Eleven Ukrainian National Guard servicemen injured in clashes near Verkhovna Rada

17:16, 14.10.2014 1 min read

Eleven servicemen of the Ukrainian National Guard were injured in clashes near the Verkhovna Rada building in Kyiv on Tuesday, the National Guard press service has reported.

"While performing their duties guarding public order around the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 11 National Guard servicemen were injured as a result of aggressive protesters. They sustained closed cranio-cerebral injuries and bruises of various degrees, including burns caused by smoke grenades and firecrackers," it said.

Among those injured are three officers from the Northern operational territorial unit. All of those injured were provided with first medical aid.

Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Heraschenko had said earlier that at least 15 policemen had been injured in the clashes near the Verkhovna Rada.

The National Guard servicemen are former servicemen of the Interior Forces, whose main duty is to maintain public order along with policemen. The Interior Forces were reorganized into the National Guard in the spring of 2014.