UKRAINE: THE WAR AND THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST MS SAVCHENKO AND MR RUBAN

A Ukrainian MP once a hero and a symbol of resistance against Russia, has been accused of plotting a terrorist attack against the Verchovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament). General Prosecutor Yury Lutsenko told MPs an investigation had indisputable evidence that Nadiya Savchenko planned a terror attack on parliament. He claimed Ms Savchenko had been plotting to destroy the chamber with grenades and mortar launchers and finish off the survivors with automatic rifles. Parliament voted to expel Ms Savchenko from its national and defence committee. Ms Savchenko did not confirm or deny the accusations but said shed support a military coup in Ukraine. Ukrainians, ask yourselves - didnt any of you at least once think about destroying these authorities? she said before being questioned by the security service. Who did not think about blowing up the presidential or the Verkhovna Rada parliament?. The accusations against Ms Savchenko were levelled after authorities last week charged a prisoner swap negotiator, Volodymyr Ruban, with plotting to Mr Poroshenko and other top officials. A judge in Kyiv said Mr Ruban planned to use mortar fire and grenades to attack the presidential administration and parliament. The security service said that the entire operation was by the separatist leadership and at least tacitly by Russia. On Monday Ms Savchenko was summoned for questioning by Ukraines security service as a witness in Rubans case. Last year, Ms Savchenko and Mr Ruban went to the rebel-controlled stronghold of Donetsk to visit Ukrainians captured by the separatists. Political observers say that even though Ms Savchenko enjoys little support now, the Ukrainian authorities also have lost much of their credibility over the past years. It is clear that some sort of political process is under way but we dont know yet what this means, political analyst Mykola Davydyuk said for AFP.

Ms N. Savchenko, MP Source: AP - Ukraine