Why Ukraine’s president is talking down the threat from Russia

BLOOD MAY soon be spilled in Ukraine, but will it be real or fake? On January 31st authorities arrested a group they said was planning to stage riots in Ukrainian cities. The plot allegedly involved thousands of paid anti-government protesters, smoke bombs and litres of fake blood for the cameras, with medics on the scene to simulate first aid. The goal, explained Ihor Klymenko, Ukraine’s police chief, was to shake the country with viral images of unrest and police brutality.