Ukraine oligarch sets bounty for fighting pro-Russians

A regional governor in eastern Ukraine has offered cash bonuses for those who fight against pro-Russian protesters.

According to Press TV, aides to banking and energy tycoon Igor Kolomoisky, who was appointed by interim authorities in Kiev last month to run the industrial region of Dnipropetrovsk, has put a $10,000 bounty for handing over what he called Kremlin-backed “saboteurs.”
He also pledged another $45,000 for Ukrainian troops who killed three pro-Russian protesters at their base overnight.
Kolomoisky also offered a $200,000 reward for anyone who could “liberate a public building occupied by pro-Russian protesters.”
The billionaire’s pledges follow the seizure of state facilities by pro-Russian demonstrators in the nearby regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
During one of his first public appearances earlier in March, Kolomoisky accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having plans to revive the Russian Empire of 1913.
The Russian leader, however, did not leave Kolomoisky’s accusations without a reply.
During a press conference on Thursday, Putin criticized Kiev’s handling of the situation in eastern cities, saying Ukrainian authorities appointed their people as governors and local managers in the region instead of establishing a dialogue with protesters.