The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed legislation depriving Viktor Yanukovych of his title of the president of Ukraine.

The decision was supported by 281 parliamentarians at a session on Wednesday.

Yanukovych was elected as president on February 25, 2010, according to a memo to the law N1883. On February 22, 2014, Verkhovna Rada decreed that Yanukovych removed himself from office unconstitutionally and failed to fulfill his duties.

"Effectively, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has established the fact of an early resignation by Yanukovych," the document reads.

The unconstitutional way in which Yanukovych had removed himself from office threatened the country's governance, territorial integrity and sovereignty and led to massive violation of citizens' rights and liberties.

The decision makes Petro Poroshenko the fourth Ukrainian president after Leonid Kravchuk, Leonid Kuchma and Viktor Yuschenko.