REUTERS
Former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych said during an interrogation via a video conference that during his flight from Kharkiv to Donetsk in February 2014 the air traffic controllers on behalf of the then Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Turchynov threatened to scramble warplanes to force his plane to land, an UNIAN correspondent reported from a courtroom.
First, prosecutors asked Yanukovych, if he personally met with senior Russian officials during his stay in Kharkiv February 22, 2014. "No, I have not met anyone," said Yanukovych.
When asked whether he was aware of the Russian high-ranking officials present in Kharkiv February 22, 2014, the ex-president said he was unaware of that.
Yanukovych was also asked about the reasons why he decided to fly from Kharkiv to Donetsk.
Read alsoYanukovych’s testimony void, he was caught lying many times – prosecutor"First of all, an anti-constitutional coup was starting to develop, an armed coup. Secondly, my second stop was scheduled in Donetsk. This was the second region where I planned to stop and meet with the team. And I planned this work in Donetsk. But it so happened that when I was flying to Donetsk, a military air traffic controller called and ordered the pilots to fly me back to Kharkiv," said Yanukovych.
"But I asked who he was to give such orders to the president of Ukraine? He said that he was given such an order by Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Aleksandr Valentynovych Turchynov. This pilot replied that he had the president on board, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. This is the first thing. And secondly, even if he had listened to this controller, he had not enough fuel intanks to return to Kharkiv, because we were already approaching Donetsk," Yanukovych claimed.
"He (the controller) started threatening him (the pilot) to scramble fighter jets that would force us to land," said Yanukovych.
The prosecutor, in turn, insisted that Yanukovych told about the purpose of his visit to Donetsk and about the people he had met there.
"I met with the armed men, with the border guards, who met me up in arms, and they told me they had been instructed to detain me. I smiled and said: “You know that you are committing a crime. You have no right to do it..." said Yanukovych.
"They agreed with this, and I am speaking very briefly here. But it is also a matter of a separate case on the attempt on the president’s life," said Yanukovych.