Revolution in Ukraine Nearly six months after

Revolution in Ukraine

Nearly six months after the decisive battles between protesters and police on Kiev's Independence Square, the charred barricades of burned tyres and twisted metal still stand in memorial to the more than 100 people who died in the February clashes.

The Maidan movement achieved its main goal: the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych. But in the months since, Ukraine has lost Crimea to Russian annexation and seen a civil war take hold in the east of the country, with Moscow's support.

Petro Poroshenko, a chocolate tycoon who threw his lot in with the protests from the start, came to power in May's presidential elections promising a new type of political culture. But the conflict in the east has deflected attention and financial resources away from the renewal of government and governance, and analysts warn that serious economic problems are just around the corner.

The UN says that more than 1, 100 people have died since the "antiterrorist operation" began in the east of the country several months ago. While the Ukrainian army has made significant gains against the armed separatists in recent weeks, it has come at the cost of an increasingly high civilian death toll.

However, as public opinion becomes further radicalised by the war, there is little room for soul-searching, and voices urging restraint are not welcome. Increasingly there is a feeling that the unrest in the east needs to be wrapped up as soon as possible.