Lenin Statue Toppled In Kharkiv

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WATCH: Giant Lenin Toppled In Kharkiv

Demonstrators in the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv have cut down a statue of Vladimir Lenin.

The towering, 20-meter monument to Lenin on Kharkiv's Freedom Square was attacked shortly after a pro-Ukrainian unity march by thousands of people was held in Ukraine's second-largest city.

Men used ladders to access the statue and saw off Lenin at the legs.

Hundreds of people were standing near the statue watching as the statue was taken down. No police were present.

Activists had earlier used a jackhammer to carve "Glory to Ukraine!" into the base of the statue.

Kharkiv, which is some 20 kilometers from the Russian border, was the scene in March and April of violent clashes between pro-Russian demonstrators and Ukrainians loyal to Kyiv.

Pro-Russian separatists in Kharkiv have defended Lenin's statue during previous attempts to remove it.

With reporting by Interfax and ITAR-TASS