Another date: 11 years ago, Yanukovych fled Ukraine. Here's a look back at how it happened (video).

On February 24, 2025, Ukraine commemorates a tragic date—the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. However, exactly eleven years ago, on the night of February 23-24, 2014, another significant event occurred—the fleeing president Viktor Yanukovych left the territory of Ukraine with the assistance of Russian military forces. This escape foreshadowed the impending aggression from the Russian Federation and the occupation of Crimea and parts of Donbas. Based on testimonies from direct participants of the events, we recreate the complete chronology of the fourth president of Ukraine's flight.

On February 21, 2014, the day an agreement was signed with the opposition, Viktor Yanukovych began his escape from Ukraine. According to Anatoliy Mohyliov, the then-chairman of the Council of Ministers of Crimea, that morning, in the office of the president's administration, Yanukovych expressed concerns for his life allegedly due to the presence of armed groups in Kyiv.

At 5:00 PM, the presidential convoy set off for Mezhyhirya. According to Viktor Reznichenko, an employee of the State Protection Department of Ukraine, around 9:00 PM, Yanukovych ordered the helicopters to be prepared. At 10:00 PM, two helicopters carrying Yanukovych and four bodyguards—Kobzar, Sharan, Bernadsky, and Pavlenko—departed for Kharkiv.

Before leaving the residence, valuables, paintings, antiques, and dishes were taken out. During the convoy's movement to Kharkiv, unidentified individuals fired upon one of the escort vehicles. According to Oleksiy Sharan, driver Dmytro Ivantsov handed a ball from a smoothbore weapon to the security team.

In Kharkiv, Yanukovych was met by the head of the OGA, Mykhailo Dobkin. After recording a video address in which Yanukovych claimed that his vehicle had been shot at, the group urgently headed to the airport. From there, they flew to Donetsk on two Agusta helicopters, despite attempts by air traffic controllers under Turchynov's orders to return the aircraft to Kharkiv.

In Donetsk, an attempt to fly to Russia on Falcon planes failed—the State Border Service blocked the departure. According to Pavlo Shyshelin, the first deputy head of the service, the planes did not have permission to take off for the Russian Federation.

After changing their plans, Yanukovych's convoy, along with his younger son, took to the ground route. However, near Melitopol, they were ambushed—guards reported that "they were expected." To avoid the ambush, the group traveled with their headlights off along the field roads of the Zaporizhia region. Near Berdiansk, they were picked up by Russian military Mi-8 helicopters.

According to the guards' testimonies and Vladimir Putin's statements, the Russian special forces transported the group to Anapa. On the morning of February 23, Yanukovych arrived in Yalta, where he met with Klyuev, Zakharchenko, Yakimenko, and Ilyin.

Later that evening, Yanukovych moved to Sevastopol, where, on the grounds of a Russian military unit in Kazachya Bay, he renounced state protection. An attempt by a delegation from Kyiv led by Arsen Avakov and Valentyn Nalyvaichenko to detain the ex-president was unsuccessful. When Avakov and Nalyvaichenko arrived in Sevastopol, Yanukovych was not found there. He subsequently ended up in Russia, where he continues to live to this day.

Additionally, earlier "Telegraph" explained what is known about Yanukovych's godfather Prysyazhnyuk and where he is now. After the Revolution of Dignity, he fled Ukraine, and his whereabouts remained unknown for a long time.