Hero MPs scrambles as smoke bomb goes off in Ukrainian parliament
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A hero MP scrambled into action today after a smoke bomb went off in the Ukrainian parliament.
The grenade was tossed into the chamber in the middle of a fraught confrontation over the conflict ravaging Eastern Ukraine.
More than 10,000 people are reported to have died in the conflict, which has seen forces under the command of President Petro Poroshenko fight separatist groups backed by Russia.
There were scuffles between MPs in the chamber, as MPs voted to gave preliminary approval to two bills that would restore sovereignty to separatist-held areas in Donetsk and Luhansk, on the Russian border.
Quick-thinking MP Andiry Teteruk ran towards the black billowing smoke, grabbed the still-sparking grenade and ran out of the room within moments of the bomb going off.
Another MP, Volodymyr Ariev wrote on Facebook: "It was a combat-type smoke grenade, which in no case can be used in closed premises. Had Teteruk not thrown it out of the session hall, this could have led to a tragedy, especially given that there were children on excursion sitting on the balcony at that time."
It's not known who threw the grenade, but there were claims it was ignited by a member of the Russian-loyalist Svoboda party.