Disgraced former Verkhovna Rada deputy from the Party of Regions faction Volodymyr Oliynyk, co-author of the so-called dictatorship laws passed during Euromaidan protests in early 2014, said during an on-air interview with a Russian station that he is financing protests near parliament in Kyiv. Oliynyk said he is paying money to support the tent city erected near the Rada in the center of Kyiv, Ukraine's Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said on his Facebook page on Monday.

"Oliynyk, a disgraced former member of the Party of Regions and Yanukovych ally, said he had financed the tent city near parliament. I hope now it is clear to everyone who is paying for the banquet, which is driven by crazy ultimatums and provocations for bloodshed and calling for the dissolution of parliament, the National Guard of Ukraine, Ukraine's SBU Security Service," Avakov said.

Avakov attached a video clip of Oliynyk acknowledging his support of the protest. The ex-MP said he is paying to sustain members of the protest who erected tents in front of the Rada on Hrushevskoho Street in Kyiv.

"Semenchenko-Saakashvili-Sobolev-Derevianko [politicians organizing and actively supporting the protests], is this how you are making money? What goods are you selling to scoundrels? Why are you accepting the dirty money of disgraced ex-Party of Regions members? Taking into account all the problems the country is facing, what you are doing is grotesque, maybe worse," Avakov said.