Yanukovych reportedly declares he is Ukraine’s president and plans press conference in Russia on Feb. 28

The announcement added to a wild day in which Ukraine’s overthrown leader sent a message to Ukraine in which he declares himself the legitimately elected president of the nation, despite being impeached on Feb. 22 by parliament after he fled his duties ahead of an arrest warrant that charges him with the mass murders of EuroMaidan protesters. 

Aside from the murder charges involving the deaths of nearly 100 protests, Arseniy Yatseniuk — confirmed in parliament as Ukraine’s new prime minister — accused Yanukovych of stealing as much as $70 billion from Ukraine in the last three years. 

“I, Viktor Fedorovych Yanukovych, am addressing the people of Ukraine. I still believe myself to be the legitimate head of the Ukrainian state elected in a free vote by Ukrainian citizens,” said the writes address obtained by Interfax and other news agencies on Feb. 27.

The Kyiv Post could not independently confirm the authenticity of the statement.

However, citing a Russian government source, Interfax news service reported that Yanukovych is being provided safe haven in Russia. “Considering that President Yanukovych has appealed to the Russian authorities to ensure his personal security, I am informing you that this request has been granted on the territory of the Russian Federation.” 

Yanukovych, impeached by parliament on Feb. 22 for abandonment of presidential duties and gross human rights violations, said asked Russian authorities to ensure his personal security.

Rather than addressing his alleged crimes, Yanukovych’s statement cited threats against him and his allies. “Threats of reprisals are coming to me and my associates. I have to ask the authorities of the Russian Federation to ensure my personal security from extremists’ actions,” Yanukovych said in the statement.

Journalist says Crimean parliament to meet in emergency session at 2 p.m. today

Zair Akadyrov, an editor for Crimean newspaper Argumenty Nedeli in Simferopol, said journalists were not allowed inside the building of the Crimean Parliament for a closed emergency session called at 2 p.m. today. Parliament dismissed Crimean president Anatoliy Mogilev and called for a May 25 election to give the peninsula greater autonomy.

Akadyrov said that — combined with the violent protests that killed two people and injured scores in Crimea on Feb. 26 — it’ clear that the “Russian scenario” of attempting to reclaim Crimea is taking place.

Armed gunmen believed to be from Russia took over Crimea’s parliament building and its regional government headquarters at 4 a.m. today. “They (the Russian side) are going to legitimize ex-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, the situation in the country is going to sharpen next days because of the standoff in Crimea and unclear situation in Crimean parliament,” Akadyrov told the Kyiv Post.

According to Akadyrov, around 500 pro-Russian activists are gathered now near the building of Crimean parliament.
“The most disturbing point in Yanukovych’s statement is that he’s calling for the deputies who still support him to gather in Sevastopol on March 3,” Akadyrov said.

Russian boxing champion Nikolai Valuev come to Sevastopol, he claims to “support Crimean citizens.”

Moskal blames new interior minister, SBU chief for not catching Yanukovych

Hennady Moskal, the police general and a member of parliament with the Batkivshchyna Party, accused new Interior Minister Arsen Avakov and Security Services of Ukraine (SBU) chief  Valentyn Nalyvaichenko of allowing instability in Crimea and inaction in searching for the fugitive Yanukovych. 

“The outstanding events are going on in Crimea, but nobody has gone there yet, all are sitting here. Nobody is negotiating (with Crimean extremists),” he said. “The fact that Yanukovych is still not in prison is not his achievement, it is just lack work by Mr. Avakov and Mr. Nalyvaichenko.”

Vitaly Yarema, new deputy prime minister, will seek extradition of Yanukovych

Vitaly Yarema, a confirmed as deputy prime minister for security issues, said that if Yanukovych is in Russia, Ukraine’s authorities “will address the president of the Russian Federation and the prosecutor general will a plea for extradition of the suspect Yanukovych to Ukraine to bring him into court.”

On Crimea, Yarema said: “We are going to negotiate with people, who are now there. We are excluding arms conflict as it seems to me that those people are expecting it.” 

He added he was hoping that Russian special forces had not taken over the Crimean government buildings, but rather “some bandid group.” He didn’t rule out that the gunment might include members of the disbanded Berkut riot police, saying that some 40 militants of the Kyiv Berkut unit have fled.

Ukrainian government source says Russia is warned against interference

A high-ranking Ukrainian source believes that the gunmen who took over the government buildings are Russians.

“Nobody can understand who took over, but it seems it’s the Russians,” the Foreign Ministry source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of sensitivity of the developing situation. “I hope this is just clanking of weapons.”

The source said that the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry issued a note to the Russia Federation to warn the neighbor against unauthorized movement of military vehicles on the peninsula. The note said that these moves would be in violation of the bilateral agreement on Russian military base in Crimea. Earlier in the day, there were reports of Russian armored personnel vehicles moving on the southern coast.

Ukraine is hoping to solve the problem internally, but is prepared to engage third parties to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict. “If we don’t solve it ourselves, we will try to use the Budapest Memorandum (on Security Assurances),” the foreign ministry source said.

Under this accord, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States serve as guarantors of Ukraine’s borders and security after they pledged to support Ukraine in any attempt of aggression by a nuclear power or during attempts of economic coercion. The accord was signed in 1994 when Ukraine took a decision to give up its nuclear arsenal.

Ukraine might also address the United Nation’s Council to consider the issue, and invite the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to intervene.

Yanukovych vows to ‘fight to the end’

Yanukovych has described the latest decisions adopted by the country’s parliament as illegitimate.

“Regrettably, the events that are happening in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine today are illegitimate,” he said. Parliament is currently adopting decisions in the absence of many members of the Party of Regions and other factions who fear for their lives, he said, adding that some of these parliamentarians had been subject to violence and had been forced to flee Ukraine illegally.

Yanukovych says the crisis settlement agreement reached with the opposition on Feb. 21 has not been fulfilled.

“I think that the agreement settling the Ukrainian crisis, which the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition and I signed in the presence of our esteemed Western partners on Feb. 21 remains unfulfilled,” Yanukovych said. 

Yanukovych says he will insist on the fulfillment of the compromise agreement on the settlement of the political crisis in Ukraine.

“I officially declare my determination to fight until the end for the implementation of the important compromise agreements concerning the Ukrainian recovery from the profound political crisis,” Yanukovych said.

He warns that any orders on using the Ukrainian armed forces inside the country would constitute a crime.

“I, as the incumbent president, have not allowed the armed forces to intervene in the domestic political events. I am ordering this now, as well,” Yanukovych said “If anyone issues such orders to the armed forces, security and law enforcement agencies, such orders will be illegal and criminal.”

Yatseniuk: Yanukvoych no longer president of Ukraine

Batkivschyna Party faction leader Arseniy Yatseniuk reacted to the former president’s statement on Feb. 27, saying that Yanukovych is no longer the president of Ukraine, but a wanted person.

“He is no longer the president. He is a wanted person who is suspected of mass murder, committing a crime against humanity,” he told reporters in parliament.

Acting Prosecutor General Oleh Makhnitsky said at a briefing in Kyiv on Feb. 26 that the ex-president and former Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko had been put on the international wanted list.

Updated 19:02 Kyiv time