A day after the protests on May Day, the storm troops of the neo-Nazi “Pravy Sektor”(Right Section) arrived in Odessa sent by the far-right Kiev regime to suppress the protests of residents in the southeast.

“Pravy Sektor” neo-Nazis along with those of the fascist party» Svoboda «(Freedom) were the largest and most effective part of “self-defense” in the Maidan. It was those who actually undermined the agreement of Yanukovych government, expressing the interests of pro-Russian oligarchs, with the pro-West opposition of Yatsenyuk (Tymoshenko’s party), Klitschko and the fascist “Svoboda”. After Yanukovych’s flight and his party’s capitulation to the opposition, the fascists occupied positions in six ministries, as well as the general prosecutor’s office. The leader of the “Right Sector” became undersecretary of the Council of National Security and Defence, with superior Paruby, also a fascist and founding member of “Social National Party”, predecessor of “Svoboda”.

At the same time, gangs of “Right Sector” began victory parades through the streets of Kiev and other cities and launched pogroms against political opponents, especially of the left, as well as violent attacks against public officials in an attempt to put under their control public prosecutors and TV stations. In an attempt to control the most hardline elements, but also to recruit trusted armed forces, the government established the new National Guard, exclusively composed of members of Maidan “self-defense” bands (i.e. members of “Svoboda” and “Right Sector”).

The growing fascist violence, the proposed drafts for the abolition of Russian as an official state language along with Ukrainian, the emergence “Right Sector” neo-Nazis in Kharkiv, Odessa and other cities in the southeast, where the majority of the population is Russian-speaking , the appointment of hated oligarchs as local governours ( many of whom supported the previous Yanukovych government), the payment delays, cuts in wages and rapid price and duty rises were the reasons that triggered the “Anti-Maidan” movement in the southeast, which raised issues of recognition of national rights, such as the language status, as well as social and economic demands. The confrontation escalated with the referendum in Crimea, where the overwhelming majority voted secession from Ukraine and annexation to the Russian Federation, and the referendum movement in the southeast, demanding more autonomy and federalization of Ukraine.

The autonomist movement embraced all southeast and in Donetsk, where much of Ukrainian industry is concentrated, armed militias were formed. However, the proletarian heart of the country is Kharkov, the second largest city after Kiev, where the influence of the left, especially the Union “Borotba” (Struggle) in the movement is strong, as it is in Odessa.

The Kiev regime immediately sent troops to suppress the movement, rejecting the demand for a referendum. However, the massive mobilization of residents and the reluctance of soldiers and large parts of local police to beat the people led Kiev regime to a dead-end and an open admission that they do not control the situation. This in turn exacerbated the friction with the most extreme elements of the “Right Sector” and escalated the pressure of Western imperialist mentors, who meanwhile had reached an IMF agreement loan of 17 billion dollars, and now demanded immediate action.

These developments led to a new flare up of the conflict, when Kiev resorted to the fascist National Guard and “Right Section” paramilitaries to suppress the rebellion. That’s how we were led to the events of the 2nd of May. As “Borotba” writes, “Under the pretext of the so-called march ‘For unity of Ukraine’ paramilitary squads of Ukrainian nationalists were brought together to Odessa from all over the country… Local residents of Odessa were the minority among them, while the majority – far-right paramilitaries that were brought together from all over Ukraine… The majority of police were ordered to guard the building of the Department of Home Affairs. Thus, the entire city was delivered into the hands of neo-Nazi paramilitary”.

After intense fighting in the city center, the fascists marched to the Kulikovo square, where there was a camp of 200 antifascists and set fire to the tents. The antifascists barricaded themselves in the nearby “House of Trade Unions” and fascists burned the building with cocktail Molotov bombs. “The fire spread throughout the building and people began to jump out of the windows trying to escape the fire. But on the ground, they were finished off by nationalist paramilitaries“. Thus, a member of “Borotba”, Andrey Brazhevsky, was murdered. “Over 40 activists were burned alive, poisoned by smoke or murdered by the Nazis, while trying to escape from the burning building”.

The massacre in Odessa, and slaughters of scores of people in other cities, such as Slavyansk, Lugansk and Kramatorsk, where the fascist National Guard murdered among others the twenty-year-old nurse Yulia Isotova and three other members of the nursing staff who provided first aid to the wounded, was methodically arranged by the far-right Kiev regime. The next day, the Odessa police instead of arresting the neo-Nazi murderers, they arrested 63 antifascist survivours (to be released later by residents of Odessa who stormed the police station), while Tymoshenko congratulated those who “contributed to the suppression of separatists” and promised to suppress any further protest. As it is correctly pointed out by “Borotba”, “The massacre in Odessa reveals that Kiev regime of nationalists and oligarchs is rapidly grows into the outright terrorist dictatorship of the fascist style”.

But the massacres unleashed by the far-right regime with the blessings of USA-NATO-EU cannot provide a solution. Many military units still do not obey and arms are transferred massively to the militias. This clearly shows that the accusations of Kiev regime that the uprising is “triggered by Putin” is hollow propaganda. Similarly unfounded are the accusations, unfortunately swallowed and reproduced by various “leftish”, “anarchists” and other “progressive Europeanists”, that “Borotba” and all those involved in the movement are “subservient to Putin”.

Such despicable wretchedness, as well as the deafening silence of the Western media and the liberal “leftish” who have not yet seen the “invisible” fascists who are now mass murdering people, and they have still not come to a “verdict” on who is responsible for the slaughter in Odessa, is nothing but an alibi for the far-right Kiev regime and its storm troops that continue the slaughter of the left and the antifascist movement in the southeast.

As for Putin and Russian imperialists, they have already secured what they always had, i.e. their bases in Crimea, and now they have no interest in the victory of the anti-fascist insurrection of popular masses. On the contrary, their intervention in April was towards an agreement with Kiev regime, the USA and the EU for the disarmament of all armed groups and evacuation of occupied buildings, an agreement that the insurgents do not recognize. Putin leverages developments to consolidate his position in Russia and suppress internal opposition easier. Simultaneously, Russian imperialism attempts through this process to extend its economic and political influence in the region, coming into direct conflict with the interests of US and EU imperialists. The risk to ignite all-out war in the region is nightmarishly visible.

In order to rid the movement of illusions for Putin and reflections of pro-Russian nationalism, as a result of the bloody repression, it is necessary to strengthen the influence of the left and help the movement to gain confidence in its own strength. This process is not easy, but neither wishful thinking. It is already in progress, because “Borotba” intervenes dynamically and its influence steadily grows, while, at the same time, there is a rapid progress in the formation of militias, as the rebels have understood very well that neither Putin nor any other “saviour” will stop the fascist hordes, but only their own forces.

Concludng, the Organisation of Communists – Internationalists of Greece – “Spartakos”, Greek section of the Fourth International, stands in solidarity with the comrades of the Union “Borotba” and the anti-fascist movement in Ukraine and condemns the far-right Kiev government and its imperialists mentors of USA-NATO-EU who have unleashed the hordes of neo-Nazi murderers in Southeast Ukraine. We urge all the left to do the same and act directly with mass demonstrations at the Ukrainian embassies all around the world.

The struggle of comrades in Ukraine is our struggle and their victory will be ours, too.

• Down with the far-right Kiev regime!

• Crush the storm troops of “Right Sector” and the fascist National Guard!

• No to imperialist interventions! USA-EU-NATO out now! No illusions for or confidence in Russian imperialism!

• Solidarity with “Borotba” and Ukrainian antifascists!

• Victory to the rebellion in Southeast! Recognition of the right of self-determination in these areas!

• Common struggle of all workers of Ukraine against fascists, oligarchs and all imperialists!

OKDE – Spartakos (Greek section of the Fourth IVth International), 06/05/08