Support for the Sovereignty, Integrity, Democracy, and Economic Stability of Ukraine Act of 2014 of protests by Euromaidan and days of violent clashes between protesters and police in the Ukrainian capital Kiev—the President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych, fled the capital on February 21. The Verkhovna Rada (the parliament of Ukraine) subsequently voted unanimously to impeach Yanukovych. This was followed by the interim appointment of the Yatsenyuk Government, as well as the appointment of a new Acting President of Ukraine, Oleksandr Turchynov. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said President Yanukovych was illegally impeached and that Russia continues to regard him as Ukraine’s legitimate president. Russia describes the Yatsenyk government as "self-proclaimed" and the events
Mayor of Kiev mayor of Kiev Leonid Chernovetsky of the office of Head of Kiev City Administration, while still preserving the post of mayor. This led to Chernovetsky being deprived of any official decision-making role and most power in the capital was handed over to the Head of Kiev City Administration. At that time that was Oleksandr Popov who was appointed by President Viktor Yanukovych on 16 November 2010. Before these amendments, the elected mayor of the Kiev City Council was automatically appointed also as head of the Kiev City City Administration. Chernovetsky was not seen in Kiev for several months after Popov's