Ivan Katchanovski, professor of political science at the University of Ottawa, conducted a study on the massacre perpetrated by snipers on the Maidan square of Kiev in February, 2014.

This document, from a presentation to the American Association of Political Sciences in San Francisco in September 2015, is the first academic study on this event.

It uses rational choice theory and Weber’s theory of instrumental rationality to examine the actions of key players from both the Yanukovich government, specifically various police and security forces, and opposition, especially of the extreme right and oligarchic elements, during the massacre.

The paper analyzes a large amount of material available from different sources: about 1500 videos and recordings from the internet and television in different countries (about 150 gigabytes), newsletters and social media messages from a hundred journalists covering the massacre of Kiev, about 5000 photos, and nearly 30 gigabytes of radio interceptions of snipers and commanders of the Alfa unit of the Security Service of Ukraine and Ministry troops of the Interior and finally records of the massacre trial. This study is also based on field research on the massacre site, witness’ reports from both camps, the commanders of the special units, the statements made by current and former government officials, approximate estimates of ballistic trajectories , bullets and weapons used and the types of injuries on both sides. This study establishes a specific timetable for the various events of the massacre, the shooters locations and the precise timing and location of the death of nearly 50 protesters.

This university investigation concluded that the massacre was a false flag operation, which was rationally planned and executed with the aim to overthrow the government and seize power.

Ivan Katchanovski teaches at the School of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. He has been a visiting scholar at the Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University, visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the State University of New York at Potsdam, postdoctoral fellow at the Political Science Department at the University of Toronto and Kluge Postdoctoral Fellow at the Kluge Center at the Library of Congress.