A series of violent clashes between police and anti-government protesters have erupted in Ukraine’s capital.
At least 25 people have died, nine of them were police officers.
Explosives have been fired by riot police to drive protesters from their main camp, and tires and tents have been set on fire by protesters to hold police back.
Since December, hundreds of thousands of protesters have been camping out in the central square of Ukraine’s capital, Kiev.
Protesters want the president to resign and the country is divided between people who want Ukraine to stay close to Russia and those who want closer ties with Europe.
Anger sparked when the Ukraine government decided against signing a deal with the European Union.
This would have created stronger ties between Ukraine and Europe, something that many believe would offer Ukrainians a better life.
However the Ukrainian President wanted to remain close to Russia, ties which he believed would be at risk if Ukraine signed a deal with Europe.
Since the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, and Ukraine became a country in it’s own right, there has been a tug of war over how the country should be ruled.
The latest clashes have been described as the worst violence since the beginning of the unrest.
Article written by D Mulhern
