By By David M. Herszenhorn and Andrew E. Kramer, New York Times, Dec. 11, 2013

KIEV, Ukraine — The Ukrainian authorities’ surprise decision to storm the central square occupied by antigovernment protesters here early Wednesday sharply escalated tensions with Western leaders, while an equally abrupt pullout by the police after a nine-hour siege created a growing sense of unpredictability about President Viktor F. Yanukovich’s handling of the crisis.

The strange enforcement action, which antagonized and energized demonstrators but did not clear them from the square, added to the problems of Ukraine’s economy. The country was already facing a severe cash shortage but in recent days has seen its borrowing costs rise to record highs, with the central bank forced to intervene to support the currency.

Mobilizing after midnight, thousands of riot police officers and Interior Ministry troops broke through barricades around Independence Square, pushed demonstrators back and formed tight cordons around them. They then called in bulldozers and other heavy equipment to raze some of the protesters’ tents and barricades. The security forces clashed with protesters and briefly tried to regain control of City Hall. Then at 10:30 a.m., they abruptly withdrew, raising new questions about Mr. Yanukovich’s handling of the crisis, which has seemed increasingly erratic [....]

Also see:

Ukraine protests: outrage as police attack Kiev barricades
Unexpected scenes only a few hours after President Viktor Yanukovych pledged restraint to EU foreign policy chief
By Shaun Walker in Kiev, theguardian.com, 11 Dec. 2013

[....] A priest brandishing a cross walked towards the lines of police but was pushed back as protest leaders announced from the main stage that it was a peaceful protest and called for a stop to the crackdown. As the mobilisation continued a religious service was held on the stage with hundreds of protesters chanting: "Tomorrow there will be a million of us." [.....]