Euromaidan  was a wave of demonstrations and civil unrest in Ukraine, which began on the night of 21 November 2013 with public protests in Maidan Nezalezhnosti ("Independence Square") in Kiev, demanding closer European integration. The scope of the protests expanded, with many calls for the resignation of President Viktor Yanukovych and his government.The protests ultimately led to the 2014 Ukrainian revolution. Many protesters joined because of the violent dispersal of protesters on 30 November and "a will to change life in Ukraine". By 25 January 2014, the protests had been fuelled by the perception of "widespread government corruption", "abuse of power", and "violation of human rights in Ukraine".

The protests reached a climax during mid-February. Police and protesters fired guns with both live and rubber ammunition in multiple locations in Kiev. The riot police advanced towards Maidan and clashed with the protesters but did not fully occupy it. The fights continued through the following days in which the vast majority of casualties took place. In connection with the tragic events of February 18–20 Yanukovych was forced to make concessions to the opposition to end the bloodshed in Kiev and end the sharp political crisis. Agreement on settlement of political crisis in Ukraine signed Vitaly Klitschko, Arseny Yatsenyuk, Oleh Tyahnybok.