Violence is spreading in Odessa.

As of today (May 4th), at least 42 people have died and more than 200 have been injured in bloody clashes between pro-Russian and pro-Russian factions in the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa.

Protesters threw Molotov cocktails at the trade union building in Odessa on May 2 (Photo: Reuters)

Among those killed were at least 37 people in a fire at a trade union building in Odessa on May 2nd, caused by both sides throwing Molotov cocktails at each other. A spokesman for Russian President Putin stated that the Kiev government is responsible for the bloody conflict in Odessa.

This is considered the bloodiest act of violence since the uprising that overthrew pro-Russian former President Viktor Yanukovich in February of this year, which killed around 100 people and pushed the country closer to a civil war.

Yesterday morning (May 3), following the bloody clashes in Odessa, approximately 2,000 pro-Russian protesters gathered outside the burned-out trade union building in Odessa, chanting "Odessa is a Russian city." Many of them placed flowers and candles in front of the building to commemorate those who died.

The violence in Odessa occurred on the same day that the Kyiv government launched a military operation to regain control of separatist regions in the east of the country, where pro-Russian rebels have declared Donetsk as the "Donetsk People's Republic".

Meanwhile, according to Reuters, the Kyiv authorities accused foreign protesters from Transdniestria – a pro-Russian breakaway region in Moldova – of instigating the violence in Odessa. Kyiv said most of the dead were identified as being from Transdniestria.

"Ukraine is being pushed into conflict, into a civil war that will devastate the country. We cannot allow this to happen," emphasized Acting President of Ukraine Oleksander Turchinov.

According to VOV