Ukraine's leading English-language newspaper since 1995

Viktor Yushchenko stresses that "for millions of citizens of Ukraine Stepan Bandera has been and remains a national hero - a leader of the struggle for independence." The ruling of Donetsk District Administrative Court which repealed a decree conferring the title of Hero of Ukraine on Ukrainian nationalist Stepan Bandera indicates the current government's intentions to aggravate confrontation in the society, said former president Viktor Yushchenko.

In his statement published by the press service of Yushchenko-led Our Ukraine People's Union party on Apr. 6 morning, Yushchenko stressed that "the issues of language, church, history have been long used to deepen the confrontation in the society, now comes the juxtaposition of heroes of one kind to the heroes of another."

"Such provocative techniques are particularly cynical and dangerous on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War. They are contributing to the split, rather than uniting the society..." said Yushchenko.

He stressed that "for millions of citizens of Ukraine Stepan Bandera has been and remains a national hero - a leader of the struggle for independence, which was conducted during World War II and had a broad popular support in Ukraine's regions."