The Podolsky District Court of Kyiv found Viktor Yanukovych guilty of illegally transporting persons across the state border and inciting desertion. The key event occurred on February 23, 2014, when Yanukovich organized the transportation of at least 20 individuals from his entourage and military personnel of the State Protection Service to the Krasnodar region via Russian military helicopters and then to Crimea. From there, he was transported by sea.
In the night of February 22, Viktor Yanukovych fled the country after the failed 'peace agreements' signed on February 21 between the Ukrainian government and the opposition.
That March: Viktor Yanukovych appealed to Russia, requesting it use its troops to restore legality in Ukraine.
The Podolsky District Court of Kyiv passed a judgment sentencing Viktor Yanukovych in absentia to 15 years in prison. This is the second verdict against Yanukovych in Ukrainian courts: previously, in January 2019, he was sentenced in absentia to 13 years in prison for treason.