Ukrainian opposition lobs eggs, smoke bombs in Parliament

The speaker in Ukraine’s parliament had to take cover behind an umbrella while opposition politicians pelted him with eggs and lobbed smoke bombs inside the chamber during a debate over the extension of a lease for a Russian naval base on Ukrainian soil. The government in Kiev eventually ratified the 25-year extension in order to secure discounts on supplies of Russian gas. However, as the brawling in the legislative chamber showed, the deal is meeting fierce opposition from pro-Western politicians in Ukraine. The pro-Russian government says the agreement will help Ukraine secure a loan from the International Monetary Fund, but former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko said the day would instead “go down as a black page in the history of Ukraine and the Ukrainian parliament.”

BBC News