the party has gained seats in parliament and has net over 10% of the national vote in the 2012 parliamentary elections. The US ambassador in Kyiv, Geoffrey Pyatt, said in 2014 that he had been "positively impressed" by Svoboda's evolution in opposition and by its behavior in parliament. "They have demonstrated their democratic bona fides," the ambassador asserted. Alexander J. Motyl argues that Svoboda's brand of nationalism "has significantly diminished during, and possibly as a result of, the Euro Revolution." Membership was restricted to ethnic Ukrainians, and for a period the party did not accept atheists or former members of the Communist Party. The party has been accused of recruiting skinheads and football hooligans. On 29 August 2013, Svoboda announced the opening of a representative office, at Rue de la Science/Wetenschapsstraat 14b in Brussels, the same address as the 2012-founded European Centre for a Modern Ukraine. In government Former government officials Ihor Tenyukh – acting Minister of Defense (February–March 2014), resigned on own initiative, resignation accepted by parliament after repeated voting Oleh Makhnitsky – acting General Prosecutor February–June 2014 (not part of the Cabinet of Ukraine, officially unaffiliated) On 12 November 2014 the party's ministers in the Yatsenyuk Government resigned (they became acting ministers until a new Government was formed), they were: Oleksandr Sych – Vice Prime Minister Andriy Mokhnyk – Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources Ihor Shvayka – Minister of Agriculture Paramilitary activities With the ecclosion of the War in Donbas and the failures of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, many former Euromaidan activists and right-wing parties formed volunteer militias and paramilitary groups to fight the separatists, they are known as the Ukrainian volunteer battalions. In June 2014, Svoboda formed the "Sich" Battalion, with volunteers coming mostly from Kyiv. The Sich Battalion was placed under command of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and given official status of a "Special Tasks Patrol Police". All volunteers were required to have a military background, and included former Iraq War veterans. The unit was designed for anti-terror operations since its inception. The unit was deployed to the regions around the city of Donetsk, mostly provided internal security and participated of combat operations around Marinka and Avdiivka. By 2015, the Ministry of Internal Affairs banned people registered in political parties of enlisting in their units. The Sich Battalion cut their official ties with Svoboda and was redesignated as the 4th Company "Sich" of the