, including Vitali Klitschko and Arseniy Yatsenyuk.

Ashton’s office said her trip to Kyiv would include discussing ways the EU can help the political and economic stabilization of Ukraine.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Monday the United States is ready to provide financial support to Ukraine, to complement aid from the International Monetary Fund and help the country invest more in health and education.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns will travel to Ukraine on Tuesday. According to the State Department, he will meet with Oleksandr Turchynov, who was speaker of Ukraine’s parliament before being made the country’s acting president, as well as opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk and other members of parliament.

Burns “will urge the new government to take all steps necessary for free and fair presidential elections in May,” the State Department said.

In an address Sunday night, Turchynov spoke of the plan to move Ukraine closer toward Europe but also stressed the importance of good relations with Russia.

“Our priority is returning to the path of European integration where the fight for Maidan began. We have to return to a family of European countries and to understand the importance of relations with the Russian Federation and be ready to build relations on new and fair partnership of good neighborly relations,” said Turchynov.

He has promised a new government by Tuesday, and lawmakers have called for new presidential elections on May 25.

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