Yanukovych: The decision on the referendum in Crimea was influenced by the Russian military
The former Ukrainian President, Viktor Yanukovych, admitted that the decision on the referendum in the Crimea on the secession from Ukraine was influenced by servicemen from the Russian Black Sea Fleet, as he stated during his video deposition, Interfax-Ukraine reports.
"It was decided to immediately start the referendum on secession from Ukraine and to join Russia. And do you know that there were many servicemen of the Russian Black Sea fleet in Sevastopol? They also strongly influenced this decision," Yanukovych stated.
According to him, he was personally against holding such a referendum in the Crimea.
Yanukovych also stated that he left Ukraine "due to fear for Ukrainians’ lives."
"I made that decision and only then did I appeal to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, and told him that I decided to leave Ukraine because I believed that it was very dangerous not only in terms of my life, but in terms of all Ukrainians’ lives," Yanukovych said.
He also believes that if he stayed in Ukraine, it would lead to civil war throughout the country.
"Such a war like the one in the Donbas would start throughout Ukraine if I had stayed," the former President said.
In March 2014, 96.8% of the voters in the Crimea voted to join the Russian Federation. This became the grounds for the annexation of the peninsula by the Russian Federation. The referendum has not been recognized by Ukraine or the international community with the exception of a few countries.