Yuschenko Appeals to Armed Forces

[To any of you who are wishing I would just cut the Ukraine updates and just get back to the usual inanities: don't worry! I'll send up a flare when all this is settling down, and you'll know it's safe to return. I'll be obsessing over this until then. Just so you know.]

I guess the opposition has taken notice of all those buses of militiamen pouring into the capital. Yuschenko makes the right move, and sends out an impassioned appeal to the armed forces on behalf of demos and fraternite and svoboda:

Presidential candidate Viktor Yushchenko called on the leaders of the armed forces and security forces to defy all orders to take action against the Ukrainian people, appealing to them to take care of the country’s citizens, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
[...]

He underlined that the choice of the people had been defiled, and that what was happening in Ukraine at the moment was a crime on the part of the authorities, “who want to maintain a regime of lawlessness, corruption, and abuse of human rights,” backed up by the military and the security organs.

“Thousands of people in epaulets, dozens of army units and organs of the Interior Ministry have already given their word. They’re all with the Ukrainian people. On the side of the people – the place of every honest person,” Yushchenko announced.

“The criminals want to send you to the barricades. There won’t be found there the sons of those who are pushing you into bloodshed. They’re running away. But we’re staying with you, we’re building a new Ukraine. The country needs your honesty, your experience, and your professionalism,” he said in his appeal.

We'll see if it works.