A number of former senior Ukrainian officials have been named as suspects in criminal proceedings launched following the killings of people during anti-government protests on Independence Square in Kyiv, the press service of the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine has reported.

In particular, former President Viktor Yanukovych, former Head of the Presidential Administration Andriy Kliuyev, former Prosecutor General Viktor Pshonka, former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko, former Head of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) Oleksandr Yakymenko, Commander of the Ukrainian Interior Ministry's Interior Troops Stanislav Shuliak, and a number of have been declared suspects in the case.

According to the report, as part of the proceedings searches have already been conducted in the premises of the Presidential Administration, the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC), the National Bank of Ukraine and Yanukovych's former residence in Mezhyhirya.

Criminal proceedings "on organizing premeditated murders during mass events on Independence Square in Kyiv in the period from November 2013 to February 2014" were launched by the main investigation department of the Prosecutor General's Office on February 25.

"The information on Part 2, Article 115 of the Criminal Code (premeditated murder – envisaging imprisonment from 10 to 15 years or life imprisonment) has been included in the unified register of pre-trial investigations... The qualification of the crimes is not yet final," the prosecutor's office said.

The report notes that as part of the proceedings investigators will make a legal assessment of the actions of former heads of prosecuting agencies who either resigned or were dismissed from their posts.