Ukraine on 30 March 2020: emergency rules and a murder arrest
A look back at the public backdrop in Ukraine, and at the border closure announced by neighbouring Russia, on the eve of 30 March 2020.
What did the public agenda in Ukraine look like on 30 March 2020? The reports from the days around that date point to two threads: a country-wide emergency over the coronavirus and a high-profile criminal case.
On 25 March 2020, the Cabinet of Ministers introduced a 30-day emergency regime across the whole territory of Ukraine because of the spread of the coronavirus disease. The measure applied nationwide rather than to selected regions, and its stated duration was 30 days.
The same day, security forces arrested former Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara on charges of murdering advertising mogul Sergiy Starytsky. The reports from that date give no further detail on the case, but the arrest of a former foreign minister on a murder charge meant that a criminal matter ran alongside the health emergency in public life.
A neighbour closes its borders
On 28 March 2020, Russia announced that all its borders would be closed from 30 March to counter the spread of COVID-19. The new measure was not to apply to Russian diplomats, drivers of freight trucks and certain other categories.
Taken together, the reports show governments in the region turning to broad restrictions within days of one another: a nationwide emergency in Ukraine on 25 March, and a border closure announced by Russia that took effect on 30 March 2020.
