Russian becomes regional language in Dnipropetrovsk

Dnipropetrovsk City Council deputies at a session on Wednesday voted for the implementation of the provisions of the law on the principles of state language policy in Dnipropetrovsk.

According to an Interfax-Ukraine reporter, 77 deputies voted for this decision, 19 deputies from the factions of the Batkivschyna Party, the Front for Change and Ukraine of the Future voted against it, and four abstained.

The decision stresses the need "to inform the public of the city about the fact that Russian is a regional language" and "ensure the use of Russian in Dnipropetrovsk as a regional language, with respective consequences in office work, education and other spheres."

Front for Change faction deputy Kamil Prymakov, on behalf of the opposition, spoke against the inclusion of the issue on the agenda.

The proposal was rejected by most Regions Party deputies, and the issue was supported.

The beginning of the session of the city council was accompanied by a rally of representatives of the Svoboda Party, the Congress of Ukrainian Nationalists and several public organizations that demanded that the unconstitutional introduction of Russian as a regional language in Dnipropetrovsk be prevented.