Tensions are high in the Ukrainian city of Odesa on the second anniversary of clashes between pro-Kyiv demonstrators and Moscow-backed militants that killed dozens of people.
Demonstrations have been restricted in the city center. Some 3,000 soldiers and police are patrolling the streets.
And the anniversary comes as protesters are demanding the ouster of Odesa Mayor Hennadiy Trukhanov, who the Panama Papers revealed to be a Russian citizen.
On this week’s Power Vertical Briefing, I discuss the rising tensions in usually jovial Odesa with Pavel Butorin, managing editor of RFE/RL’s Russian-language television program Current Time.
Enjoy…
NOTE: The Power Vertical Briefing is a short look ahead to the stories expected to make news in Russia in the coming week. It is hosted by Brian Whitmore, author of The Power Vertical blog, and appears every Monday.