"I was shooting downwards at their feet," says a man we will call Sergei, who tells me he took up position in the Kiev Conservatory, a music academy on the south-west corner of the square.
"Of course, I could have hit them in the arm or anywhere. But I didn't shoot to kill."
...
The 19th, a Wednesday, had been quieter, but in the evening, Sergei says, he was put in contact with a man who offered him two guns: one a 12-gauge shotgun, the other a hunting rifle, a Saiga that fired high-velocity rounds.
Meanwhile, conspiracy theories flourish.
"I'm certain that the shootings of the 20th were carried out by snipers who arrived from Russia and who were controlled by Russia," says Andriy Parubiy, the former Commandant of the Maidan.
"The shooters were aiming to orchestrate a bloodbath on Maidan."
This is a widely-held belief in Ukraine. In Russia, many believe the opposite - that the revolt on Maidan was a Western conspiracy, a CIA-inspired coup designed to pull Ukraine out of Moscow's orbit. Neither side offers convincing evidence for its assertion.
Vladimir Putin arrives at an airport, gets in line at customs desk.
Customs officer: Occupation?
Putin: No, just visiting.
Intense fighting has been reported in eastern Ukraine, a day after a peace deal was reached in Minsk.
The fiercest battles were over control of the town of Debaltseve, a strategic town in between rebel-held areas.
Shelling was reported in Donetsk and Luhansk - rebel bastions near the front line where the pro-Russian rebels face government forces.
...
Russia has reaffirmed it is playing no direct role in the conflict, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov insisting it is only a "guarantor":
"It is not a party that has to take action in this matter. We simply cannot do that physically, because Russia is not a participant in this conflict," he said.
In other news, it looks like "cease fire" doesn't actually mean... well... you know....
BBC News - Ukraine crisis: Fierce fighting after Minsk peace deal
Gotta give the Putin administration credit for staying "on message."
I wonder which direction Putin wants them to "retreat."
Russia has also cultivated ties with a number of Right-wing or “insurgent” parties across Europe, including Independent Greeks in Greece, Jobbik in Hungary, Vlaams Belang in Belgium, Northern League in Italy, Ataka in Bulgaria and NPD in Germany.
On a related note, Putin is a good example of how having a coherent, comprehensive foreign policy works.
How Vladimir Putin is building alliances around the world - Telegraph
I wonder why they did not mention China,India,Vietnam(with a new Russian base in 2013,and cooperative defense deal),or Turkey.
Not enough column space for all of Putin's foreign policy "wins."