Demonstrations erupt after President Viktor Yanukovych’s government suspends preparations to sign the EU–Ukraine Association Agreement, launching what became the Euromaidan movement and a broader political crisis.
Special police units clear the protest camp at Kyiv’s Maidan Nezalezhnosti in an early-morning raid. The crackdown expands public anger and boosts turnout in subsequent demonstrations.
After Yanukovych leaves Kyiv amid escalating violence and political breakdown, the Verkhovna Rada votes to remove him from office and schedules early presidential elections, marking a decisive shift in power.
Unmarked Russian soldiers take over the Crimean parliament in Simferopol, enabling a rapid change in Crimea’s local власти and accelerating Russia’s move to take control of the peninsula.
Crimea’s authorities hold a referendum on joining Russia after the date is advanced to 16 March. Ukraine and many governments reject the vote’s legality and legitimacy.
Russia signs the accession treaty incorporating Crimea and Sevastopol as federal subjects, formalizing annexation that is widely condemned as a violation of international law.
Pro-Russian protesters storm the Donetsk Regional State Administration building, a key escalation in eastern Ukraine that precedes declarations of separatist “statehood.”
Separatist leaders announce the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), challenging Kyiv’s authority and helping trigger the armed phase of the Donbas conflict.
The U.S., EU, Ukraine, and Russia agree on initial steps to reduce tensions, including disarming illegal armed groups and vacating seized buildings; implementation soon stalls amid continued violence.
Separatists proclaim the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR), further fragmenting control in eastern Ukraine and consolidating parallel властные structures backed by Russia.
Street violence between pro-unity and anti-Maidan groups escalates; a fire at the Trade Unions House kills dozens, becoming a major shock event in the wider Ukraine crisis.
Separatist-run “referendums” are claimed in parts of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts to legitimize the DPR and LPR. Ukraine and most of the international community do not recognize the results.
A civilian Boeing 777 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur is shot down over eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 aboard. The disaster intensifies international pressure and sanctions related to the conflict.
Ukrainian forces and pro-Ukrainian volunteer units attempt to capture Ilovaisk; the battle becomes a major turning point as Ukrainian units are later encircled and suffer heavy losses.
Ukraine, Russia, the OSCE, and representatives of the DPR and LPR sign a 12-point ceasefire framework intended to halt fighting in the Donbas, though violations continue.
A follow-on memorandum sets parameters for implementing the Minsk Protocol, including a buffer/security zone and restrictions on heavy weapons, under OSCE monitoring.
After renewed fighting, negotiators agree a more detailed “Package of Measures” (Minsk II) outlining ceasefire implementation, heavy-weapons withdrawal, and political steps; the UN Security Council later calls for implementation.
Annexation of Crimea and the Donbas Conflict (2013–2015)
