GLOBALPOST LIVE BLOG: NEW ERA FOR UKRAINE

UPDATE: 2/23/14 8:23 AM ET

Emotions run high in Independence Square, with mourning ceremonies to honor the dead continuing on Sunday.

As local journalist Olga Rudenko reported for GlobalPost yesterday, the joy many felt after Yanukovych was impeached was marred by grief for those fallen in recent days.

More mourning ceremonies on Maidan today pic.twitter.com/w77e5hSOFD

— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) February 23, 2014

UPDATE: 2/23/14 8:04 AM ET

CCTV footage of Yanukovych fleeing his lavish home with his belongings by helicopter, trucks

UPDATE: 2/23/14 7:49 AM ET

New government in the works

Parliament has given itself three days to form a new government after impeaching Yanukovych and calling early elections.

The speaker, Oleksandr Turchynov, has taken charge.

Yanukovych's whereabouts are a mystery, though rumor has it he's hiding out in the east.

Thousands of opposition supporters remain in Independence Square, also known as Maidan, where the atmosphere is calm.

Here's a live look at the square from NBC:

UPDATE: 2/22/14 4:15 PM ET

Tymoshenko gets mixed reviews after Maidan speech

Most say they missed her oratorical prowess, but many still on the fence over whether they want her as a leader. It's not going to be an easy in for Tymoshenko.

Protesters on Maidan greet Tymoshenko w/ skepticism. Rousing speech, but not enough to win over hearts & minds of all those on streets.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 22, 2014

UPDATE: 2/22/14 3:54 PM ET

Yanukovych tried to bribe his way out of the country

Reuters reports:

Ukraine's border authorities said on Saturday it had refused to allow President Viktor Yanukovich to leave the country, Interfax news agency said.

Armed men had tried to bribe border staff at Donetsk airport in the east of the country to allow the charter flight to take off but they had refused, the agency, quoting an aide of the head of the state border service, said.

Yanukovich subsequently got off the plane and left in a waiting car, it said.

UPDATE: 2/22/14 3:00 PM ET

An emotional Tymoshenko speaks on Maidan from her wheelchair

Thousands cheered in Independence Square as the former prime minister said a "dictatorship has fallen" and begged forgiveness for "all politicians, regardless of political party."

Tymosehnko: "I am coming back to work. I won't waste a minute as to make sure you are happy on your own land. Glory to Ukraine!"

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 22, 2014

Tymoshenko: "I am asking you to forgive me for all politicians regardless of political parties, positions."

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 22, 2014

An emotional Tymoshenko from Maidan stage: "Heroes never die, they will always be with us, they will be our inspiration."

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 22, 2014

UPDATE: 2/22/14 1:45 PM ET

Tymoshenko lands in Kyiv

"My biggest luck is to come back in totally different Ukraine where dictatorship ended today," she said at Kyiv airport.

Photo: Opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko hugs her daughter upon arrival at the airport in Kiev (Maks Levin/Reuters) pic.twitter.com/S1Pw1s9pbm

— AJAM Live (@ajamlive) February 22, 2014

Here's the crowd waiting for her in Independence Square:

The crowd on Independence Sq tonight, @YuliaTymoshenko is expected soon pic.twitter.com/dX9H19r4fA

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 22, 2014

UPDATE: 2/22/14 12:35 PM ET

Tymoshenko to run for president

Here's the first video (sorry, no English) of the former prime minister since her release from jail:

She's still in a wheelchair; jail wasn't too kind.

But according to the Twittersphere, she's got big plans:

Tymoshenko said she's gonna run for a president.

— Kateryna_Kruk (@Kateryna_Kruk) February 22, 2014

We're sure to hear more from her as soon as she gets to Independence Square.

UPDATE: 2/22/14 12:25 PM ET

Yanukovych blocked from flying to Russia

AFP reports:

Ukraine's border police blocked Viktor Yanukovych from flying to Russia and the embattled president is thought to be "hiding" in the country's east, the newly elected Parliament speaker said on Saturday.

"He tried to take a plane to Russia but he was blocked in doing so by border police. He is currently hiding somewhere in the Donetsk region," Oleksandr Turchyno was quoted as saying by Ukrainian news agency Interfax.

UPDATE: 2/22/14 12:00 PM ET

GlobalPost's Olga Rudenko finds mixed emotions in Kyiv

Anti-government protests have been ongoing for three months, and protesters are clearly overjoyed to have something, finally, to celebrate.

Their excitement, however, is marred by the memory of some 70 protesters who died when clashes with police turned violent this week.

The mood in Kyiv's Independence Square, the epicenter of protests, reflects those mixed emotions. Mourners have strewn flowers to honor the dead. Every now and then political talks on the stage stop to give way for prayers.

"It's not a complete victory yet, but this gives us the way to make changes," said Kuchapin, smiling.

Read her full report here.

UPDATE: 2/22/14 11:03 AM ET

Tymoshenko on her way to Maidan

Twitter is abuzz with the news that Yulia Tymoshenko, former prime minister who was jailed until today, is on her way to join the cause.

.@YuliaTymoshenko on her way to Independence Sq – @Yatsenyuk_AP to journos

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 22, 2014

UPDATE: 2/22/14 10:41 AM ET

New presidential elections planned for May 25

So #Yanukovych impeached. New #Ukraine pres. elections on May 25.

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 22, 2014

Vote on removing Yanukovych 331 Yes 14 didn't vote. Huge applause. #Kyiv

— Paul Waldie (@pwaldieGLOBE) February 22, 2014

UPDATE: 2/22/14 9:47 AM ET

Pics from GlobalPost senior correspondent Dan Peleschuk in Kyiv:

These boys paraded and harangued in front of parliament for alleged theft – they say from Lviv, scared stiff pic.twitter.com/HJQeS5j2QQ

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 22, 2014

These #euromaidan boys guarding parliament as next session abt to begin. pic.twitter.com/nYUclYzMII

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 22, 2014

UPDATE: 2/22/14 9:40 AM ET

LIVE VIDEO

Live look at Independence Square in Kyiv from NBC:

UPDATE: 2/22/14 9:22 AM ET

Yanukovych speaks up after fleeing

Change appears to be taking hold swiftly after Yanukovych fled to eastern Ukraine. But he appeared on TV Saturday to say though he's moved eastward for a spell, he's not down for the count:

Yanukovych on TV now. "I'm not going to leave the country, and I'm not going to resign my presidency."

— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) February 22, 2014

He said that the east of the country remains "safe" unlike Kyiv, and the west. He also vowed to protect the country from criminals and called events in Kyiv a coup d'etat.

Stay tuned for more.

LIVE VIDEO

Live stream of Ukraine's parliament from Espreso TV, a privately owned channel in Ukraine:

The view around the president's mansion outside central Kyiv, which by all accounts has been abandoned:

Live streaming video by Ustream

UPDATE: 2/22/14 8:44 AM ET

It may not all be 'glory' from here

The latest from GlobalPost senior correspondent Dan Peleschuk in Kyiv:

….Developments here are unfolding at lightning pace, with the country’s parliament, the Verkhovna Rada, steaming ahead with draft laws aimed at dismantling the Yanukovych regime piece by piece.

By mid-day Saturday, parliament had voted to formally free jailed former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, Yanukovych’s top rival and the country’s most famous political prisoner.

Parliament also elected a new speaker and interior minister from the opposition Fatherland party, while the country’s interior ministry issued a statement claiming it was shifting its loyalty to the people.

“We bow our heads to the blessed memory of the dead,” the statement said, in reference to the at least 77 protesters killed in clashes with police and security forces last week.

The ministry also urged public cooperation in maintaining law and order in the country, tellingly ending its address with the greeting that has become ubiquitous among Ukraine’s protesters: “Glory to Ukraine!”

Police and security forces appear to have withdrawn from most of central Kyiv, allowing protesters to roam freely around parliament and the presidential administration.

But amid the apparent power vacuum in Kyiv and Yanukovych’s flight to eastern Ukraine, fears remained over the potential threat of separatism in a country still largely split along cultural and linguistic lines.

Particularly worrying was an announcement by Kharkiv Governor Mykhailo Dobkin — a staunch pro-Yanukovych official — of a special congress on Saturday for pro-regime delegates from Russian-speaking southern and eastern Ukraine, where support for Yanukovych and his ruling party remains strong….

Read his full report here, and follow him on Twitter @dpeleschuk.

UPDATE: 2/22/14 5:48 AM ET

Protesters claim control of Kyiv; President Yanukovych reportedly flees

Ukraine's interior ministry transferred its loyalty to "the people" on Saturday in a statement released online.

Interior Ministry statmnt: 'Police serves ppl of Ukraine, shares ppl's crave for changes.' Ends: "Glory to Ukraine!" http://t.co/1VYSMhpfv9

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 22, 2014

After months of calls from #euromaidan, the police in #Ukraine appear to finally be "with the people."

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 22, 2014

Parliament voted in a new speaker after Volodymyr Rybakas, an ally of President Viktor Yanukovych, submitted his resignation. Yanukovych reportedly fled to eastern Ukraine.

"Masses of journalists and citizens have been flocking to the president's mansion outside central Kyiv, which by all accounts has been abandoned," GlobalPost senior correspondent Dan Peleschuk said from the Ukrainian capital.

1st speech of new speaker of Ukraine's parliament Turchinov, Tymoshenko's right hand. Calls for interim govt vote pic.twitter.com/8TwlcFEx8e

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 22, 2014

US President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Friday that a deal aimed at halting bloody clashes between government forces and protesters in Ukraine needs to be implemented quickly so that the country stabilizes, a US official told Reuters.

Follow our Twitter list for further developments in Ukraine.

UPDATE: 2/21/14 5:10 PM ET

Unconfirmed reports that Yanukovych left Kyiv

Multiple sources, none of them confirmed, have suggested the Ukrainian president left Kyiv:

Following threats of violence by protesters if he doesn't resign, Yanukovych flew to Khariv with Rybak and Klyuyev http://t.co/2e3Z5zJg75

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 21, 2014

Yanukovych's reported asylum, Kharkiv is engulfed by surprising mass anti-govt demo https://t.co/6XilQKWcnO Good luck w/ that, Mr. Pres

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 21, 2014

Rumours Yanuk + gang fly to Kharkov, on to Russia,& remove valuables from his residence. Sceptical on pts 2+3 for now http://t.co/NLR5nJ4OFa

— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) February 21, 2014

Here is the story about the alleged threats of violence:

#EuroMaidan protesters threaten violence if #Yanukovych doesn't resign now http://t.co/UpB4kJf4hh

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/21/14 3:30 PM ET

Figures emerging from the protests

Kyiv Post's Olga Rudenko on figures who have gained prominence over the course of the protests.

listen to ‘Emerging voices of the protest movement’ on Audioboo

Summary: Two figures who have emerged since the Kyiv protests began are the radical group Right Sector's leader, Dmytro Yarosh and lawmaker Andriy Parubiy. Yarosh wasn't a public figure before the protests started. He's supported by the radical protesters.

Parubiy used to be a member of Tymoshenko's former party. He took responsibility for how the protest camps function, overseeing the makeshift kitchens and medical centers. He earned a lot of respect, by taking charge of the daily life of the city-within-a-city.

Anti-government protesters pay their respects to those killed in clashes Thursday. (Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images)

UPDATE: 2/21/14 3:20 PM ET

Tymoshenko's release may not have much impact on protests

Olga Rudenko says the potential release of jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko is unlikely to have a large impact on the protesters:

listen to ‘Yulia Tymoshenko's release won't change much among protesters’ on Audioboo

Summary: From the protesters' perspective, Yulia Tymoshenko is hardly seen as the leader of the people. Some of the members of her party placed a huge banner on the square, which caused a lot of controversy and debate. Protesters said their fight was not about Tymoshenko, but about human rights in Ukraine.

The protesters have never voiced a clear demand for Tymoshenko's release.

A banner with Tymoshenko's picture flies above protesters. (Bulent Kilic/AFP/Getty Image)

UPDATE: 2/21/14 3:10 PM ET

"The revolution will go on"

Listen to Olga Rudenko's wrap of Kyiv Post on further reaction:

listen to ‘Revolution will go on until Yanukovych resigns’ on Audioboo

Summary: Protesters said they don't want opposition leaders coming to the stage of Independence Square with news like this [deal]. While it's certainly a compromise and no one gets everything they want, protesters are not happy with it. They are ready to part with their leaders and continue the revolution on their own.

One of the leaders of the nationalistic group called Right Sector said the revolution of the Ukrainian people will go on until all the demands are fulfilled, and one of the main demands is that Yanukovych leave office as soon as possible.

Opposition leaders Vitali Klitschko (L) and Arseniy Yatsenyuk (C) with German foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier (R). Sergei Supinski/AFP/Getty Images

UPDATE: 2/21/14 2:50 PM ET

EuroMaidan protesters are not happy with the deal

GlobalPost talked to Olga Rudenko, an editor at Kyiv Post, about the reaction in Independence Square to the deal signed by Yanukovych and opposition leaders.

You can listen to her here:

listen to ‘Protesters are not happy with the deal’ on Audioboo

Summary: It was very crowded in Independence Square today, with crowds mostly reacting to the aftermath of the violence yesterday that killed dozens of protesters. Protesters don't like the deal, that is for sure.

While they feel good about a new government and amnesty for protesters, they are angry that Yanukovych is allowed to stay in power until December.

They want him to be prosecuted for the violence. Most of the protesters, based on interviews, see Yanukovych as responsible for the deaths that happened.

(Brendan Hoffman/AFP/Getty Images)

UPDATE: 2/21/14 12:10 PM ET

White House responds to Ukraine deal

More on Tymoshenko's release:

#Tymoshenko can be free in about 10 days, with zero criminal record. welcome her to the presidential candidates' club #Ukraine

— Katya Gorchinskaya (@kgorchinskaya) February 21, 2014

And more from Reuters on the White House's response to the Ukraine deal:

The White House welcomed a deal aimed at halting bloody clashes between government forces and protesters in Ukraine on Friday but said the United States remains prepared to impose sanctions if needed.

"Now the focus must be on implementing this agreement, which we will be monitoring closely," White Housespokesman Jay Carney said.

Senior U.S. officials had been preparing new sanctions to impose on Ukraine's government after dozens of people were killed in Kiev during mass demonstrations this week.

The peace deal, mediated by the European Union, appeared to head that off for the time being as PresidentBarack Obama waits to see whether the agreement leads to an end to violence.

UPDATE: 2/21/14 11:40 AM ET

Ukraine parliament votes to release Yulia Tymoshenko

This is big:

Rada votes (306) to set jailed ex-PM Tymoshenko free. She can go after 1. speaker signs 2. prez signs 3. printed in official media 4. court

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 21, 2014

Looking tonight like ex-PM Yulia Tymoshenko could soon go free after more than 2 years behind bars for conviction widely seen as political.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 21, 2014

This is Tymoshenko:

BREAKING NEWS| Ukrainian parliament votes to allow release of jailed opposition figure Yulia Tymoshenko. pic.twitter.com/4ZpaatCtaV

— Ebru News (@ebrunews) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/21/14 11:30 AM ET

Reaction from UK, EU

The European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had this to say about the signing off the deal (via the Guardian):

"They [the opposition] have to do this in the context of working closely with President Yanukovych, who has made it clear by his signature that he wants to do this. We now have to make sure this is what happens. I don’t think this is about being outmanoeuvred. I’ve just had a long conversation with my colleague [Russian] foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, we’ve been talking about the situation and we both agree that this violence stops and that we begin to see a move forward."

British Prime Minister David Cameron also made a statement:

"[The deal] should foster a lasting political solution to the crisis and President Yanukovych, his administration and the opposition must all get behind this deal and deliver it according to the timetable set out. In particular, the 2004 constitution must be restored within the next two days and a national unity government should be in place by the beginning of March."

UPDATE: 2/21/14 11:25 AM ET

Interior minister dismissed…

More developments:

Ukraine parliament votes for dimissal of Interior Minister Zakharchenko "because of violence" during the protests #breaking

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) February 21, 2014

Interior Minister Zakharchenko who sanctioned the use of firearms against protesters is fired. Arrest/trial next? pic.twitter.com/9OIIMSnan2

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/21/14 11:10 AM ET

The protests aren't over yet…

Deals may have been signed in offices, but demonstrators continued to chant in Kyiv's Independence Square.

Vitali Klitschko & other opposition leaders sign peace deal with #Ukraine President #Yanukovych. pic.twitter.com/ddZzylYSTh via @GermanyDiplo

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) February 21, 2014

Maidan not pleased with today's deal. Several hundred marching toward parliament and presidential admin now. And police have pulled out.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 21, 2014

Just came off Maidan square, no one thinks protest is over or will go home. #Ukraine #euromaidan

— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/21/14 10:00 AM ET

Back to 2004 constitution

Reuters reported: Ukrainian parliament votes to approve moves to revert to 2004 constitution, stripping president of some powers

And more details on the deal struck by Yanukovych and the opposition:

Full text of agreement signed by Yanukovych, opposition leaders today aimed at settling crisis in #Ukraine http://t.co/HMZqx3K8Ic

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/21/14 9:20 AM ET

Yanukovych and opposition sign deal

Reuters — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Friday signed an agreement with three opposition leaders to end a crisis that sparked violent clashes between protesters and police on the streets of the capital Kyiv.

A Reuters correspondent at the signing in the presidential headquarters said Yanukovych did not smile during a ceremony lasting several minutes.

The agreement followed an announcement by Yanukovych to hold early elections, to form a national unity government and relinquish some of his presidential powers. The agreement was witnessed by two European Union foreign ministers who brokered the deal.

UPDATE: 2/21/14 7:30 AM ET

Rumblings of protest

Reuters — European Union ministers will hold new talks with Ukrainian opposition leaders and representatives of anti-government protesters on Friday, in an apparent new effort to secure an agreement to resolve the country's crisis.

The Ukrainian authorities had expected a deal to be signed at noon (1000 GMT) but the signing did not take place.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier was heading for new talks, diplomatic sources said, and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said he and Steinmeier would meet representatives of the protesters.

Christopher Miller, an editor at Kyiv Post, told NBC, "What we're hearing from protesters, in so many words, is that this supposed settlement is 'crap.' They're not going to stand for what they deem are minor concessions."

"They would much prefer to stay on the square and continue fighting."

"[This morning] I saw more protesters arriving. They’re not backing down. If anything, they are reinforcing barricades," he said.

#Ukraine at "delicate moment", Polish foreign minister says, after president announces deal http://t.co/1PpIMiWWp9 pic.twitter.com/Mz4dEs2zsF

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/21/14 6:30 AM ET

Yanukovych announces early elections

Reuters — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich announced agreement on Friday to hold presidential elections early, form a national unity government and make constitutional changes reducing his powers.

He made the announcement in a statement after all-night talks with the opposition and three European Union ministers on resolving a crisis in which 77 people were killed in two days of gun battles between protesters and police.

No mention in President #Yanukovych statement about when exactly early elections to be held.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 21, 2014

Great one from @KyivPost's @kgorchinskaya on her visit to police camp outside parliament http://t.co/yCLdPgVkFg pic.twitter.com/yzrtDJQFrl

— KyivPost (@KyivPost) February 21, 2014

On #Euromaidan protesters chant: "Convict – Out!" after hearing treaty includes early elex in December

— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) February 21, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 6:00 PM ET

Signing off

We will pick up coverage on this live blog again tomorrow. For overnight developments, you can follow our Twitter list of journalists.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 5:25 PM ET

"Why are they killing them?"

The Associated Press' Yuras Karmanau wrote an account of the violence in Kyiv:

"When I walked out into the Maidan, clad in a helmet and a flak jacket, I saw bodies lying on the pavement. Ten in one place, another six a short walk away, five more farther away. The demonstrators were killed with precise shots to their heads or necks, the hallmarks of snipers.

"People were gathering around the dead, many of them weeping. Some covered the bodies with Ukrainian flags, others brought Orthodox icons. A priest conducted a remembrance service.

"I felt a bit sick. Many of the victims were only in their 30s and 40s, full of energy just a few hours ago.

"I kept asking myself: Why are they killing them? The protesters had no firearms that I could see, and snipers could have instead incapacitated them by shooting their feet or arms."

Read Karmanau's full account.

A father standing at the body of his son, gunned down in Kyiv today. The darkest day. https://t.co/7JrAe5Yw8e pic.twitter.com/jrZFPf88Yz

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 4:45 PM ET

Kyiv's Independence Square — EuroMaidan

This is the nerve center of Ukraine's protests, Independence Square in Kyiv:

Left: Kiev in 2009 Right: Kiev today http://t.co/ZJKN9as3pD pic.twitter.com/rqFXJ8VBCp

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) February 20, 2014

Since becoming the focal point for anti-government protesters favoring closer ties with the European Union, it has earned the name EuroMaidan, and been the site of barricades and burning tires:

Explore #Kiev's Independence Square and the #Ukraine protests on our clickable map http://t.co/H0xhdQBnzT pic.twitter.com/7T85Z0OeFQ

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 20, 2014

#Euromaidan map – positions regained by protesters as of evening 20Feb. http://t.co/4XKQ1ZNoxo #Kyiv pic.twitter.com/dLvtT6jCTX

— Euromaidan PR (@EuromaidanPR) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 4:25 PM ET

What will Russia do next?

Senior Correspondent Dan Peleschuk weighs in on the Kremlin's concerns and possible next moves from Moscow:

As fierce urban fighting continued in central Kyiv Thursday, Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev said in an unusually strong statement that Russia would continue its strategic cooperation with Ukraine so long as the authorities remain “legitimate and effective.”

But he also appeared to warn the Yanukovych administration against being a “doormat” on which people “wipe their feet,” Russian news agencies reported.

That’s likely a reflection of the growing frustration among top Russian officials who’d earlier relied on Yanukovych to rein in the protesters both he and the Kremlin have long cast as “terrorists” and violent “extremists.”

Also undoubtedly troubling for the Kremlin is seeing Yanukovych's authority — both in Kyiv and nationwide — slipping quickly.

Local media reports have widely documented the capture of police conscripts by protesters and, in some cases, their open surrender.

A major shock to the regime came when Kyiv's top official, Volodymyr Makeyenko, announced in an address to the president on Thursday that he was leaving the ruling Party of Regions and shifting his loyalty to the people on the streets.

That news followed reports detailing the defection of other party members around the country.

Read more: Russia wants Ukraine for itself. What will it do to keep it?

UPDATE: 2/20/14 4:15 PM ET

Ukraine parliament's vote to pull back troops

Gosh I'm glad I was right. History in the making at Ukraine's parliament tonight. Thx @andersostlund for a brief pic.twitter.com/wW8xAFTXtg

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 20, 2014

#Ukraine parliament's landmark vote (we can call it that, right?) against further violence is big — but its enforcement remains to be seen.

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 20, 2014

Rada's resolution will come into effect when the speaker signs it. Vice-speaker #Koshulynsky says is in contact with speaker #Rybak

— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) February 20, 2014

Rada is a reference to Ukraine's parliament.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 4:05 PM ET

EU foreign ministers face difficult negotiations

Reuters — France's foreign minister said on Thursday there was still no agreement over a proposed roadmap to ease the crisis in Ukraine, describing the talks as "very difficult."

"There is no agreement for now, the negotiations are very difficult and we are working to reach a peaceful solution," Fabius told reporters before leaving with his Polish and German counterparts to see Ukrainian President Yanukovych after a more than two-hour meeting with the opposition.

The three ministers, who extended their stay in Kyiv until Friday, have been negotiating with the government and opposition since Thursday morning.

Diplomatic sources indicated earlier that the roadmap would include forming a temporary government.

"We have to find every way to see how we can put a new government in place, think about elections and see how we can end the violence, but at this moment there is no solution," Fabius said.

In a sign of further diplomatic efforts, German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke to Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Barack Obama by phone on Thursday to tell them about the mission of the French, Polish and German foreign ministers in Kyiv, her spokesman said.

They all agreed that a political solution to the crisis in Ukraine must be found as soon as possible and that the escalating bloodshed must stop, he added.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 3:50 PM ET

Parliament votes to de-escalate the situation

this. speechless. via @tsnua pic.twitter.com/iWlDmWIar5

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 20, 2014

#Ukraine parliament votes on a cease-fire resolution, cancellation of anti-terrorism campaign and de-weaponing Min of Interior troops

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 20, 2014

#Ukraine parliament approves resolution to pull back troops, stop use of guns, stop anti-terrorist ops, investigate deaths, open transport.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 20, 2014

34 MPs from President #Yanukovych's ruling Party of Regions voted alongside the opposition for the resolution passed tonight in parliament.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 20, 2014

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health has updated its death toll to 75 since clashes began in Kyiv on Tuesday, according to RIA Novosti (as translated by the Guardian). Another 571 were injured, of which 363 were hospitalized.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 2:50 PM ET

The aftermath

The BBC's correspondents in Kyiv:

This was supposed to be a day of mourning in Ukraine. It turned into a day for counting new victims.

— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) February 20, 2014

A bloody day of violence again in #Kiev. Floor of the Hotel #Ukraine is being cleaned up. pic.twitter.com/wDksOGjOXf

— Duncan Crawford (@_DuncanC) February 20, 2014

Another day of bloodshed in #Kiev – @BBCDanielS sends this video report http://t.co/v2646KWEeR & pic.twitter.com/GWH5QOEKkz

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) February 20, 2014

Reporter for Ukraine's opposition friendly Channel 5:

On #Euromaidan people pay respect to the killed protesters crying "Glory!" and "Heroes!" as the bodies are taken to ambulances

— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 2:40 PM ET

Opposition leader: No clear decision

Reuters — Ukrainian opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said on Thursday he hoped that the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Poland would be able to hammer out a roadmap with President Yanukovych and leaders of the opposition later tonight.

"We have no clear decision yet. We hope for a result tonight," he told reporters, adding that the final decision would depend on Yanukovych.

Negotiations in Ukraine are "very difficult," with no agreement between sides yet: French foreign minister

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) February 20, 2014

From the Polish foreign minister's Twitter account:

After talks with the Opposition, on the way back to the President to help negotiations. Progress made but important differences remain.

— Radosław Sikorski (@sikorskiradek) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 2:25 PM ET

French, German, Polish ministers stay in Kyiv to negotiate

More context from Senior Correspondent Paul Ames:

The decision by EU foreign ministers to agree to sanctions on those responsible for the violence in Ukraine — but to hold off on giving details who will be hit by its travel ban and asset freeze — will give more leeway to the EU mission in Kyiv seeking to negotiate an end to the bloodshed.

That mission — comprised of foreign ministers from Poland, France and Germany — decided to stay in the Ukrainian capital overnight after day-long talks with the government and opposition leaders raised their hopes that some sort of solution could be found despite the carnage going on around them.

On Friday, the EU delegation will again seek to persuade President Yanukovych and the diverse group of opposition leaders to accept a plan that could include the formation of an inclusive transitional government, constitutional reforms and early elections.

That task was hard before this week's bloodletting. It is now infinitely more difficult.

It is tough to see how the opposition can stomach working with elements of a regime which has ordered snipers to gun down their comrades. On the other hand, Yanukovych must be aware that after killings on such a scales, a deal that sees him lose power could also see him facing exile or worse.

Proof of police snipers. @KyivPost photographers Pavlo Podufalov just took this photo near Maidan. #euromaidan pic.twitter.com/wEzxP3l6tn

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 20, 2014

"No circumstances can justify the repression we are witnessing. Those responsible for human rights violations should be brought to justice," the EU foreign ministers said in their statement.

Officials in Brussels will start work Friday morning on drawing up the list of those in Ukraine to be included on the sanctions list which, according to Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore will be ready by the end of this week.

One key factor now will be how Russia responds to the EU sanctions, and the desperate peace bid by the three European ministers.

Putin has stood by Yanukovych so far and Russian officials have urged a tougher stance against the protesters. The EU will be hoping that given the prospect of a both a civil war on Russia's doorstep and a diplomatic confrontation with the West, Putin may be induced to support a negotiated compromise.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 2:05 PM ET

Yanukovych might hold early elections: EU foreign ministers

Reuters — European Union foreign ministers who met Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on Thursday found a willingness to call early elections to resolve the violent stand-off with the opposition, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk told a news conference.

"The three ministers are in Kyiv discussing a certain document, which gives a chance to bring an end to violence and achieve an agreement. A willingness for early elections, already this year, parliamentary as well as presidential, was agreed," Tusk said, describing the meeting with Yanukovich.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski was one of the EU delegation which met Yanukovych, along with his French and German counterparts.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 1:35 PM ET

Russia & Europe's tug-of-war over Ukraine

Senior Correspondent Paul Ames has been keeping track of the movements in Brussels:

Ashton, meaning Catherine Ashton, the EU's foreign affairs representative.

EU's Ashton does not name officials to be targeted by sanctions – seems to waiting to see if progress by ministers in Kyiv #ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 20, 2014

EU to suspend exports of material "for internal repression" to #Ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 20, 2014

Hague refers to British Foreign Minister William Hague.

UK FM Hague: scale of sanctions will depend on "developments to come" #Ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 20, 2014

UK's Hague: decision on who is placed EU sanctions list will be made "very quickly" #Ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 20, 2014

Irish FM Gilmore: sanctions will be imposed on "progressive basis" as situation develops. Expects list of names by the end of week #Ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 20, 2014

Portuguese official says EU sanctions will be implemented "in the coming hours or days" #Ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 20, 2014

A former member of parliament of Russian President Vladimir Putin's party told BBC Newshour earlier on Thursday that reports of Ukrainian police firing on protesters were "100 percent a lie." He called the clashes a coup and said Yanukovych had no option but to utilize force.

"We should understand that this coup d'etat is at the peak of its development. Either a democratically elected president, Viktor Yanukovych, will use force to stop a coup d'etat, or he will step down, and the coup will win."

Meanwhile, the Polish, French and German foreign ministers are still in Kyiv.

Ukrainian President Yanukovich expressed willingness in talks with EU envoys to hold early elections this year: Polish Prime Minister Tusk

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 1:20 PM ET

An update on the death toll

An update from Reuters on the death toll:

"Kiev's city health department said 67 people had been killed since Tuesday, which meant at least 39 died in Thursday's clashes. That was by far the worst violence since Ukraine emerged from the crumbling Soviet Union 22 years ago."

An absolutely horrific past 24 hours in Kiev. The photos http://t.co/pjg5WiQ3vP and context http://t.co/f3DzjVxFGN pic.twitter.com/fgRJkgGpmT

— Uri Friedman (@UriLF) February 20, 2014

They are bringing the bodies out of my hotel pic.twitter.com/hjDHjOlQIM

— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) February 20, 2014

Agence France-Presse estimated that at least 60 people were killed Thursday.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 12:50 PM ET

Jailed Ukrainian former prime minister speaks out

Yulia Tymoshenko — former prime minister of Ukraine who has been in prison since 2011 — released a statement through her party's website on Thursday, according to BBC News:

"I demand that the opposition never sit down at the negotiating table with Yanukovych. Any of us who breaks this taboo will become Yanukovych's accomplice in killing innocent people."

UPDATE: 2/20/14 11:55 AM ET

Meanwhile, in Brussels…

Reuters — European Union foreign ministers have agreed to move ahead with imposing sanctions including visa bans and asset freezes on those responsible for the violence in Ukraine, Italian Foreign Minister Emma Bonino said on Thursday.

Speaking as she left an emergency gathering in Brussels, Bonino said the position had been agreed with the French, German and Polish foreign ministers, who are currently in Kyiv negotiating with Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovich.

"The decision is to proceed very rapidly, in the next hours, to a visa ban and asset freeze on those who have committed the violence," she told reporters.

Senior Correspondent Paul Ames provides some context:

European Union foreign ministers in Brussels debated imposing an arms embargo on Ukraine and targeted sanctions against the regime including a visa ban and asset freeze on officials judged responsible for the violence.

The talks were held without the ministers from Poland, France and Germany who flew to Kyiv this morning for talks with President Yanukovych and opposition leaders.

Long criticized for inaction in the face of police violence against Kyiv's protesters, EU nations have been forced to act by the level of bloodshed this week.

"How many more should be killed in order for us not just to express concern?" asked Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius, as he arrived for the Brussels talks.

A travel ban would have a powerful symbolic value, effectively reducing Yanukovych and other Ukrainian leaders to the status of pariahs for the EU — on par with Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe, or Belarus leader Aleksander Lukashenko. An asset freeze could also deal a blow to government officials and powerful business backers who have money stashed in EU countries like Britain and Austria.

However, it uncertain at this stage what impact the moves would have on moderating the regime's action, given the strong support it receives from Russia. The arms embargo will have little practical effect since Ukrainian forces are well stocked with domestically produced and Russian weapons.

Beyond the sanctions on Ukraine, it's increasingly looking like the Europe and the United States need to focus pressure on Russian leader Vladimir Putin who has huge influence over the Ukrainian leadership.

"There are levers. Merkel and Obama must privately send very clear messages to Putin that they're ready to use them," tweeted Uli Speck, an expert with the Carnegie Europe think tank.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 11:40 AM ET

The story behind this photo

The AFP photographer who captured this image wrote about the circumstances as he snapped the photo:

"I arrived late Wednesday night in the middle of Independence Square and saw this barricade. Parts of it were on fire from the Molotov cocktails being hurled between protesters and police.

I saw protesters throwing the petrol bombs, but they were also using some sort of homemade canon – it was made from a long iron tube, a bit like a mortar.

Early on Thursday morning, I saw these three guys burning. I’m not sure how they caught fire – some claimed it was the police who’d thrown the petrol bombs, others said it was the protesters."

Kiev explodes: AFP's @Kilicbil on this powerful shot and the situation in Kiev now http://t.co/jYHET1CVK0 pic.twitter.com/ijoOrQODab

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 11:15 AM ET

How the violence began after a 'truce' was declared

The Guardian described how events unfurled after Yanukovych and opposition leaders had reached a tentative truce on Wednesday night:

"The violence started shortly before 9am when protesters armed with axes, knives, truncheons and corrugated iron shields advanced on to a bridge in the centre of the Ukranian capital and drove riot police back from Independence Square.

"Within an hour, the area surrounding the Ukrania hotel, which had been under the control of riot police, fell to the protesters. The police lines dissolved as they were bussed away to be replaced by the feared "Berkut" special forces. Kiev soon became a battleground.

"Dozens of people – some injured, some dying and some dead – were dragged away on planks of wood or makeshift stretchers. Others were simply dragged along the ground on their backs, still under fire."

Read the full report at the Guardian.

The White House released this statement:

WH: 'We are outraged by the images of Ukrainian security forces firing automatic weapons on their own people.' pic.twitter.com/QrLl6dc0U3

— NBC Nightly News (@nbcnightlynews) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 10:55 AM ET

Opposition medic says death toll as high as 70

BREAKING: Ukraine: top medic for protesters says at least 70 activists killed in Kiev on Thursday.

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 20, 2014

Here is some footage, via EuroNews, that shows "protesters being shot at in front of hotel Ukraina."

WARNING: This video contains graphic footage which some readers may find disturbing:

UPDATE: 2/20/14 10:40 AM ET

Troops captured by protesters?

The Kyiv Post reported that around 50 troops from Ukraine's Interior Ministry were captured by protesters and taken to the opposition-controlled post office.

This later statement puts the number at a higher 67:

Interior Ministry says 67 policemen captured by protesters, their fate unknown. Officers'' use weapons to free them http://t.co/v2ukpN7eze

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 20, 2014

As BuzzFeed's Max Seddon, who is now in Kyiv, reported:

"Protesters managed to capture at least 60 riot policemen, their faces battered and bloody. A priest led them past City Hall late Thursday morning in the direction of the Energy Ministry. Activists BuzzFeed spoke to said the men were all Interior Ministry conscripts, as opposed to the hated elite Berkut crowd control division, and had surrendered peacefully."

The rising death toll in Kyiv includes at least 12 policemen, according to Reuters.

#Ukraine Interior Ministry: More than 50 police officers hospitalized, 30 of those suffered gun shot wounds. #EuroMaidan

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/20/14 10:30 AM ET

What can the EU do?

Earlier, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych had to reschedule a meeting with the foreign ministers of France, Germany and Poland as the violence escalated.

The meeting was eventually held, but the signs don't look good.

BBC News translated a tweet from journalist Pavel Sheremet: "The (EU) foreign ministers have emerged looking gloomy from the meeting President Yanukovych and left without saying a word to journalists. It's a bad sign."

Senior Correspondent Paul Ames weighed in Wednesday on Ukraine has turned into Europe's nightmare.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 10:20 AM ET

Death toll rises

At least 42 protesters have been confirmed dead by Christopher Miller, editor at Kyiv Post. Many of them appeared to have gunshot wounds.

Bodies of 8 deceased protesters on Khreschatyk Street. Some old, some young. pic.twitter.com/VqyRSXALwO

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 20, 2014

BBC News had 22 confirmed deaths:

Downstairs at our hotel. 13 dead. (Pic from @euromaidan) pic.twitter.com/R9dwkhQlC4

— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) February 20, 2014

Ukrainian parliament's human rights commissioner Valeria Lutkovska said at least 50 people had been killed as of Thursday afternoon, since the protests turned violent on Tuesday.

"Information that I have indicates that about 50 people have been killed as of today, but there have been reports that there are many more victims. Hundreds of people have been hospitalized," she said, according to The Washington Post.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 7:40 AM ET

Meanwhile, Russia…

Russia, which is expected to deliver $2 billion in aid to Ukraine this week, needs a strong bilateral partner, said the country's prime minister.

Dmitry Medvedev was quoted saying, "We will continue to cooperate with our Ukrainian partners in all areas, we will try to do everything to fulfill those promises which we gave. But at the same time for this to happen it is necessary for our partners themselves to be in good shape and for the authorities in Ukraine to be legitimate and effective."

Something might have been lost in translation, as AFP translated his remarks as such:

"We need partners who are in good shape and for the authorities that work in Ukraine to be legitimate and effective, so that people don't wipe their feet on the authorities like a doormat."

Some of the Ukrainian athletes participating in Sochi's Winter Olympics have decided to go home as Kyiv burns.

"I believe some of them have decided to return home and (Ukraine Olympic Committee president) Sergey Bubka has said he absolutely respects every individual's right to make their own decision," said Mark Adams, spokesman for the International Olympic Committee.

UPDATE: 2/20/14 6:52 AM ET

A truce in tatters

The truce agreed to by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and opposition leaders in Kyiv late Wednesday didn't last long at all.

At least 17 more protesters were killed in bloody clashes with riot police, according to Agence France-Presse correspondents at the scene.

Kiev MT @LukeReuters Both protesters and police are using live ammunition and sniper rifles it seems @reuterspictures pic.twitter.com/Wn7wJmCeJw

— Anup Kaphle (@AnupKaphle) February 20, 2014

"The bodies of at least 10 demonstrators with apparent gunshot wounds were lying on the ground outside Kozatsky hotel," near Kyiv's Independence Square, the AFP report said.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140220/at-least-17-protesters-killed-fresh-kiev-clashes

Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko said, "The resumption of clashes on the Maidan (Independence Square) at a time when a truce was called is a planned provocation by the authorities against peaceful protesters."

Meanwhile, the main government building in Kyiv was evacuated as the clashes heated up.

"This morning, all cabinet employees were evacuated from the building. These were official orders," a spokeswoman for the government told AFP.

GlobalPost contributor Christopher Miller wrote for Mashable that at least 35 protesters could be confirmed dead, many from gunshot wounds.

"Several dozen bodies were carried on stretchers from the front lines to medical centers inside Kiev City Hall and the Central Post Office. Mashable counted the bodies of 35 protesters in total. Protesters laid them out and draped Ukrainian flags over their bodies."

Bloody hell, literally, in Ukraine hotel lobby that was turned into makeshift hospital for the protesters pic.twitter.com/6rEeUEWTSK

— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) February 20, 2014

Woman recoils at the horror of bodies in #Kyiv in new spasm of violence. @Reuters photo: http://t.co/eFyHNXMam0 pic.twitter.com/m4g5UqeFqy

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) February 20, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 5:50 PM ET

Signing off

This live blog is now closed. The live stream from Kyiv will continue. You can follow overnight developments in Ukraine on this Twitter list.

UPDATE: 2/19/14 5:45 PM ET

Editor offers a view of the unrest from the ground

Christopher Miller, an editor at the English-language newspaper Kyiv Post, has been covering the months-long protests in Kyiv. The capital's Independence Square erupted into violence Tuesday night, as Ukrainian riot police tried to clear demonstrators from their protest camps.

The death toll had exceeded 25 by Wednesday morning, with hundreds more wounded.

As night fell on Wednesday, protesters were braced for Ukrainian authorities to once again try to clear EuroMaidan, as the encampment has come to be known. Before midnight, however, President Viktor Yanukovych said he had reached a "truce" with opposition leaders, and agreed to a "start to negotiations with the aim of ending bloodshed."

One of the opposition leaders, Arseny Yatseniuk, said, "The storming of the Maidan (Independence Square) which the authorities had planned today will not take place."

Miller offered GlobalPost a troubling view of the unrest from behind protest lines.

LISTEN to his account here.

UPDATE: 2/19/14 4:50 PM ET

Footage of beaten, bloodied protesters

Warning: The contents of this video are graphic and may be disturbing to some viewers. GlobalPost did not independently verify the authenticity of this video.

Horrific video shows protesters seriously hurt after clashes w/ police Tuesday. Also shows titushki working w/ police http://t.co/rxgqNUkOsQ

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 4:25 PM ET

Opposition confirms there will be no police action tonight

Reuters — Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukoych said on Wednesday he had agreed a "truce" with opposition leaders, after street violence in which at least 26 people were killed, and a start to negotiations to end further bloodshed.

A statement on the presidential website said that during talks with the three main opposition leaders, Yanukovych had agreed firstly a truce and secondly "the start to negotiations with the aim of ending bloodshed, and stabilizing the situation in the state in the interests of social peace."

The statement, issued on the eve of a visit by the foreign ministers of Germany, Poland and France, appeared to indicate that riot police who on Tuesday night advanced on to Kiev's Independence Square would not take further immediate steps to break up the encampment of protesters.

Former economy minister Arseny Yatseniuk, one of the opposition leaders, said in a statement on the website of his Batkivshchyna (Fatherland) party: "The storming of the Maidan (Independence Square) which the authorities had planned today will not take place.

"A truce has been declared. The main thing is to protect human life," he said.

Yanukovych issued his statement after meeting Yatseniuk and the two other opposition leaders, boxer-turned-politician Vitali Klitschko and far-right nationalist Oleh Tyahnibok.

UPDATE: 2/19/14 4:20 PM ET

But the fires are still burning…

Police assault tonight canceled, truce called after negotiations b/t opposition, #Yanukovych, reports @ukrpravda_news http://t.co/OeAs08hFKD

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 19, 2014

But fires still burning, fireworks still being shot at police, police still using water cannon on protesters on Maidan.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 4:10 PM ET

A truce?

Ukraine's Yanukovich says he and opposition have agreed to a "truce": Presidential website

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 4:00 PM ET

Clashes in Kyiv have affected Ukraine's Olympians too

Ukraine lies 600 miles away from Sochi, but its ripple effects can be felt there too.

"I am very mad for this, but we cannot do anything really. Change the government," 18-year-old downhill skier Dmytro Mystak told the Associated Press.

The International Olympic Committee's President Thomas Back expressed his condolences and commended the athletes for continuing to compete: "The way they have continued to represent their nation with great dignity is a credit to them and their country"

However, the IOC rejected a request from Ukrainian athletes to wear black armbands in mourning.

Not many of the Ukrainian athletes at Sochi had something to say.

Yosyf Penyak, a Ukrainian snowboarder, said, "No time to talk about politics."

UPDATE: 2/19/14 2:45 PM ET

'He has blood on his hands'

"We must be clear: ultimate responsibility for deaths and violence is with President Yanukovych," Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt, tweeted on Wednesday. "He has blood on his hands."

Leaders across Europe from French President Hollande to Polish Prime Minister Tusk have called for sanctions against Ukraine.

"These sanctions will show how seriously we are taking the defense of democratic rights," German Chancellor Angela Merkel told a joint news conference with Hollande.

Senior Correspondent Paul Ames gives the view from Europe.

UPDATE: 2/19/14 2:35 PM ET

Obama warns Ukraine of consequences

Reuters — President Barack Obama warned on Wednesday that there would be consequences if violence continues in Ukraine, saying the Ukrainian military should not step into a situation that could be resolved by civilians.

Speaking to reporters ahead of a meeting with Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Obama said he condemned the violence in Kiev in the strongest possible terms, and said he believes a peaceful resolution is still possible.

UPDATE: 2/19/14 2:05 PM ET

$2 billion credit from Russia delayed

An anonymous Ukrainian government source told Reuters the anticipated second tranche of a promised $15 billion aid package from Russia was delayed until Friday.

The source attributed the delay to "technical reasons."

The Russian president's spokesman told state news agency ITAR TASS he didn't know anything about it. "I cannot say anything about it yet."

ITAR TASS reported Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov hinting that the protests were the cause of the delay.

"Obviously, in a situation in which extremists are dictating what's happening in Ukraine, resolution of that very situation is a priority."

Here's BuzzFeed's Max Seddon with a visual representation:

Reuters: Russia's $2bn in emergency aid to Ukraine has been held up for "technical reasons." Here, a visualization: pic.twitter.com/X59VkK3PJJ

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 19, 2014

Then… this:

So now @ria_novosti reports that #Russia WILL release next $2 billion loan to #Ukraine. http://t.co/aaoGP3dSAl

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 1:15 PM ET

Kyiv's Ring of Fire

The New York Times described the scene early on Wednesday:

"Protesters… stoked what they are calling a 'ring of fire' separating themselves from the riot police in a desperate effort on Wednesday to defend a stage on Independence Square that has been a focal point of their protests and to keep their three-month-old movement alive."

Russia Today posted this video, obtained from drone footage recorded by Ruptly international news agency:

UPDATE: 2/19/14 1:00 PM ET

Yanukovych fires army chief

BREAKING: Ukraine's leader replaces head of army after clashes between police and protesters kill 25 people.

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 19, 2014

The BBC had more details:

"The new armed forces chief is Adm Yuriy Ilyin, who was previously the head of the Ukrainian navy. No reason was given for Gen Zamana's dismissal."

UPDATE: 2/19/14 12:30 PM ET

How did it come to this?

Senior Correspondent Dan Peleschuk has spent time covering the protests in Kyiv for the past few months. From his current location in Moscow, Peleschuk answered 3 questions about the current clashes — most importantly, how did it come to this?

The early watershed moment came when police violently raided a peaceful demonstration of mostly sleeping students on the Maidan late last year. It was all downhill from there, and it's largely been a bloody back-and-forth ever since: for example, protesters would march on a government building — or sometimes simply stand their ground — and police would crack down violently. The heavy-handed response would in turn further fuel anger, especially after the first reported deaths last month and amid widespread reports of activists being hunted down, abducted and tortured.

The violence has also given rise to some small yet influential radical groups that have spearheaded much of the anti-regime fighting. But the police actions have also radicalized many “ordinary” protesters, who see the armed, masked fighters on Maidan as their legitimate defenders from marauding security forces.

Read more about whether this has become a civil war, and what the West can do to promote a political solution.

Brutal scenes from the Battle of Kiev http://t.co/Z1OgmkylPy pic.twitter.com/NwlIxlwDjn

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 12:00 PM ET

Yanukovych accuses opposition of trying to seize power

While European Union leaders prepared sanctions, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych accused opposition leaders of attempting to seize power.

Early on Wednesday, Yanukovych released a statement saying, "Without any mandate from the people, illegally and in breach of the constitution of Ukraine, these politicians — if I may use that term — have resorted to pogroms, arson and murder to try to seize power."

Our senior correspondent in Europe tweeted:

Foreign ministers of France, Germany, Poland to head to Kiev Thursday, will meet opposition ahead of emergency EU talks #Ukraine

— Paul Ames (@p1ames) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 11:25 AM ET

Journalist killed in Ukraine

A journalist was among the dead in Kyiv's clashes, according to The New York Times.

A Ukrainian NGO called Institute of Mass Information has compiled a list of journalists wounded in the clashes. The list includes Viacheslav Veremiy, who was reportedly killed on Wednesday.

Journalist among #Ukraine dead: Vyacheslav Veremei worked for Kiev's "Vesti" paper. Attacked by titushki provocateurs pic.twitter.com/lG2MDCe6Ra

— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) February 19, 2014

It was not immediately clear if Veremiy was the journalist mentioned in the Ukrainian Health Ministry's death toll.

[h/t Josh Stearns]

UPDATE: 2/19/14 11:15 AM ET

White House calls Kyiv violence 'completely outrageous'

Agence France-Presse — The White House on Wednesday called the deadly violence on the streets of the Ukrainian capital "completely outrageous" and renewed its appeal to President Viktor Yanukovych to de-escalate the situation.

Clashes in Kiev between police and anti-government protesters that have claimed 26 lives are "completely outrageous" and "have no place in the 21st century," Deputy National Security Advisor Ben Rhodes told reporters aboard Air Force One.

"We've made clear that we consider taking action against individuals who are responsible for acts of violence within Ukraine," he said.

"We have a toolkit for doing that that includes sanctions."

Obama is expected to make a statement on Ukraine later on Wednesday.

Ukraine: Headed for Civil War http://t.co/tTEJmIeWoZ pic.twitter.com/SwbSdWcZ5P

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 19, 2014

UPDATE: 2/19/14 10:05 AM ET

European leaders call for sanctions

French President Francois Hollande and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for "rapid and targeted European sanctions against those leaders responsible for these acts" in reference to the violent clashes in Ukraine.

Tusk told Poland's parliament, "There's no doubt: the authorities in Kyiv are responsible for the victims and the drama in Kyiv, not the opposition."

The European Commission's president, Jose Manuel Barroso, said, "There are no circumstances that can legitimize or justify such scenes," according to The Financial Times.

"We have also made it clear that the EU will respond to any deterioration on the ground," Barroso said.

Poland's foreign minister, Radoslaw Sikorski, said he was on his way to Kyiv at the request of the European Union.

"At the request of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, I will soon start a mission in Kyiv," Sikorski said on Twitter. His spokesman did not give an exact time for Sikorski's trip.

UPDATE: 2/19/14 9:45 AM ET

Footage from Kyiv

This video footage, shot by Katya Gorchinskaya, provided by Christopher Miller of Kyiv Post, shows protesters digging up paving stones to hurl at police.

This one shows protesters preparing Molotov cocktails:

UPDATE: 2/19/14 6:10 AM ET

At least 25 are dead after unprecedented violence

AFP — Protesters braced Wednesday for a fresh assault by riot police in central Kyiv after a day of clashes left at least 25 people dead in the worst violence since the start of Ukraine's three-month political crisis.

Ukraine's health ministry said another 241 people were in the hospital; the local Kyiv Post put the number of injured at 1,000.

As dawn rose over Kyiv's battered city center, protesters hurled paving stones and Molotov cocktails at lines of riot police that had pushed into the heart of the devastated protest camp on Independence Square.

Fires rage on Independence Square as clashes between police, protesters continue on Feb. 19 http://t.co/kyO4IzLF84 pic.twitter.com/ZKfJqGDO5m

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 19, 2014

Overnight, security forces rained a volley of tear gas down on thousands of demonstrators as they ramped up attempts to clear the square where protesters have set up a sprawling tent city during three months of protests.

Swathes of the tent encampment have already been destroyed by fire and flames poured out of the windows of a gutted building on the square.

A wall of smoke and flames rose up into the dawn sky as the encampment continued to burn, while lines of police and protesters — both clutching shields and wearing helmets and body armor — faced off in an apocalyptic scene.

A defiant President Viktor Yanukovych rejected calls to halt the ferocious assault on the bloodiest day since protests broke out in November, when he ditched a pact with the European Union in favor of closer ties with former master Russia.

In an address to the nation as clashes raged, he said the opposition had gone too far and accused them of trying to oust him.

"The leaders of the opposition have disregarded the principle of democracy according to which we obtain power through elections and not on the street … they have crossed the limits by calling for people to take up arms," he said, adding those responsible would face the law.

Read the rest of this report.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 5:45 PM ET

Signing off

This live blog is closed (for now), but the live stream above will continue to broadcast. Please follow our Twitter list for updates on the Kyiv protests.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 5:40 PM ET

Reports of government blocking roads and opposition friendly media

We have gathered all the reports from journalists and researchers following events in Kyiv that suggest the government has tried to isolate the protesters.

The subway has reportedly been shutdown, as has the opposition friendly Channel 5. Find the full list here.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 5:35 PM ET

Reports of shooting and riot police taking over revolutionary headquarters

Berkut takes over the Trade Union building w/ revolutionary HQ, it's on fire via Reuters pic.twitter.com/mBLfvi6Tdq

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 18, 2014

Confirmed: Riot police on 6th floor of Trade Unions bldg. Got inside through 2nd floor window. #euromaidan

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

Note: This video has not been verified for its authenticity:

Video apparently shows a protester being shot by Ukrainian security https://t.co/OpqcUili9p

— joshuafoust (@joshuafoust) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 5:25 PM ET

Berkut on the offensive: Reports

Berkut riot police again taking offensive action against protesters on Maidan. Stun grenades, tear gas, Molotov cocktails, & firing shotguns

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

Multiple reports of explosions, gunshots at Maidan, renewed police attack on Kiev protesters

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 18, 2014

I hear explosions at St. Michael's monastery where injured are treated, pro-govt thugs are storming it.It's blocks away from Independence Sq

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 4:30 PM ET

Some ominous signs

As President Viktor Yanukovych reportedly meets with opposition leader Vitaly Klitschko, there are some ominous signs in Kyiv's Independence Square:

Reuters: two armoured personnel carriers moving towards #Kiev Independence Square #Ukraine

— Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) February 18, 2014

Six police officers killed in Kiev clashes: interior ministry http://t.co/1DuBfahs6U pic.twitter.com/S30Dn0Q9x4

— Agence France-Presse (@AFP) February 18, 2014

Ominous: Crimean parliament in statement "reserves the right to urge residents to defend their autonomy" via @VoiceofRussia

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 4:25 PM ET

Death toll rises to 13

BREAKING: Police say 6 officers killed in Ukraine's capital, raising death toll to 13.

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 18, 2014

Meanwhile…

Ukraine: Opposition leader Vitali Klitschko is meeting with President Yanukovych according to Klitschko’s spokesperson

— Circa (@Circa) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 4:10 PM ET

Protesters are surrounded by armed police

"People are surrounded; they have no place to run," Former Deputy Prime Minister and civic activist Oleg Rybachuk told BBC News. Rybachuk said the police were armed.

"I emphasize again that they are armed. Armed with Kalashnikovs. There are armored personnel carriers and three water guns."

UPDATE: 2/18/14 3:30 PM ET

Crimea watches Kyiv closely

So far, Russia 24 has interviewed several Regions deputies and the speaker of pro-Russian Crimea's parliament. Needless to say, no opp voice

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

Crimean parliament chief tells Russian state TV between 2,500-5,000 foreign "mercenaries" on #euromaidan from all over former Soviet Union

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

For some context, here is an article from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty:

"The people of Crimea are watching with nervous expectation as the political and economic crisis in Ukraine drags on.

"Crimea is Ukraine's only region where ethnic Russians are a majority, comprising approximately 60 percent of its 2 million population. From the 18th century until just 60 years ago on February 19, the peninsula was part of Russia. And as Ukraine's turmoil shakes the region's ethnic and religious fault lines, there is increasing talk that perhaps it should be again."

Besides Kyiv, eyes should turn to western #Ukraine and Crimea — #euromaidan situation potentially equally explosive in both regions

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 2:30 PM ET

US citizens warned to stay indoors

The United States embassy in Kyiv has warned American citizens to stay indoors:

Read: US Embassy in Ukraine issues warning for US citizens to stay indoors because of violence http://t.co/QM948XbZ8y pic.twitter.com/goTnUFsPo3

— AJAM Live (@ajamlive) February 18, 2014

It reads: "February 18 has seen a sharp escalation in violence between protesters and police. The Ukrainian security services have announced that following today's violence they may take extraordinary measures beginning this evening (February 18). The Embassy advises all Citizens to maintain a low profile and to remain indoors."

UPDATE: 2/18/14 2:20 PM ET

The view from Russia

Dan Peleschuk is in Moscow, Russia:

Russia 24 (state channel) reporting that #euromaidan protesters had been aggressive since morning, seeking provocation

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

Kharkiv Mayor Dobkin on Russian state TV: Kyiv shld be cleared of "extremists and terrorists" by tomorrow and opp leaders crim charged

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

Mykhailo Dobkin is the mayor of Khariv in eastern Ukraine, and a loyal Yanukovych supporter.

What's the reason behind Russia's interest in the former Soviet satellite?

There are at least 7 reasons.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 1:55 PM ET

The police assault has begun

News services have confirmed what reports from journalists and scenes from the live stream have indicated. The police in Kyiv have begun their advance:

BREAKING: Protest camp in center of Ukraine's capital engulfed in flames as police advance on protesters.

— The Associated Press (@AP) February 18, 2014

Agence France-Presse reported:

Police warned women and children to leave the area as they moved on opposition positions with water cannon while protestors responded by throwing Molotov cocktails and setting fire to part of the tent encampment.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 1:50 PM ET

The sounds of a revolution

Video of protesters singing the Ukrainian national anthem as the police begin their assault.

[h/t @MaximEristavi]

UPDATE: 2/18/14 1:40 PM ET

Yanukovych not picking up his phone

Ambassadors of European countries have not been able to get through to #Yanukovych on phone for several hours, reports @EspresoTV

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

Espreso TV, the source of our live stream, is a private channel in Ukraine.

Germany chancellor Merkel is unsuccessfully trying to call Yanukovych, he's not taking her call -2 sources confirmed via diplomatic circles

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 1:10 PM ET

Seems like the beginning of a crackdown

#Ukraine's @5channel, citing interior ministry, calls on all women and children to leave area of Maidan b/c an "anti-terrorist operation."

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

Kiev right now. Reports of police throwing stun grenades, rushing towards Maidan, warning women and children to leave pic.twitter.com/HY4y0eGcN1

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 18, 2014

Police now storming #EuroMaidan, using tear gas, water cannon on protesters on Institutska Street. #Kyiv #Kiev #Ukraine

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 12:55 PM ET

The presence of radicals

Earlier Tuesday, Dan Peleschuk tweeted:

Radical group Right Sector calls supporters to (fire)arms amid mass unrest in #Ukraine today. #euromdain via @ukrpravda_news

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

Peleschuk took a closer look at the growing influence of radicals among Ukraine protesters. He described the Right Sector as "a conglomeration of quasi-militant far-right groups that has spearheaded much of the recent violence between police and protesters."

This is where things stood at the end of January:

Critics are raising fears about the ultra-nationalist bent of some fighters, including those from Right Sector, who openly advocate violence and venerate wartime Ukrainian nationalist leaders still perceived by many Ukrainians as traitors and extremists.

Curiously, however, many ordinary protesters are so far showing apparently unconditional support for even the most aggressive radicals.

The morning after a violent siege of the Ukrainian House exhibition center near Independence Square this week, women flocked in and set up a makeshift kitchen to serve hot tea and noodle soup to exhausted protesters, many bearing nationalist insignias.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 12:45 PM ET

Death toll rises to 9

At least nine people have been killed in the clashes so far, according to the Associated Press.

A spokeswoman for the Kyiv police told the AP that seven civilians and two policemen had been killed. Three of the civilians were shot.

Opposition leaders have warned that security forces may be amassing to clear the protest camps in Independence Square.

UPDATE: 2/18/14 11:40 AM ET

Night has fallen…

… in Kyiv.

These were the scenes earlier Tuesday as captured by the Associated Press:

And Dan Peleschuk translating what the live stream is saying:

"Better to die a free person than live as a slave." @Batkivshchyna dep. to #euromaidan. He's confident those who stay are will. to risk life

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

Now that the deadline for protesters to end the disturbance has passed:

#Yanukovych deadline is up. Watch those cops, now.

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

In past, seems #euromaidan dispersal attempts have tended to arrive a day or two (or more) after they were expected. Is tonight different?

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 11:20 AM ET

Scenes from the past

The protests in Kyiv have gone through periods of violence, periods of camaraderie. Dan Peleschuk has spent time there, documenting them:

This was the scene three weeks ago:

Four weeks ago:

Two months ago, with protesters singing, when the protests were still young:

9 gritty photos of life as a Kyiv protester

UPDATE: 2/18/14 11:15 AM ET

A deadline passes

A deadline issued by the state security services has passed in Kyiv.

Ukraine state security services gives protesters 6 p.m. deadline to end street disturbances: statement

— Reuters World (@ReutersWorld) February 18, 2014

#Yanukovych deadline is up. Watch those cops, now.

— Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) February 18, 2014

Kiev on lockdown now: reports police not letting cars in, metro shut down.

— max seddon (@maxseddon) February 18, 2014

Opposition leader @Yatsenyuk_AP from #EuroMaidan stage says police likely to storm square at night, urges protesters to stay, hold ground.

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 11:10 AM ET

How things turned ugly

Just a day earlier, detained protesters were released as part of an amnesty deal and demonstrators occupying Kyiv's city hall vacated it. So, what happened in the 24 hours?

Christopher Miller wrote for Mashable from Kyiv:

A session was set to take place there this morning in which opposition lawmakers hoped to pass amendments to the constitution that would curb the powers of the president. However, it was cancelled due to the violence outside.

The struggle began after dozens of protesters managed to break through a police cordon comprised of four large military trucks. They managed to release the emergency brake of one of the trucks and push it aside.

Protesters hurled stones and Molotov cocktails at police, who in turn heaved tear gas and noise grenades at the group. At least five police, including two snipers, were seen atop a nearby building, throwing down tear gas at protesters, firing metal pellets and using the high vantage point to single out the most radical of participants.

Read the full account at Mashable.

Traffic mayhem in Kyiv as public transport collapsed, subway is closed, ppl are just walking back to their homes pic.twitter.com/1fJdT7z6bm

— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 10:30 AM ET

Clashes come a day after Russian aid

The clashes in Kyiv come just a day after Moscow released $2 billion in aid to Ukraine so the former Soviet satellite could shore up its economy.

Reuters reported:

The $2 billion injection, a resumption of a $15 billion aid package, was seen as signal that Russia believed President Viktor Yanukovych had a plan to bring street demonstrations under control and had scrapped any idea of bringing opposition leaders into government.

But as protesters and police battled on the streets, Moscow blamed the escalation as a "direct result of connivance by Western politicians and European structures that have shut their eyes … to the aggressive actions of radical forces."

Russia had seemingly won a struggle for influence over Ukraine with the West with its fiscal package that helped persuade Yanukovych to snub a trade deal with the European Union in November. But protesters who have claimed the center of the capital, Kiev, as their own are not going quietly.

"I think Russia received some kind of assurances from the Kyiv leadership that were satisfactory, because only a day before there was nothing like it," said Gleb Pavlovsky, former Kremlin adviser and political analyst in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Christopher Miller, an editor at The Kyiv Post, tweeted:

Berkut has Kalashnikovs locked and loaded. #Kyiv #Ukraine #EuroMaidan pic.twitter.com/VAyiE4qVSa

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 10:15 AM ET

At least four reported dead

Four people have reportedly been killed in the clashes in Kyiv, with more than a 100 injured.

The Kyiv Post reported: "Dr. Olga Bogomolets, a physician, told the Kyiv Post at 3:30 p.m. today that three protesters had been shot to death while dozens more were injured, including many with serious wounds."

The Associated Press cited a lawmaker from an opposition party and a coordinator from the protesters' medic team with the same number: three dead protesters.

Kyiv's Emergencies Ministry reported a fourth death — an employee of the pro-President Viktor Yanukovych Party of Regions.

Where clashes are happening today in #Kyiv – map: @KyivPost pic.twitter.com/0K3zULIVrJ

— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) February 18, 2014

UPDATE: 2/18/14 10:00 AM ET

Protests in Kyiv turn bloody

Agence France-Presse — Protesters clashed with police near Ukraine's parliament Tuesday as they sought to force lawmakers to strip embattled President Viktor Yanukovych of a raft of powers, in the latest bid to break months of political deadlock.

Police fired rubber bullets and hurled smoke bombs at protesters who threw stones and set two trucks on fire as they tried to break through heavily fortified police cordons around the parliament building, an AFP reporter at the scene said.

Ukraine's interior ministry said in a statement that three servicemen were injured after protesters directed a truck through the police ranks.

Some 20,000 mainly peaceful demonstrators massed outside parliament — where Yanukovych's party has the biggest presence — to try to push lawmakers to vote on returning the country to its 2004 constitution, under which key powers would shift from the president to parliament.

The demonstrators had marched from Kyiv's iconic Independence Square, where the opposition remains firmly entrenched in a sprawling tent city after nearly three months of protests against Yanukovych's rule.

Opposition leaders had earlier said that they were planning a "peaceful offensive" on parliament to put the squeeze on lawmakers.

"We hope that the deputies from the majority will recognize what they have to do and allow a vote on constitutional change," Oleg Tyagnybok, nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party leader told journalists at the head of one of the protest columns.

A planned session of parliament failed to start on time as lawmakers from Yanukovych's party blamed opposition leaders for refusing to negotiate with them and taking to the streets instead.

Opposition seeks EU sanctions

Before the latest outbreak of violence on Tuesday, Ukraine appeared to be inching towards resolving its worst post-Soviet crisis that was sparked by Yanukovych's decision in November to reject an EU pact in favor of closer ties with Russia.

The pro-EU, anti-government protests have since snowballed into a titanic tug of war for Ukraine's future between Russia and the West.

On Monday the government granted an amnesty to those arrested in the protests after the opposition vacated Kyiv's city hall and other administrative buildings it had been occupying.

Also on Monday, opposition leader and former heavyweight boxing champion Vitali Klitschko travelled to Berlin for talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, urging her to slap sanctions on Yanukovych and his financial backers in a bid to ratchet up pressure on the embattled leader.

More from GlobalPost: Ukraine opposition leaders visit German Chancellor Angela Merkel after amnesty victory

During the meeting, which was also attended by opposition leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk, Klitschko asked Merkel for "financial assistance to overcome the crisis" in the beleaguered nation.

Merkel stressed that Germany and the EU would do everything to contribute towards a "positive outcome" to the turmoil, spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement, and called for lawmakers to push on with reforms.

The talks in Berlin came as Russia's Finance Minister Anton Siluanov vowed to release "this week" a $2 billion tranche of a $15 billion bailout package to Ukraine that Moscow had essentially frozen after the protests turned deadly last month.

So far only $3 billion of the bailout has been transferred to Ukraine's economy, which is struggling to recover from a recession and is being badly hit by capital flight and currency devaluation during its prolonged crisis.

In a concession to the protesters, Yanukovych has dismissed his unpopular government, but he has yet to appoint a new one and the opposition wants its members to be placed in key positions.

On Monday a presidential aide said Yanukovych was consulting "experts" on the nomination of a new prime minister and would take a decision in "the near future".