Originally published on March 25, 2014<br /><br />Oleksandr Muzychko, better known by his alias, 'Sashko Bily,' was killed in a gunbattle with Ukrainian police and Special Forces March 25.<br /> <br />Bily was the leader of a far-right Ukrainian nationalist group that authorities say was a criminal gang. <br /><br />Sashko Bily and three associates met at a cafe in a city in western Ukraine on Tuesday.<br /><br />Ukrainian Special Forces and police attempted to raid the cafe and arrest Shasko Bily and his associates<br /><br />But as the troops drew near, Bily and his associates attempted to flee<br /><br />During the escape attempt, Bily fired at the police and Special Forces, wounding one of them. Police returned fire.<br /><br />Sashko Bily was hit an unknown number of times, but was reportedly still alive as he was arrested.<br /><br />Medics, however, declared him dead as they arrived at the scene. His associates were arrested.<br /><br />Ukrainian authorities say the deceased was the head of an organized crime group with links to other violent groups in the region.<br /> <br />Shasko Bily was a vocal opponent of the former pro-Russian Ukrainian government and had publicly vowed to fight "communists, Jews and Russians" to his dying day. <br /> <br />His far-right organization called his death a "government contract killing."
