Ministry: Police prepared to deal with possible unrest in Kyiv
Ukraine's Interior Ministry does not expect there to be mass unrest in the capital Kyiv following the presidential election run-off.

Ministry: Police prepared to deal with possible unrest in Kyiv

Feb 8, 2010 at 18:14 | Interfax-Ukraine
Ukraine's Interior Ministry does not expect there to be mass unrest in the capital Kyiv following the presidential election run-off, but it said it would be ready to respond appropriately if protests do break out.

"No threats to public peace or grounds for such threats exist for the moment," Deputy Interior Minister Oleksandr Savchenko, who is responsible for public security, said at a news conference in Kyiv on Feb. 8.

"Police will cope with their workload and respond appropriately should large-scale political rallies erupt or the situation deteriorates," he said.

"I cannot guarantee that no conflict situations will break out, but I can guarantee order on the streets," Savchenko said.

Police in Kyiv are strong enough to maintain order in Kyiv on their own during the first three days, he said, adding that police forces from other regions would be drawn later, if necessary.