President Petro Poroshenko will give a televised address regarding today’s events in and around the Ukrainian Parliament, said Svyatoslav Tsegolko, his spokesperson.
Video of the blast has now surfaced on YouTube. This is how Meduza reported what has been happening:
Ukrainian police have detained a man suspected of attacking a crowd of riot control officers with a grenade earlier today at a protest by far-right nationalists against the Parliament's vote in support of granting greater autonomy to the separatists regions in Donetsk and Lugansk. The attack has already claimed the life of one police officer, and another three remain in critical condition, Kiev's mayor, Vitali Klitschko, told Hromadske.tv.
Video has appeared online apparently capturing the moment of the grenade attack. At roughly 1:09 in the clip below, a large explosion shakes the ground and sends police limping away from the site of the blast.
Now the Ukrainian 112 outlet is reporting that Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko has said that one serviceman has died in the violence outside the Verkhovna Rada today.
Here's another update from our news desk on the reported blast outside the Ukrainian parliament:
Several Ukrainian National Guard servicemen have reportedly been wounded by what one lawmaker described as a grenade blast.
Lawmaker Anton Herashchenko said on Facebook that "a combat grenade" was thrown at servicemen who were "guarding the Verkhovna Rada" during a protest against a controversial bill.
He said the lives of several wounded National Guard members "are in danger."
Footage showed bloodstains on the pavement as servicemen dragged at least two wounded security officers from the scene.
Reports of a "loud explosion" on August 31 came after dozens of activists clashed during a protest against a presidential bill aimed at extending the level of autonomy for pro-Russian separatists in parts of eastern Ukraine.
The parliament approved the first reading of a constitutional amendment stating that a separate law will determine the exercising of local self-governance in parts of the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
Of the 368 lawmakers at the August 31 session, 265 supported the bill.
The bill was submitted by Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko in accordance with February's Minsk cease-fire agreement.
At least 300 votes will be needed to pass the constitutional amendment at the next session of parliament.
(AFP, Interfax)