LB.ua chronicles the latest events in Ukraine in English for foreign readers. Read previous articles on the topic:
8:57. Foreign Ministry and Security Service of Ukraine denied entry to Ukraine to 36 foreigners, including former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili, citizens of U.S. and the EU countries, announced the initiator of the ban on entry, deputy from the Party of Regions Oleg Tsarev.
9:20. Euromaidan activists stormed Solomenska district state administration and blocked Kyiv's city council meeting.
9:56. Kyiv City Council secretary Galina Gerega closed field meeting of Kyiv's city council. She said City Council will no longer gather until the end of 2013.
10:14. Details of the Russian $750 million loan to Ukraine became known on Tuesday, December 24. According to the information posted by Ruslan Kilmuhametov from investment company ICU Investment Capital Ukraine on his page in Facebook, loan of $750 million provided to Ukraine in September by Russian banks was given for 3.5 months at an average rate of about 8.21% per annum.
10:26. Prime Minister Nykolai Azarov has gone to Moscow with an official visit to participate in the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council at the level of Heads of State.
11:16. The National Ecological Centre of Ukraine believes that the territory of Mariinsky Park, where the supporters of the ruling Party of Regions held rallies for the last few weeks, significantly degraded due to pollution, destruction of the park design elements and damage to trees. That's why the ecologists have asked the Prosecutor General of Ukraine to punish the protesters who destroyed Mariinsky Park.
11:35. 'Standing without a specific and achievable goal discredits Euromaidan', political consultant Victor Ukolov told LB.ua, adding that the government opted for internal disintegration of Euromaidan.
11:50. Tonight unidentified men burnt Opel Omega, which was used by members of Maidan in Kharkov for organizing events.
12:00. Traffic police stops any cars suspected of being firewood suppliers for Euromaidan in Kyiv.
12:21. Kyiv City Council urged Euгromaidan "let people live peacefully".
12:34. Solomiaianska district state administration (SDSA) will sue the deputies of the opposition party 'Svoboda' and other Euromaidan activists to make them compensate damage they caused to the conference room of SDSA, where Kyiv City Council was held today.
13:02. Maidan activists are still held in jail, despite the fact that President Viktor Yanukovich signed the law on their release yesterday.
13:21. Chairman of the opposition "Batkivshchyna" faction Arseniy Yatsenyuk says that the opposition leaders are ready for arrest on basis of accusation of an attempted coup.
13:28. Russian President Vladimir Putin says he is convinced that expansion of the Customs Union will benefit its member states and all the region.
13:45. Euromaidan participants decided to rename the National Association 'Maidan' to All-Ukrainian Union 'Maidan', says lawmaker from the opposition 'Batkivshchyna' faction Alexander Turchinov. He says that such decision was made because in accordance with applicable law, 'when the union is a nationwide organization, this fact should be mentioned in the title of the association'.
14:21. Prime Minister Nykolai Azarov at the meeting with his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev confirmed that President Viktor Yanukovich was supposed to attend the meeting of the Supreme Eurasian Council in Moscow, эbut he couldn't. Azarov did not elaborate on what prevented President from coming.
14:57. Deputy from the ruling Party of Regions Vladimir Oliynik says that the law enforcement officials who used force against the Maidan protesters are the subject to the Law 'On elimination of negative impacts and prevention of the prosecution and punishment in connection with the events that took place during the peaceful assemblies' signed by President Viktor Yanukovich on December 23.
15:07. Part of the Maidan medical volunteers was driven out from Independence Square because of a conflict with, presumably, Medical service organized by Euromaidan headquarters.
15:18. Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara said that the decision on the ban on the entry to Ukraine to 36 foreigners could be adopted only by the competent bodies, in particular the Security Service, Interior Ministry, State Border Service and the Migration Service of Ukraine. Thus, he said, Foreign Ministry has nothing to do with that.
'The Foreign Ministry has no right to make such decisions', - said Kozhara at a press conference, when asked about the ban on the entry of foreign citizens to Ukraine.
15:34. Leonid Kozhara says Ukraine expects to resume negotiations on the Association Agreement with the EU after the winter holidays.
'Many people live not by reason, but by emotions. During this emotional outburst politicians, extremists and various provocateurs have started playing on this. We needed all of this to draw conclusions, and that's what we are doing in order to prevent such occurrences in the nearest future. The Lord God has given us this test, and we have to pass it with an open face, looking into people's eyes', said Viktor Yanukovich at the meeting with the candidates for the posts of chairpersons of the regional administrations.
16:08. 'Ukraine considers cooperation with the countries of the Customs Union only as cooperation within the free trade zone with the Commonwealth of Independent States member states', Prime Minister Nykolai Azarov told journalists in Moscow.
The idea of the project is to bring together photos and stories of the people supporting Euromaidan, but who for various reasons cannot attend Kyiv's Independence Square.
Following the results of 'Virtual Maidan' we'll collect pictures of the people supporting the protest in one big collage that will be exhibited in a public space in order to support the Maidan protesters.
Send us your group, family or individual photos and stories of why do you support Euromaidan and why you are standing on your own personal Maidans to [email protected].
The best photos and stories will be published on LB.ua in the special project "Virtual Maidan".
16:45. 'Ukraine is no longer seeking changes to the already paraphed text of the Association Agreement with the EU', said Foreign Minister Leonid Kozhara at a press conference 'Performance results of the Foreign Ministry in 2013'.
17:09. Euromaidan activist Pavel Mazurenko died in Kiev on Tuesday, December 24.
A friend of the deceased Sergei Sirotenko wrote in Facebook that his death was caused by beatings by "Berkut" special forces on December 18.
'On December 18 in Kyiv police brutally beat my friend, Mazurenko Pavel (41 years old, a wife, seven year old son). As he told his friend on the phone on the next day - 'for Maidan'. 'Berkut' patrol stopped him on his way home and asked for his documents. Instead of the documents he had just a photocopy, so they concluded that he came to Maidan and his passport had been taken by the seniors. Saying "we are so tired of your Maidan", three 'Berkut' officers severely beat him and left him on the street", says his post in Facebook.
'He got home on his own. His wife called an ambulance. It arrived, medics offered to drive him to a hospital. Pavel refused, because he thought it would be expensive. But it wasn't. Two days later he died in intensive care of the 12th hospital at Podvysotskogo Street. Captain from Shevchenkyvskyi police department came to the hospital because a record in a history of the disease said 'beaten on Maidan'. Captain took testimony from his wife Lesia. She told him about all the circumstances of the death. His body was sent for forensic examination. Today forensics diagnosed - 'pneumonia'. Lesya - shocked: 'They killed a person and blamed it on pneumonia', wrote Sirotenko.
Police has denied involvement to the death of Pavel Mazurenko.
22:20. Odessa Regional Council refused to vote in favour of an appeal to the rectors of the local universities on inadmissibility to send students to Kyiv to participate in Anti-Maidam rallies.
22:25. One of the organizers of Euromaidan in Kharkov was beaten and wounded on Tuesday evening.
22:45. Traffic police prevents the entry of trucks to the centre of Kyiv.
23:08. Euromaidan in Lviv gathered about one thousand people.
23:55. Euromaidan in Kharkov thanked police for maintaining peace and order.
Read next: Ukrainian crisis: December 25