Threatened with death, Ukrainian Rada Chairman Volodymyr Rybak tendered his resignation on 22 February 2014, and left the parliament.

Without further delay, the remaining members of the Rada adopted several motions, including the release of Yulia Tymoshenko, former Prime Minister and the richest person in the country, sentenced to seven years in prison for abuse of power in a gas contract negotiation with Russia.

Simultaneously, Nazi groups invaded the main government buildings after having seized in a military armory.