At least 2 more MPs leave Regions Party faction in Rada

Vitaliy Khomutynnik, the head of the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada committee on tax and customs policy, has announced his withdrawal from the Party of Regions parliamentary faction.

A photocopy of Khomutynnik's application submitted to Rada Chairman Volodymyr Rybak is available on the parliamentarian's Facebook account.

"We are a step away from civil war today. The situation has gone out of control: people are being shot in the center of the capital. Peaceful people are hiding at home in panic, trying to defend themselves and their children from looters on the streets. The parliament had a chance to settle the situation, but we failed to use it wisely. And, as we see, not everyone has enough wisdom to do this now. I have decided to withdraw from the Party of Regions," Khomutynnik said.

Another parliamentarian, Serhiy Buriak, has also submitted his application on withdrawing from the Party of Regions faction. Interfax-Ukraine possesses a photocopy of Buriak's application addressed to Rybak.

There have also been unconfirmed reports that MP Mykola Dzhyha had also announced his withdrawal from the Party of Regions faction. Dzhyha was elected to the Rada in a majority district in the Vinnytsia region.

MP Yuriy Shapovalov had announced on Thursday that he had decided to leave the Party of Regions faction.