Explosive Drama or a Spectacle?
Four explosions and almost 40 people wounded. Let’s agree: things could have been much worse. Or maybe they couldn’t? Maybe this is the way they were meant to happen. It will probably take some time before we know – if we ever know – who was behind today’s attacks in Dnipropetrovsk.
April 27, 2012 -
Andrzej Brzeziecki
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Articles and Commentary
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What we do know is that the explosives were relatively weak and that they couldn’t have done any harm in open space. And they didn’t. Without belittling the suffering of those who were wounded, it still needs to be admitted that these were not the most spectacular attacks.
But we also know that armoured vehicles and Special Forces are already on the streets of Dnipropetrovsk. The telephones have been cut. To put it simply: the sense of terror is growing. This of course is, up to a point, quite understandable. Every government would take the necessary precautions. But aren’t armoured tanks a bit too much?
What we also know is that the blasts took place in a city which is not only Yulia Tymoshenko’s hometown, but which is also a city where the upcoming EURO 2012 football competition won’t take place. We also know that everybody in Ukraine this morning was talking about the pictures of Tymoshenko which (potentially) showed signs of beating and which caused quite a sensation. A larger sensation came then later from the blasts.
We also know that in the last few days, the opposition has been blocking the sessions of Ukraine’s parliament. In the aftermath of the explosions, on the initiative of the ruling Party of Regions, the speaker of parliament has called a meeting during which representatives of different ministries will present to the deputies, meaning the representatives of the nation, their findings in regards to the explosions. The opposition is in a bind. It was against a special session – but how can one block a session now, when such an important matter is being discussed?
We also know that a few days ago new public opinion polls showed that the ruling Party of Regions would lose to the opposition. Right after the explosions, President Viktor Yanukovych promised that Ukraine will take an adequate response to the terrorists. A reaction worthy of a president for all Ukrainians.
Andrzej Brzeziecki is the Editor-in-Chief of the Polish bimonthly Nowa Europa Wschodnia and the English quarterly New Eastern Europe.
Translated by Iwona Reichardt
