Maidan casualties, known in Ukraine as the Heavenly Hundred (, Nebesna sotnya; or "Heavenly Company"), are people who were killed during the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution of Dignity, part of the wider Euromaidan movement, and the early phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War. The list includes 130 identified individuals from both sides of the conflict who died during the events, including 18 police officers who were killed by protesters. The majority of those killed were civilians who supported the revolution. On 21 February, Verkhovna Rada recognized the perished protesters as victims. On 21 November 2014 a decree by Petro Poroshenko posthumously awarded the Hero of Ukraine title to the Ukrainian protesters of Euromaidan who were killed. Three non-Ukrainian citizens killed in the events were each posthumously awarded the title Knight of the Order of the Heaven's Hundred Heroes. Since 2015 "the Day of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes" is celebrated on 20 February to commemorate the deaths. History The first deaths occurred on Unity Day, 22 January, during riots on Hrushevskoho Street in Kyiv, where three activists were shot dead. On the same day, the dead body of activist Yuriy Verbytsky was found on the city outskirts; he had been kidnapped a day before with Ihor Lutsenko, who was released. These were the first victims to die in demonstrations in Ukraine since it gained national independence in 1991. The deaths caused widespread protests. On 23 January, then Prime Minister Mykola Azarov in a BBC interview said that police had not been issued firearms, and said no police officers were located on the rooftops around the protest area. He stated that the shooting of protesters was a provocation by extremist forces aimed at escalating violence. Party of Regions MP Arsen Klinchayev stated during a memorial service in Luhansk for those killed on 22 January by police, "These people were against the government. Nobody has the right to use physical force against police officers. And then they have their sticks, then stones, then something else. The police have the right to defend their lives. So I think it's right that these four people were killed. Moreover, I believe that you need to be stricter." Five more deaths in connection with Euromaidan occurred between 25 January and 13 February. The second active phase started February 18. After a brief truce on 19 February, the clashes renewed 20 February. According to the newspaper Ukrainska Pravda, special forces