"His [Yanukovych's] presidency had come to a premature end amid unprecedented internal polarization and the worst state-sponsored violence against civilians that independent Ukraine had ever seen. Relying on public coercion and party-based patronage (much like Russia’s Vladimir Putin), Yanukovych had tried to keep a tight grip on the state and had indulged his own strong urge to crush dissent...
"Externally, Yanukovych’s ouster became a pretext for Russian interference with Ukrainian sovereignty, as Moscow disputed the legitimacy of his removal, seized control of the Crimean Peninsula, and promoted a violent separatist drive in the south and east...
"Yanukovych spent his first year in office laying the groundwork for autocratic rule. In doing so, he helped to transform Ukraine’s minimalist electoral democracy into an electoral authoritarian system. It featured a high level of contestation but also a flawed electoral process, few formal checks on the executive, and tight presidential control of several key 'independent' institutions."
PDF: https://www.academia.edu/download/34294783/Kudelia-YanukRegime-JoD-July2014.pdf