Ukrainian ex-president’s ally found deadApril 16, 2015 - 11:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A Ukrainian opposition politician, Oleg Kalashnikov, has been found dead with gunshot wounds in Kiev - the latest ally of the former government to have died in suspicious circumstances, BBC News reports. Kalashnikov had been involved in the "anti-Maidan" protests in support of deposed President Viktor Yanukovych. It is not clear if he was murdered or committed suicide. Police say an investigation has been launched. At least eight Yanukovych allies have died suddenly in the last three months. Most of the deaths are said to have been suicides. However, officials say it was possible some were killed or forced to take their lives. Commentators in Ukraine have accused supporters, as well as opponents, of the current pro-Western government of involvement in the deaths. The BBC says no motive has emerged linking the deaths and no arrests have been made. Kalashnikov was a former deputy in parliament and a member of Yanukovych's Party of Regions. Accounts of his death differ, with some sources saying his body was found outside his flat in Kiev and others saying it was found within. Yanukovych fled Ukraine in February last year, after months of increasingly violent protests against him, centered on the Maidan, Kiev's main square. He later reappeared in Russia. The government that succeeded him reversed his opposition to closer ties with the European Union - a major factor behind the protests. Related links: Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Get Started: An educational platform for young startuppers The Get Started program which operates in two phases is an important platform for young startuppers. Byblos Bank Armenia celebrates Students' Day with scholarship recipients YSU students who received scholarships from Byblos Bank Armenia gathered in a casual setting to meet with the Bank's CEO, Hayk Stepanyan. Azerbaijan extends Rune Vardanyan’s arrest by 5 months A court in Azerbaijan has extended the arrest of former Nagorno-Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan by five months. Armenia border residents dissatisfied with delimitation Residents Kirants are dissatisfied with the results of the delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. |