I was finishing my studies in 🇪🇸 when Mom called on May 1st:
“Tomorrow it will be decided”
Pro-🇷🇺 demonstrators were camping in Odesa central square for several months at that point, and as Eastern 🇺🇦 regions were falling into enemy’s hands, collaborators got emboldened
🧵
My family took part both in the Orange Revolution and the Revolution of Dignity of 2014
Nevertheless, we knew this time in Odesa it won’t be peaceful
In April 2014 🇷🇺 has already annexed several parts of my country & the monster of 💀 was eyeing the "jewel of the Black Sea":
From multiple channels & Vkontakte.ru of several local collaborationists, including Denis Yatsyuk, my former classmate, we knew pro-🇷🇺 forces were planning an aggressive attack on 🇺🇦 football fans
On April 16th they have also registered 'Odesa People's Republic'
A peaceful 🇺🇦 rally for national unity was planned for 14:00 - 🇺🇦 football clubs FC Chornomorets Odesa and FC Metalist Kharkiv fans, along with Right Sector patriots & ordinary people were going to march in support of United Ukraine
As they marched down Derybasivska Street (central Odesa), fans of both teams sang the 🇺🇦 national anthem together, chanted patriotic slogans such as "Odesa, Kharkiv, 🇺🇦", and sang other songs against 🇷🇺 President Vladimir Putin
Peaceful 🇺🇦 rally was attacked by a 300-strong mob of pro- 🇷🇺 Odesskaya Druzhina, armed with bats and firearms at Hretska Street
Participants of both sides are listed here:
Several 🇺🇦 activists were shot & died
Still, 🇺🇦were well aware of the planned attack and had additional reserves, which pushed pro-🇷🇺 mob back into their tents to the Kulikove Pole
As collaborationists lost the momentum, they started barricading themselves in the Trade Union 🏦
While defending the building, 🇷🇺 militants on the roof tossed rocks and petrol bombs at 🇺🇦 protesters below
A report by the Ukrainian Independent Information Agency (UNIAN) said that the pro-Maidan crowd began to throw rocks and petrol bombs back into the building
As a result of the ongoing exchange of 🇷🇺 militants supplied petrol bombs Trade Union building started catching 🔥
5 independent 🔥 centres were formed: in the lobby, on the staircases between the ground and 1st floors, in a room on the 1st floor, and between 2nd & 3rd floors
Important details proving the Trade Union Massacre was the staged operation of 🇷🇺 collaborators:
1. The 🔥 centres other than in the lobby could only have been started as a result of the actions of persons inside the building
2. People were trapped from the inside
3. Leading figures of 🇷🇺 mob were not inside
4. 🔥 crews were ordered not to intervene on an explicit order from then head of Emergency Services of Odesa Vladimir Bodelan. Same day he fled 🇺🇦 for 🇷🇺, obtained 🇷🇺citizenship and started a career in occupied Crimea
As a result of fire, 42 people burnt alive or suffocated form carbon monoxide in the House of Trade Unions
Human death is always a tragedy
Nevertheless, an alternative to May 2nd 2014 in Odesa is the 🇷🇺 "liberation":
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