Last week’s shoot-out in the sleepy Transcarpathian town of Mukachevo in western Ukraine has had a serious impact on the country's politics. In just one week, both the governor of Transcarpathia and top officials in the local security ministries have lost their jobs. Talk of a Third Maidan—even of a coup—has returned.
With several Rada deputies organising an investigative commission into the events at Mukachevo, both the law enforcement agencies and parliamentarians are now investigating what took place. In the past three days, Ukraine’s security services have searched 40 homes in the west of the country.
While Russian media has spoken of a ‘second front’ opening up in the conflict, Ukraine has discovered—to its shock—the scale of smuggling on its western border.
