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On January 16 The Verkhovna Rada adopted more than a dozen of controversial amendments to the law 'On the Judicial System and Status of Judges' and the procedural laws regarding additional measures to protect the safety of citizens. Most opposition politicians, international organizations and European countries consider these laws a violation of basic constitutional rights of 45 million citizens of Ukraine.
On Sunday, January 19, clashes broke out between Euromaidan protesters and police on Hrushevskoho Street in the centre of Kyiv, after radical protesters decided to break through the police cordon in the direction of the Government House and the Verkhovna Rada.
Police used stun and gas grenades, as well as tear gas. Protesters threw stones at the enforcers. Unrest on Hrushevskoho Street continues for the 8th day.
Six people were killed in clashes on Hrushevskoho Street, but only two deaths were confirmed officially. According to coordinator of Euromaidan medical services Oleg Musiy, four of them died of bullet wounds - to the head, heart, chest and neck.
Now opposition leaders - Arseniy Yatsenyuk ('Batkivshchyna'), Vitali Klitschko ('UDAR') and Oleg Tyagnibok ('Svoboda') - are trying to put an end to the political crisis in Ukraine and bloodshed on Hrushevskoho Street.
On Friday, January 24, Euromaidan supporters started seizing buildings of regional state administration all over Ukraine. Some of the attempts were successful.
In the late evening on January 24 clashes on Hrushevskoho Street resumed.
President Viktor Yanukovich offered the opposition several top government posts on Saturday, January 25. Thus, Yanukovich offered Arseniy Yatsenyuk the post of prime minister to replace Nykolai Azarov, whose government would be expected to resign. Vitali Klitschko, a former international boxing champion, would be appointed deputy prime minister responsible for humanitarian issues. But opposition leaders, supported by thousands of protesters massing in Kyiv's city centre, continued to press for further concessions, including early elections and the repeal of an anti-protest law.
At the same time, Ukraine's Interior Minister Vitaliy Zaharchenko said that all those who occupied public buildings and stayed on Kyiv's Independence Square would be considered to be 'extremist groups' by police. According to him, police would use force against those who went over to the side of the radical protesters, who have clashed with police in front of the football stadium since last Sunday.
00:00. Events on Hrushevskoho Street on January 24-28 in pictures and video.
00:32. Canada is ready to host refugees from Ukraine.
Canada will 'do the right things' when people who have been prosecuted approach to it for protection, said Chris Alexander, Canada's Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
01:12. Leader of the UDAR Party Vitali Klitschko said he hoped that President Viktor Yanukovich won't impose a state of emergency in the country.
02:02. The 'Praviy sector' ('Right sector') civil movement announced its conditions in order to begin resolving the crisis in Ukraine.
These conditions are:
- constitutional reform;
- cessation of military actions by the authorities;
- release of all Euromaidan protesters and closure of criminal proceedings;
- prosecution of Nykolai Azarov's government;
- reformation of the CEC;
- repeal of laws adopted on Jan. 16;
- reformation of 'Berkut' riot police and creation of a qualitatively different special forces;
- punishment of those responsible for the killings, tortures and beatings of protesters;
- finding missing opposition activists;
- legalization of sports and patriotic organizations;
- nonadmission of politicians, discredited during the last government, to power.
Leader of the 'Right sector' Dmitry Yaross said since leaders of the opposition are in a 'featureless position', the right forces are ready to take responsibility for future developments.
02:35. Police detained Euromaidan leader in Zaporozhye Igor Artyushenko.
03:09. Former Defense Minister Anatoly Gritsenko said that at a closed meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Defence received an order to transfer two military units to the Interior Ministry troops.
04:26. On Monday evening, January 27, some young men stabbed three employees of the Office of criminal investigation of the Kherson regional Ministry of Internal Affairs, the press service of the Interior Ministry.
05:09. Eurodeputy Rebecca Harms, co-president of the The Greens–European Free Alliance group in the European parliament, came to Kyiv's Independence Square to express support for the Maidan protesters.
05:13. U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden said that imposing a state of emergency in Ukraine would close the way for a peaceful resolution of the situation in the country.
05:52. Head of the 'Spilna Sprava' ('Common Cause') civil movement Alexander Danyluk who yesterday claimed that Kyiv-based Boryspil international airport customs planted a white powder to his wife, said that his wife and depart from Boryspil airport after 5 hours of waiting.
06:20. Police detained one of the participants of the assault on the Vinnytsya regional state administration's building and wrote administrative reports for another three protesters.
07:03. This night police detained several activists who were guarding barricades near the Khmelnytsky region state administration's building.
07:23. Activists of Euromaidan in Donetsk, who went missing in the morning on January 27, at about 07:00 pm in the evening reported that they were all right, but had to leave the city for their own safety, told journalist Katerina Zhemchuzhnikova who is hiding along with opposition activist Artur Shevtsov.
07:42. The Cabinet of Ministers intends to adopt a resolution introducing a fee for crossing the border for foreigners who enjoy visa-free access to Ukraine. Changes will affect citizens of the USA, Canada and the EU.
08:59. Seven opposition activists in Sumy were put under house arrest for their participation in Euromaidan activities.
09:34. Police built concrete block-post of height of about two meters on the street leading to the Verkhovna Rada building in Kyiv.
09:46. Leader of the 'UDAR' party Vitali Klitschko spoke to protesters on Independence Square before the extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada, which opens at 10:00 am.
'I will do everything to avoid bloodshed, it is our main goal', said Klitschko, adding that he would come to Independence Square after the session of the Verkhovna Rada and tell the audience about what happened there.
09:59. Justice Minister Elena Lukash reported that imposition of a state of emergency is not considered at this point.
10:10. Verkhovna Rada Speaker Vladimir Rybak opened an extraordinary session of the parliament.
There are three former presidents of Ukraine in the hall. There is only one issue on the agenda of the session - a settlement of the political crisis.
10:17. Supporters of the Party of Regions, who were brought to Kyiv, said they had been promised 400 UAH (~$50) for a rally in support of the authorities in Mariinsky Park near the Verkhovna Rada building.
10:18. Nykolai Azarov has resigned from the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine.
His statement is available on the website of the Cabinet of Ministers.
'The conflict situation that prevailed in the country threatens the economic and social development of Ukraine, poses a threat to the entire Ukrainian society and every citizen. During the confrontation government did everything for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. We have done and are doing everything to prevent bloodshed, escalation of violence, violations of human rights. Government ensured the functioning of the economy and social security system in extreme conditions. However, the sharpness and the risk of conflict for our citizens, for the fate of Ukraine requires additional responsible steps.
In order to create additional opportunities for socio-political compromise for the sake of a peaceful settlement of the conflict, I took a personal decision to request the President to accept my resignation from the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine'.
He believes that 'all these difficult years' he did everything for Ukraine to develop normally as a democratic European state.
'I made the decision and took the responsibility for the people of Ukraine. And therefore I can honestly look into the eyes of every citizen of our state, every countryman. I am grateful for the confidence of the President of Ukraine. I thank all the MPs who all these years supported supercomplex work of the government on modernization and reforming the country. I am grateful to all Ukrainian citizens who support the government and me personally, have believed in the correctness of the policy that we held Today the most important thing - to preserve the unity and integrity of Ukraine. It's much more important than anyone else's personal plans or ambitions, that's why I made this decision'.
Resignation of Nykolai Azarov's government was one of the main demands of the opposition in talks with the authorities to resolve the political crisis in Ukraine.
According to the Constitution, the prime minister has the right to tell the president of Ukraine on his resignation. The resignation of the prime minister has the effect of resignation of the entire Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine.
The Cabinet of Ministers, whose resignation is adopted by the president, on his instructions, continues to fulfill its mandate until the newly formed government starts it work, but not more than sixty days.
10:19. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, Vladimir Rybak adjourned the session for 30 minutes and invited the leaders of the factions to his cabinet for approval of the agenda.
10:49. The Regions Party is ready to vote for the abolition of laws adopted on January 16, in exchange for a package of economic bills.
10:49. The Communist Party of Ukraine in the Verkhovna Rada won't vote for the abolition of laws adopted on January 16, stated leader of the party Pyotr Simonenko.
11:08. The Party of Regions has decided to give its MPs the right to determine whether to vote in parliament on Tuesday.
11:19. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Vladimir Rybak extended break in the meeting of parliament until 12:00.
11:21. The Regions Party deputies associated with oligarch Rinat Akhmetov said they refuse to violate the voting procedure in the Verkhovna Rada.
11:38. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton will hold talks with President Viktor Yanukovich and the opposition on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
11:49. Leader of the 'UDAR' party Vitali Klitschko said that Nikolay Azarov resigned to save his face.
12:00. Agreement on a common aviation area between Ukraine and the European Union, which was initiated by the Eastern Partnership Summit in Vilnius on November 28-29, will be signed on March 14.
12:03. The Party of Regions MP Vladimir Oleinik said that the opposition, which refused to lead the government, should not interfere with the formation of its majority.
12:10. Group of parliamentary journalists arranged a peaceful protest on the sidelines of the Verkhovna Rada in support of more than 40 their colleagues who were beaten and wounded by security forces throughout Ukraine. (pictures, video).
12:24. Zakarpattia Regional Council recognized the People's Rada as a legitimate authority.
12:31. The Verkhovna Rada has renewed its work.
12:35. The Verkhovna Rada MP from the Party of Regions, Vadim Kolesnichenko, who is also a co-author of the controversial bill (now law), which severely restricts the rights and freedoms of citizens, won't vote for the abolition of this law.
12:39. The Verkhovna Rada abolished nine laws adopted on January 16. 361 MPs voted for this decision. The laws were repealed without discussion, and as a single package.
12:51. Ukraine's parliament will consider a law on decriminalization of Euromaidan activists at 4:00 pm.
13:22. European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule has approved the abolition of scandalous laws, adopted on January 16.
These are bills number 4030, 4037, 4038, 4039.
Draft law number 4030 - 'On Amending the Law of Ukraine 'On Free Legal Aid' (about the postponement of entry into force of the provisions of paragraph 6 of section VI; Final and Transitional Provisions').
Draft law number 4037 provides responsibility for desecration of monuments.
Draft law number 4038 provides responsibility for justification of fascism.
Draft law number 4039 provides an exemption of imported gas from VAT.
13:59. 'Batkivschyna' opposition faction leader Arseniy Yatseniuk appealed to President Viktor Yanukovich to immediately a bill abolishing scandalous laws adopted by the Verkhovna Rada on January 16.
14:03. Euromaidan defenders of Kyiv city state administration's building have built a 'potato gun'. (pictures)
14:09. The Russian State Duma called Nikolay Azarov's resignation a 'courageous act'.
14:23. One of the policemen, who received knife wound from radical Euromaidan supporters in Kherson yesterday, died in a hospital, stated the press service of the Interior Ministry.
On Monday evening, January 27, some young men stabbed three employees of the Office of criminal investigation of the Kherson regional Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Later police managed to establish and detain the suspects, who were students of one of the local universities.
Investigators initiated criminal proceedings under Part 2 of Art. 15 (attempted crime) and Part 2 Art. 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.
This crime is punishable by imprisonment for a term up to 15 years or life imprisonment. The punishment for this crime - imprisonment up to 15 years or life imprisonment.
14:34. Nykolai Azarov, who resigned from the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine earlier on Tuesday, called head of the Russian government Dmitry Medvedev to tell about his decision.
14:44. The EU positively reacted to the latest news from Ukraine about the abolition of scandalous laws adopted on 16 January, and on the resignation of Prime Minister Nykolai Azarov.
14:55. Opposition MPs offered to hold special elections of mayors and city council members in Kyiv, Kherson, Odessa and Nikolaev on April 6, 2014.
15:04. On January 27, 2014 lawyer, chairman of the standing committee of city council on matters of law, regulations and deputy ethics Vitaly Pavlik appealed to the Kyiv regional administrative court on regulations number 13 and number 14 adopted on January 22 this year, that introduced special equipment of Russian production into service of the Interior Ministry troops and allowed them to use water cannons against citizens at temperatures below zero degrees.
He asked the court to declare these regulations illegal and cancel them. According to him, these regulations are prohibited by national legislation and let police and internal troops use means that pose a great danger to life and health.
15:20. The headquarters of national resistance states that is has information on the preparations for the introduction of a state of emergency in Ukraine.
15:36. The town of Bucha in Kyiv region announced a creation of a new authority - the People's Rada.
15:42. Leader of the 'UDAR' party Vitali Klitschko asked Attorney General Victor Pshonka to provide information on investigation into the disappearance of AutoMaidan leader Dmitry Bulatov. On January 22 Dmity's relatives reported him missing.
15:48. President Viktor Yanukovich hold a meeting with European Commissioner for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy Stefan Fule.
According to the message of the presidential press service, the meeting was also attended by the head of the Presidential Administration of Ukraine Andriy Klyuyev, Advisor to the President of Ukraine - Head of the Main Directorate for International Affairs Andrei Goncharuk and chairman of the EU Delegation to Ukraine Jan Tombinsky.
15:49. Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich has accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Nykolai Azarov.
16:01. Co-chairman of the European Parliament mission to Ukraine, former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski believes that Prime Minister Nykolai Azarov's decision to resign amid massive anti-government protests in Ukraine comes too late.
16:24. The Odessa regional administration's building has been reinforced with concrete blocks in case of assault by Euromaidan activists.
16:27. Nykolai Azarov explained reasons for his resignation from the post of Prime Minister of Ukraine.
He explained that he decided to resign in order to 'reach agreement, compromise, and conclude the crisis that has begun'.
'For me, the unity and integrity of our country, the possibility of its successful development are the most important things. Ambitions are secondary', said the prime minister.
16:32. Russia may refuse of further credit allocation to Ukraine because of the resignation of Nykolai Azarov's government, according to The Wall Street Journal, citing a source in the Russian government.
The source said the decision hasn't yet been approved, but it's obvious that the credit agreement will be reviewed.
16:41. The Party of Regions MP and procedural committee chairman Vladimir Makeenko wrote a letter of resignation of the deputy's mandate in relation to the appointment to a post of chairman of Kyiv City State Administration.
17:01. According to the law 'On the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine', the first Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Arbuzov will perform duties of acting prime minister.
17:35. Leader of the 'UDAR' party Vitali Klitschko said that the new government must be formed in the nearest future, but finds it impossible for representatives of his faction to work in it.
He also stressed that he did not see himself in the government under President Viktor Yanukovich.
17:45. Events on Hrushevskoho Street on January 24-28 in pictures and video.
17:54. Leader of the 'Svoboda' party Oleg Tyagnibok said that the opposition has not yet discussed a candidacy of the new prime minister, because it doesn't know under what conditions the authorities intend to form a new government.
18:04. Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko believes that resignation of the Cabinet of Prime Minister Nykola Azarov is the first achievement of Euromaidan, but says it's not enough.
18:13. Officers of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have gathered several times at the meeting where the authorities demanded them to sign an appeal - 'to take effective and urgent measures to restore order, preservation of the country and prevent further extremism' - to the chief of the armed forces of Ukraine, President Viktor Yanukovich.
18:37. Russia won't revise the financial and energy agreements with Ukraine if the opposition comes to power, stated Russian President Vladimir Putin at a press conference following the EU-Russia summit.
18:56. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Ukrainian people are able to resolve the crisis in the country without intermediaries, and Moscow is ready to intervene only if Ukraine requests so.
19:08. Leader of the 'UDAR' party Vitali Klitschko said that Viktor Yanukovich's resignation would be a logical step now.
19:21. Ukraine asks for postponement of payments for gas, including gas obtained at reduced prices this year, stated Vladimir Putin at a press conference in Brussels.
19:24. Culture Minister Leonid Novohatko told that cultural institutions of Kyiv and other major cities in Ukraine suffer because of the protests associated with Euromaidan.
The minister expressed his concern over the situation in Kyiv's 'Ukrainian House', where, according to him, there are about 250 thousand units from the Museum of History of Kyiv.
'When it became known that the protesters seized the building and about the withdrawal of soldiers of internal troops, the museum workers arrived to 'Ukrainian House' before protesters, and were able to get into the museum store and evaluate the state of the museum fund. As it became known later, none of the funds of the Ukrainian House is missing', he said.
Along with this, the question of why the minister admitted placing internal troops in the museum building remained unanswered, although Leonid Novohatko said that 'Ukrainian House' is a subject of control of the State administration for affairs, and not of the Ministry of Culture.
19:31. Peaceful nature of demonstrations held on Tuesday in Simferopol by public and political organizations of Crimea, demonstrated a high level of self-organization and responsibility of Crimeans, said chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea Anatoly Mogilev.
19:34. Leader of the 'Svoboda' party Oleg Tyagnibok believes that a return to the Constitution as amended in 2004 will have both positive and negative effects.
According to him, return to the Constitution of 2004 on one hand has its positive moments, but it has a lot of negativity. If you want to return to it, we are ready to return. But we must understand that the Constitution-2004 provides the parliament , which is elected by a proportional system , which means that immediately after return to the Constitution there should be parliamentary elections, because current parliament was elected by a mixed system', said Tyagnibok.
He stressed that early parliamentary elections should be held simultaneously with presidential.
'We are not in principle against holding early parliamentary elections, but, in our opinion, they should be together with presidential elections, and in the 2004 Constitution this question doesn't arise. So does it make sense to return to the Constitution of 2004, if parliament is abolished, and the President remains at his post and with most of his powers', suggested Tyagnibok.
According to him, the laws towards European integration adopted by the Verkhovna Rada will also contradict to the Constitution in 2004.
'If we are talking about the 'Svoboda' party, we have our own separate position: we strongly criticized the Constitution in 2004, and we do not support it as such. We are opposed to a parliamentary-presidential form of government, as in our version of the Constitution, we are in favor of a presidential system with certain balance of different branches of government and some opposition. Thus, we support not only the presidential form of government, we support prosecutors being representatives of the President on the ground, we support heads of regional administrations elected by the community so there is a selectivity of judges', he explained.
Earlier, opposition leaders Arseniy Yatsenyuk and Vitali Klitschko made a return to the 2004 Constitution by taking appropriate action in parliament.
19:42. The idea of the opposition to hold a referendum to limit the powers of the president - its only a half-measure, with which it hopes to get a grip. Ukraine needs a complete reboot of the political system, said the Communist Party of Ukraine MP Alexander Golub.
19:53. Nykolai Azarov, who resigned on Tuesday, as chairman of the Party of Regions intends to engage in the development of this political power.
19:56. European Democrat Group elected MP from the Party of Regions faction Yulia Levochkin a deputy chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
20:15. The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe may suspend the powers of Ukraine in Strasbourg in the case of violent dispersal of Euromaidan by the authorities of if human rights violations in the country continue.
20:44. The EU will be respectful to any decision of the Ukrainian parliament on early elections, said European Council President Herman Van Rompuy.
20:55. More than three thousand protesters remain on Independence Square in Kyiv. They listen to speeches of politicians and welcomed news of the resignation of rime Minister Nikolay Azarov's government.
21:14. Former Ukrainian Interior Minister and head of the public organization 'Ukrainian Third Republic' Yuriy Lutsenko states that parliamentary opposition should put a vote on a return to the 2004 Constitution on Wednesday, January 29.
21:29. Information about the transfer of the 25th Separate Guards Airborne and 79th separate airmobile brigade to the Interior Troops is untrue, reported the press service of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine.
21:44. The Party of Regions MP Nestor Shufrich believes that lawmaker Pyotr Poroshenko can become new prime minister of Ukraine.
'At first this post was offered to Klitschko, but he immediately refused. Yatseniuk initially agreed and then refused. Poroshenko immediately agreed, although he wasn't offered the post', said Shufrich.
22:10. 'Berkut' riot police beat a group of residents of Sevastopol, who were sent to Kyiv to participate in a rally in support of the Party of Regions after taking them for Euromaidan activists, said Dmitry Belotserkovets, leader of the youth wing of the 'UDAR' party.
22:15. Most Ministers of Nykolai Azarov's government will retain their positions in a new Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Read more in the article by Sonya Koshkina 'Distraction?'.
22:25. Students and professors of the Kherson National Technical University (KNTU) do not believe in charge of the university students in the alleged attack on police officers on January 27.
According to the information of the Interior Ministry, on Monday evening, January 27, some young men stabbed three employees of the Office of criminal investigation of the Kherson regional Ministry of Internal Affairs.
One of the policemen, who received knife wound from radical Euromaidan supporters in Kherson yesterday, died in a hospital today.
Police managed to establish and detain the suspects, who were students of one of the local universities.
But, according to the professors and other students of the university, who eye-witnessed yesterday's story, everything looked somehow different. In the evening several KNTU students known as active supporters of local Euromaidan were followed and mocked by a group of more than ten unidentified men in civilian clothes. Those men, who were clearly not college-age students, insulted them and even threatened them with guns. Terrified students ran to campus of the KNTU and called police and reported the threats. However, when police arrived, officers allegedly refused to record the statement of students and wanted to leave. After some talks law enforcers began recording the students' testimony. All this happened in the premises of the students' dormitories.
'At the time of filling the application those unidentified men broke into the dorm room. They threatened the students. Attackers, waving pistols, made everyone in the room, including the police officers (who were still there), lie down on the floor. Thereafter they threatened to use their guns and led the students, with whom they had a conflict, to the street, as they said - 'for a showdown'. In some time the police officers followed them to the street. It remains unknown, what exactly happened near the hostel, but when police reinforcements they detained only those students, who had previously called police. None of the aggressive people in cilil were detained', according to witnesses of the incident.
University students believe that their colleagues have been victims of provocation by 'titushki' (AntiMaidan activists who are being payed by the authorities) or even by security services.
22:25. Bentley crashed into barricade set by Euromaidan activists near the building of the Ministry of Justice. No one was hurt.
22:40. The Dnipropetrovsk regional administration's building has been fenced with barbed wire to protect it from Euromaidan activists.
22:55. France welcomes the abolition of the that restrict civil liberties by the Ukrainian parliament, stated French Minister of Foreign Affairs Laurent Fabius.
23:05. Canada imposed visa sanctions against key Ukrainian officials in connection with the use of violence against protesters, according a joint statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Immigration of Canada.
23:07. Court in Cherkassy sentenced local AutoMaidan leader Sergei Hadzhinov and a few other opposition activists to two months in jail.
23:20. Leader of the 'UDAR' party Vitali Klitschko speaking from Euromaidan stage on Kyiv's Independence Square urged law enforcement officials to come to the side of protesters.
23:55. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is going to a big European trip to talk with the leaders of the European Union about Ukraine.
Tusk said that the decision of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, to cancel anti-democratic laws is a sign of hope that he will use in talking about providing practical assistance to Ukraine.
Read next: Ukrainian crisis: January 29