18 February 2014 Protest march and initial clashes The night before the clashes,
Right Sector called on all of its members to ready themselves for a "peace offensive" on 18 February. The
Maidan People's Union also urged all concerned citizens to take part in the "peace offensive", which student unions had agreed to join as well. The Maidan Union reported on the morning of 18 February that columns of protesters would begin a march on parliament at 08:30. That morning, around 20,000 demonstrators marched on the
parliament building and pushed the cordon of police aside. The clashes started after some two dozen demonstrators moved a police vehicle blocking their path to parliament. At 10:33, the street fights between protesters and the police shifted to Shovkovychna Street. Two persons died as a result, including a programmer who worked at the headquarters. At 12:12, Minister of Healthcare
Raisa Bohatyriova was attacked by protesters as she left
Mariinskyi Park, but she escaped unharmed. Former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs
Hennadiy Moskal speculated that they were
Alpha Group units. A Berkut leader, Vladimir Krashevsky, said the armed police officers in black with yellow armbands were part of a Berkut unit that had been deployed to help evacuate the interior troops. Protesters re-occupied City Hall. At 15:45, hundreds of riot police officers advanced toward Maidan, attacking protesters. An officer grabbed the
gas mask of a
Kyiv Post journalist on Instytutska Street and said of the police advance: "I love it! We love it!" At 20:00, pro-Russian sources had reported that 50 unknown or presumably pro-Russian assailants were trying to break into the Canadian embassy. On the same day, a
Global Affairs Canada spokesperson acknowledged that protesters had taken "shelter" and were "peaceful and have not caused any damage or harm to staff." In 2015, it was revealed that the embassy had deliberately opened its gates after spotting a Canadian passport-wielding Euromaidan protester being chased by Berkut. Upon entry of the unknown passport-wielding Euromaidan protester, a deluge of Euromaidan protesters stormed the embassy and occupied the main lobby, using the embassy as a safe haven from Berkut. The embassy was used to treat the wounded during the evening of 18 February. Euromaidan protesters later left the embassy voluntarily, leaving flowers. Unnamed European allies later asserted, that given the prolonged occupation and lack of resistance by Canadian foreign service officers, Canada played an intentional and deliberate role in enabling Euromaidan protesters. Contemporary media sources argue that Prime Minister
Stephen Harper never acknowledged the true extent of the security breach.
Attack on Maidan Following the warning, the police advanced on thousands of protesters on
Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) with guns, a water cannon, and an armored personnel carrier. Tents housing protesters were burned in the main square. Opposition leader
Arseniy Yatsenyuk called on the police to retreat 200 meters up Instytutska Street and urged both sides to call a truce until morning. Protesters on the square stacked tires and other burning debris to create a wall of fire between themselves and security forces. but remained available via satellite (with a brief interruption) and a live feed on YouTube. Officers then tried to retake the occupied
Trade Unions building but failed.
Opposition leaders meeting with Yanukovych Emerging from a meeting with President Yanukovych, opposition leader
Vitali Klitschko told
Hromadske TV that the talks had not been successful. Klitschko said that opposition leaders had listened for more than an hour to Yanukovych's claims that they were to blame for the 20 deaths on 18 February. The president also demanded that the opposition force the protesters to leave
Maidan Nezalezhnosti. In a message on
Ukrainian television, Yanukovych told the opposition leaders, "Separate yourself from the radical elements that seek bloodshed and conflict with law enforcement agencies," and said that if they did not do so, he would "talk differently" with them. He added: "The opposition leaders have ignored the basic foundation of democracy. The line had been crossed when they called people to arms." Later that day, the parties said, "To hold talks with the regime, the policies of which led to the deaths of many people, is an extremely unpleasant thing, but we must do everything possible and even the impossible to prevent further bloodshed."
19 February The
Kyiv Metro was closed and main roads blocked by police. Bigger stores and malls on
Khreshchatyk were also closed, but according to a
Euronews correspondent, "Life away from the barricades is business as usual." In the early morning,
titushky shot two protesters, killing one. By this point, the death toll had risen to 26 on both sides, including 10 police. The
Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) launched an "anti-terrorist" operation, while the intelligence services began investigating unnamed politicians over what was described as an
illegal attempt to seize power. According to political analyst
Taras Berezovets, the decree meant that the SBU could search protesters, seize their property, and detain them at will, "without a court order or other legal safeguards." The acting minister of defence,
Pavlo Lebedyev, acknowledged that he had sent some airborne troops from
Dnipro to
Kyiv. Ciphered telegrams were discovered in which
Yuriy Ilyin, the newly appointed chief of the general staff of the
Ukrainian Armed Forces, gave direct orders to deploy military units. Also on 19 February, a military An-26 made a secret flight from Kyiv to Russia to pick up a large batch of anti-riot weapons and ammunition; this only became known in 2015. A Euronews correspondent on Independence Square reported that protesters were arriving "from all parts of Ukraine". By 14:50, about 5,000 remained on the square. President Yanukovych fired the chief of the
general staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,
Volodymyr Zamana, and replaced him with Ilyin, who was previously the commander of the
Ukrainian Navy. The Ministry of Defence announced that it was redeploying units around the country to guard military facilities. The
European Investment Bank froze activities in Ukraine, saying, "For the time being, the situation is so cruel that it would be politically the wrong signal, but also irresponsible vis-a-vis the people we asked to do the job, to be active on business in Ukraine." Following a meeting between government and opposition leaders late at night, both sides declared a truce and agreed to start negotiations.
Right Sector did not agree to the truce. A Euronews correspondent on Independence Square reported that the number of protesters had grown, saying, "In general, all I have heard from people is the more they are attacked and the worse they are beaten, the more determined they are to stand back up and resume the struggle." As revealed later, President Yanukovych had begun to prepare to leave Kyiv.
20 February At 00:35,
Interfax reported that Yanukovych had declared 20 February a day of mourning for those killed in the clashes. Around 03:50, activists claimed that they had torn a shoulder patch from the uniform of a
Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) soldier during the clashes, brandishing the patch as alleged proof of Russian involvement. Protesters at Independence Square continued to hear gunshots, despite the ceasefire agreement. Around 04:20, five buses carrying protesters from
Ivano-Frankivsk arrived. Each side blamed the other for igniting the deadly conflict. SBU director Yakymenko blamed Ukraine's current Euromaidan government, claiming they were responsible for hiring snipers on 20 February. In a statement, the
Presidential Administration of Ukraine claimed that the protesters had gone on the offensive: "They are working in organised groups. They are using firearms, including sniper rifles. They are shooting to kill," it said. Altogether, 48 protesters were killed or fatally wounded by gunfire. At 09:25, protesters had pushed the Berkut back to the
October Palace after security forces tried to set fire to
Kyiv Conservatory, which was being used as a field hospital for wounded protesters. At 09:32, it was announced that parliament would not convene. Around 10:49, law enforcement personnel were captured while sleeping in the
Ukrainian House and during clashes on barricades near the
October Palace. were held prisoner at the headquarters of the
Energy Company of Ukraine and at the October Palace. At 10:00,
Euromaidan's activists picketed the main office at the Kyiv Metro station
Politekhnichnyi Instytut, demanding that the system be reopened. A former head of the
Kyiv City State Administration,
Ivan Saliy, also called for the reopening of the metro. At 16:00 that day, the
Titushky were transported by metro from the
Pozniaky station to the
Pecherska station,
Lvivska Gazeta reported. The government also closed highway and railway access to Kyiv. Trains between Kyiv and
Lviv, one of the protesters' strongholds, were temporarily suspended; a railway spokeswoman said this was because of damage to the lines. Coincidentally, there were reports that arms had been seized from an Interior Ministry armory in Lviv and transported to the outskirts of Kyiv. The head of the
Kyiv City State Administration,
Volodymyr Makeyenko, resigned from the
Party of Regions but said that he would continue to perform his duties to ensure that the city functioned properly. He then ordered the reopening of the
Kyiv Metro. The metro was partly reopened in the early evening, but interchange stations remained closed. The
Embassy of the United Kingdom in Kyiv was temporarily closed.
Radio Liberty published video footage of police special forces shooting protesters with
Kalashnikov and sniper rifles. Acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko announced that combat weapons had been provided to the police, saying in an address to the nation, "We signed relevant orders as part of the Antiterrorist Center's work: the law enforcement officials have been provided with combat weapons, and they will be used in line with the law on police." The ministry's website said the riot police had the right to use their weapons to free hostages being held by protesters.
Interfax-Ukraine reported that at 15:00, "a group of unknown individuals" headed to the
Presidential Administration Building, and shots and explosions were heard. The Euromaidan self-defense force had repeatedly urged protesters not to go outside the square's perimeter.
Diplomatic efforts The above-mentioned clashes erupted shortly before three visiting EU foreign ministers—
Radosław Sikorski of Poland,
Laurent Fabius of France, and
Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany—were due to meet with President Yanukovych to push for a compromise with the Ukrainian opposition. The meeting was delayed for security reasons and began an hour late. The negotiations lasted six hours. Prime Minister
Donald Tusk of Poland told reporters soon afterward, "It was agreed with Yanukovych that there was a willingness to hold early elections this year, both presidential and parliamentary." Tusk also said that Yanukovych "was willing to form a national unity government in the next 10 days and to change the constitution before the summer". Further talks were scheduled to negotiate the signing of the relevant document. After a telephone conversation between Yanukovych and the Russian president,
Vladimir Putin, Russian human rights ombudsman
Vladimir Lukin was sent as an envoy to Ukraine, at Yanukovych's request, to try to mediate talks between the government and the opposition. The United States imposed visa bans on 20 Ukrainian officials it considered "responsible for ordering human rights abuses related to political oppression". "The scale of implementation will be taken forward in the light of developments in Ukraine," the
EU Council concluded.
Ukrainian political developments The leader of the ruling
Party of Regions,
Oleksandr Yefremov, travelled to
Luhansk to meet with local leaders and law enforcement agents to discuss the possibility of southeastern Ukraine's declaring independence and seceding from the state. The
chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea,
Vladimir Konstantinov, travelled to Moscow, where he announced that the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea would secede from Ukraine if there were a change of power. Party of Regions MP
Sergiy Tigipko called for the resignation of parliament chairman
Volodymyr Rybak, his replacement with an opposition parliamentarian, and the urgent election of a prime minister supported by all factions. "The president, the parliament speaker, the acting prime minister, and opposition leaders have completely lost control of the situation in the country and do not offer any solutions to pacify the country," he said. "Their inaction is leading to increased confrontation and deaths. In the evening, Tigipko held talks with opposition politicians Yatsenyuk and Klitschko. The head of the
Kyiv City State Administration,
Volodymyr Makeyenko, and 17
MPs resigned from the
Party of Regions. In
Rivne and
Zhytomyr, the Party of Regions formally disbanded, with all MPs from those regions leaving the party as well. Ten Party of Regions and two independent MPs called for a
return to the parliamentary-presidential form of government. At 16:42, parliament convened for an emergency sitting. The Party of Regions did not take part. According to a
UNIAN correspondent, 227 MPs out of 450—mostly from the opposition, but some from the Party of Regions—were present. Out of 238 deputies present, 236 voted to condemn the recent violence, ban the use of weapons against protesters, and withdraw troops and the police deployed against them. The entire parliamentary faction of the
Communist Party of Ukraine and some 80% of the Party of Regions chose to miss the session. Lawmakers barred chiefs and commanders of the Interior Troops, the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the SBU, and other government agencies from carrying out any counter-terrorism operations because they violated the Constitution of Ukraine. They were also ordered to stop blocking roads and bridges, squares and streets in Kyiv and other cities and towns. Late in the evening, it was announced that five more MPs had left the parliamentary faction of the Party of Regions. The Parliament of Crimea called for an extraordinary session on 21 February. The leader of the
Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People said he suspected that lawmakers would ask for Russian military intervention, stating, "Tomorrow may be a decision that will bring chaos and disaster to Crimea." Several scholars discussed the possibility of Russian intervention in Crimea specifically, because of its unique geopolitical nature and demographics.
21 February The Armed Forces' deputy chief of staff, Lieutenant-General Yuri Dumansky, resigned because he disagreed with the involvement of the army in the conflict. "Today the army is being involved in the civil conflict, which could lead to the mass deaths of civilians and soldiers," he said. According to Shevchenko, 1,500 airborne soldiers and 400 marines—including the 25th Airborne Brigade, the 1st Marine Brigade, the 831st Anti-sabotage Unit, and the 2nd Marine Spetsnaz—had been transferred on 20 February under the command of the SBU for the anti-terrorist operation. In the lead-up to the day's parliamentary session, it was reported that many members of the Party of Regions and their families had fled the capital, including acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko and Prosecutor General
Viktor Pshonka. Later, Maidan activists released the Interior Troops servicemen whom they had captured the previous day. Meanwhile, the entire police force of
Radekhiv joined the protesters in Kyiv. The
Security Service of Ukraine officially ended its "preparations for antiterrorist operation" introduced on 19 February.
Agreement on settlement of political crisis A compromise deal was agreed to on 21 February after hours of negotiations led by the
European Union mediators and Foreign Ministers
Radosław Sikorski of Poland,
Laurent Fabius of France, and
Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany. Officially called the
Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine, but unofficially called the 21 February Agreement, it was signed by both opposition leaders and the president after overnight negotiations (read the full text of the agreement here). The agreed-to provisions included a
restoration of the constitution as it was between 2004 and 2010; constitutional reform to be completed by September;
early presidential elections no later than December 2014; an investigation into the violence conducted under joint monitoring of the administration, the opposition, and the Council of Europe; a veto on imposing a state of emergency; amnesty for protesters arrested since 17 February; the surrender of public buildings occupied by protesters; the forfeiture of illegal weapons; "new electoral laws", and the formation of a new
Central Election Commission. The three EU foreign ministers signed the document as witnesses, but not the Russian mediator
Vladimir Lukin, because he had no mandate to sign an agreement on the crisis. The 450-seat parliament voted unanimously, 386–0, to return to the 2004 constitution, and then it voted 332–0 to suspend acting Interior Minister Zakharchenko. Another bill made changes to the Criminal Code, allowing for the release of
Yulia Tymoshenko. 310 MPs voted in favour of the measure, including 54 from the Party of Regions and 32 Communists. Parliament also adopted a resolution late that evening that ordered all Interior Ministry troops and police officers to return to their barracks.
AutoMaidan also announced that it would not accept anything short of Yanukovych's resignation. Vitali Klitschko apologised to the crowd on Independence Square after shaking hands with Yanukovych. Protesters there responded to the deal by booing opposition leaders. Activist
Volodymyr Parasiuk warned from the stage that if Yanukovych did not resign by 10:00 the next day, an armed insurrection would be staged. Outside of Kyiv, it was later discovered that the summer home of pro-Russian politician
Viktor Medvedchuk had been set on fire. By late afternoon, hundreds of riot police officers guarding the presidential compound and nearby government buildings had vanished. The riot police had begun withdrawing early in the morning because they feared that Yanukovych's government would pin the responsibility for the violence on them, and because they feared being attacked after protesters stole around 1,200 pistols and
Kalashnikov rifles from the police on 18 February during the
occupation of government buildings in
Lviv. and that the military was standing with the opposition. A new parliamentary
coalition was created after 28 MPs left the
Party of Regions' faction. Within the remaining faction, a "group of 31 deputies with a special position" was formed by
Sergiy Tigipko "to persuade other Party of Regions MPs to vote progressively". On 21 February, President Yanukovych and parliament declared 22 and 23 February to be days of mourning "due to the loss of human life as a result of mass disturbances".
Removal of Yanukovych Despite signing
an agreement to approve constitutional changes, president Yanukovych secretly fled Kyiv on the night of 21 February 2014. Parliament were not informed that he had left, or where he had gone. Also missing were acting Prime Minister
Serhiy Arbuzov, Later, it was revealed that Yanukovych had begun preparing to leave Kyiv on 19 February, even before the worst of the violence and before he signed the agreement with the opposition. The
resolution stated that Yanukovych had abandoned his constitutional duties, "which threatens the governance of the state, the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine", and cited "circumstances of extreme urgency". Parliament did not vote to
impeach the president, which would have involved formally charging Yanukovych with a crime, a review of the charge by the Constitutional Court, and a three-fourths majority vote in parliament—at least 338 votes in favor. Under the 2004 constitution, which parliament had voted to reinstate, chairman Turchynov became acting president.
Disappearance and prosecution Following the parliamentary procedures to transfer power to the new provisional government, General Prosecutor Pshonka and Minister of Revenues and Duties
Oleksandr Klymenko were stopped at the Russian border while trying to flee the country. According to the State Border Service, Yanukovych also tried to flee via a charter flight from Donetsk, but was stopped by border guards. The guards were "met by a group of armed men who offered money for flying without the proper clearance". Yanukovych then left by armored car, and his subsequent whereabouts were unknown. Former Interior Minister Zakharchenko also tried to fly out of Donetsk and was similarly turned back. On 23 February, parliament deputy
Oleh Lyashko claimed that Yanukovych had been seen at the Russian naval base in Sevastopol, preparing to flee the country on board a Russian military vessel. Journalist
Tetyana Chornovol speculated that he was actually trying to flee on his private yacht, also in Sevastopol. According to court testimony of a bodyguard, Yanukovych and his family flew from Kharkiv to Donetsk by helicopter, then drove to
Berdiansk on the Azov Sea, from where they were flown by aircraft with Russian military markings, via two other airfields, to a Russian facility in Yalta, Crimea, then moved to Russian base in Sevastopol, and departed late on 23 February. On 24 February, acting Interior Minister Avakov announced that Yanukovych had been placed on the country's
most wanted list and that "a criminal case on mass killings of civilians has been opened" for him and other officials. On 25 February, parliament asked the
International Criminal Court to "establish and bring to justice senior Ukrainian officials including ... Yanukovych, for
crimes against humanity during peaceful protests of citizens from 21 November 2013 to 22 February 2014". On the same day, Yanukovych and Zakharchenko were declared internationally wanted. Criminal proceedings were launched in 20 February killings of Euromaidan demonstrators. Yanukovych; the former head of the presidential administration, Andriy Kliuyev; former Prosecutor General Pshonka; former Interior Minister Zakharchenko; former SBU head Yakymenko; the commander of the Interior Troops, Stanislav Shuliak; and a number of others were declared suspects in the case. ==Aftermath==