A former security guard told the court how Yanukovych fled from Kiev through Kharkov to the Crimea
Without the active assistance of the Russian authorities to the fugitive might not have been able to implement his plan
On the questioning during the court session on the case of treason of former President Viktor Yanukovych witness – employee HUGO Victor Riznichenko told about the circumstances of Yanukovych’s escape from Kiev through Kharkov to the Crimea.
Relevant testimony he gave in court, reports UNIAN.
According to Riznichenko, 21 February 2014, Yanukovych was the presidential administration in Kiev. About 17 hours, he went to the residence Mezhyhiria. About 22 hours the witness heard on the radio that Yanukovych took off by two helicopters from Ukraine in an unknown direction. A few hours after he received the order from their leaders to leave in advance team to Kharkiv.
According to Riznichenko, employees of the HUGO, including it, several cars went to Kharkov by different groups, and agreed to meet in the 110-kilometer route Kyiv-Kharkiv. At 10 am on 22 February, the HUGO from Kiev arrived in Kharkov to the residence, where already there was Yanukovych. On the same day, after lunch, Yanukovych went to Kharkov airport. At the airport he was met by two helicopters, one of them sat down Yanukovych and several guards. The second was taken by the head of the security service of the President Konstantin Kobzar, the witness and several members of HUGO. The helicopters flew to an unknown at the time to witness area.
After an hour flight the crew and passengers of the helicopter, which was the witness Manager “UkSATSE” reported that the helicopters had to return to Kharkov at the command of Alexander Turchinov (22.02.2014-27.11.2014 – Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, 23.02.2014-07.06.2014 – acting President). The Manager said that to return to Kharkov is not enough fuel and decided to land at the airport of Donetsk. 5 minutes after landing in Donetsk, the head of the security service of the President gave the command to boot in two aircraft, which stood on the nearby airfield.
The aircraft “Falcon” sat Yanukovych and head of his security, the bard, in another plane – employees of the state. The aircraft did not have time to depart, they were approached by representatives of the state border service, which was announced through the crew that the flight was banned because of some unformed of documents. After that, all passengers of both planes left the aircraft, Yanukovych moved to the car and drove away in an unknown at the time the witness direction.
Later the witness with the things of Yanukovych came to a house in Donetsk, where Yanukovych was. In some hours the car with Yanukovych and the cars went in the direction of the Crimea. While driving near Berdyansk cars stopped at the field. At the command of the chief of Yanukovych’s staff HUGO together with Yanukovych went in the field. And there landed two helicopters Mi-8 without Board rooms with the Soviet stars on Board. Witness Reznichenko suggests that it was the helicopters of the Russian Federation.
“The pilots are not known to me, they were spessartine, but without insignia on their uniforms. I think it was the pilots of the Russian Federation”, – he said. Reznichenko added that all this happened in the night of 23 February. Accompanying Yanukovych went on Board of these helicopters, and after some time, about an hour later, the helicopters landed in an unknown at that time for a witness. It was the tarmac of the airfield. What happened to Yanukovych is flying the second helicopter, the witness is not seen.
Riznichenko with colleagues slept in trailers on the airfield, on the morning of February 23 from there they took the car and drove to the aircraft An-25, which was sitting Yanukovych, several employees of the state, familiar to the witness and a group of armed men, whom the witness did not know. After that, the plane took off, and after an hour landed again for technical reasons at an unknown airfield. Passengers were told that the next plane can not fly, the passengers left the plane.
At the airport, the witness saw a car airport services with the inscription “Anapa”, so he made the assumption that this happened in the city of Anapa of the Russian Federation. Next came an An-26 aircraft, in which everyone, including Yanukovych, to move. After some time, the airplane made another landing at an unknown airfield, where he saw Russian soldiers and Russian military vehicles. Yanukovych and chaperones boarded the vehicles and drove away in an unknown direction. After some time, the witness realized that he is in the Crimea.
Came to a rest in Yalta. Riznichenko suggests that it was a recreation center owned by the Russian Federation. It was about 18 hours on February 23. About 22 hours from the head of the presidential security command came urgently to gather, after which all went to the Russian military vehicles in Sevastopol. In the Cossack Bay of Sevastopol, the car drove into the territory of the Russian military unit. There the head of the security service of Yanukovych, the bard gathered all on the parade ground, to the employees of UGO came Yanukovych and offered to those who wish to go with him, without saying exactly where to go.
The witness and several members of HUGO refused to go with Yanukovych. Kobzar said to Yanukovych that he must write a refusal of protection, UGO, and he did it. Part of the staff, HUGO decided to go with Yanukovych on, a witness called by their names. Where are his former colleagues, he now knows. Then those who remained, left their weapons in the management of state guard of the Crimea, and on February 24 morning, went to Kiev.
Where did Yanukovych, the witness is not known, since the last time you saw him on the parade ground of the military unit in Crimea.
We will remind, Yanukovych accused of committing high treason, aiding the authorities of the Russian Federation, intentional acts committed for the purpose of modifying the boundaries of the territory and the state border of Ukraine in violation of procedure established by the Constitution, waging aggressive war, crimes under part 1 article 111, part 5 article 27, part 3 of article 110, part 2 of article 437 of the Criminal code of Ukraine.