Pro-EU demonstrators claim Yanukovych has ignored their demands to resign, call a new election and rescind his harsh laws against protesters.

Two people died in clashes in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv on Wednesday (January 22), forcing the President to call for a special Parliamentary session next week to discuss the spiralling protests.

Serhiy Nihoyan, the 20-year-old son of Armenian refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh and Belarusian citizen Mikhail Zhyznewski, who was at the protest with Una-Unso, a Ukrainian far-right group, are reported to be the two victims confirmed dead by officials in Kyiv.

Protests in Ukraine turned violent on Wednesday as demonstrators clashed with riot police in Kyiv ©Getty Images



A third activist, Yuriy Verbytsky, has been found dead in a forest outside Kyiv, with reports claiming he was abducted this week.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov denied that police were responsible for the deaths.

In Lviv, residents came to rally near the region's administration building.

However, some protesters began calling on people to go inside, get a meeting with Governor Oleg Salo and learn about his attitude toward the events in Kyiv, leading to a storm of the office.

The protesters then forced Salo to sign a resignation on a piece of paper which read, "I ask to be freed of my duties."

Salo, appointed by Yanukovych in October, later said that he had acted under duress and the resignation was invalid.

A rally in the western city of Lviv turned violent after protesters forced their way into the governor's office and forced him to sign a letter of resignation ©Getty Images



Speaking to insidethegames last week, Sergey Bubka, President of the Ukrainian Olympic Committee, claimed the protests would have no affect on the city's Olympic bid due to the wide public support for sporting events.

"The Olympic Games are about sport, and everyone is very very positive - there is no danger there," he said.

These comments were made before the episodes of violence that have plagued the protests.

No further comment has yet been made.

A fragile truce was called yesterday following the two deaths in Kyiv, however, protesters have begun erecting new barricades after crisis talks between President Yanukovych and opposition leaders stalled.

Demonstrators have also occupied the main agricultural ministry building in order to stay out of the freezing temperatures as the truce with riot protesters continues.

Governors' offices have also allegedly been seized by protesters in the western cities of Ternopil and Rivne

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