MEP Andrea Bocskor on the Armed Conflict in Mukacheve

The incident, according to reports, began several days ago when 17 people affiliated with the armed group called the Right Sector (PSZ) wanted to enter the Antares sports complex building, a facility owned by a member of parliament from the opposition, Mikhail Lanyo and his family. The representative’s bodyguards, however, refused them entry. Approximately an hour and a half later, the conflict moved to the Chop-Kiev highway, passing by Mukacheve. Armed men of the PSZ then engaged police in a heavy gunfight, using Kalashnikov rifles, anti-tank grenade launchers (RPGs), machine guns and sniper rifles. During the gunfight, two police cars were set on fire, many passing civilian cars were hit and a nearby car dealership was damaged as well. The fighting has killed three and wounded 11, among them four civilians. Around Mukacheve, road checkpoints have been set up and reinforced, and the National Guard of Ukraine has been mobilized. The civilian inhabitants of Lavki, a village near Mukacheve where the armed group raised barricades, have been evacuated. Authorities have called on the gunmen to give themselves up, promising that their case would be investigated in a nonpartisan way.
According to the OSCE delegation sent to Mukacheve, increased security measures have been taken around the city, police have set up several checkpoints and the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) and the army are present in large numbers.

Our firm belief is that guaranteeing law and order is the responsibility of the state authorities of Ukraine and that they must step up efforts against the various illegal, armed groups. We demand that the forces responsible for protecting order restore the public order and guarantee the safety of the civilian population, including the 150 thousand ethnic Hungarians living in Transcarpathia.

Together with high-ranking politicians of the European Union, we demand that the Ukrainian authorities carefully investigate the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice. Nowadays, the rule of law and the enforcement of the laws protecting public order are of primary importance, along with introducing measures that guarantee the safety of civilians. Only the state and the authorized state forces have the right to secure public order and employ armed force.