Yanukovych received a second sentence: 15 years in prison

In addition to the fugitive president, the former deputy head of the Probation Service was also sentenced.

The fourth president of Ukraine received a second sentence in a Ukrainian court – 15 years in prison for inciting desertion and organizing illegal crossing of the state border.

As noted in a message on the website of the Prosecutor General’s Office , a verdict was passed against the fourth President of Ukraine and the former Deputy Head of the State Security Department of Ukraine – Head of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine.

Thus, the Podilskyi District Court of Kyiv found them guilty of committing crimes and imposed punishment.

For the former President of Ukraine – 15 years of imprisonment for organizing the illegal smuggling of persons across the state border of Ukraine and inciting desertion (Part 2 of Article 332, Part 4 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

The former deputy head of the probation service was sentenced to 10 years in prison for organizing the illegal smuggling of people across the state border of Ukraine and desertion (Part 2 of Article 332, Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

“Prosecutors proved in court that on February 23, 2014, the former president of Ukraine, acting in collusion with the former head of the Presidential Security Service and representatives of the Russian Federation, illegally crossed the state border of Ukraine by air and organized the transfer of at least 20 people from among his close circle and military personnel on probation,” the prosecutor’s office noted.

It is emphasized that the flight was carried out outside the state border checkpoint for air traffic. They took off in three Russian military helicopters under the control of a pilot of the Russian armed forces from the vicinity of the village of Urzuf, Mangush district, Donetsk region, towards Russia to the military airfield in the city of Yeysk.

After staying there for some time, they flew to Anapa, and from there, on a military transport plane provided by representatives of the Russian Armed Forces, they headed to the Gvardiyskoye military airfield in Crimea.

“Later, the ex-president decided, with the assistance of the Russian Armed Forces, to finally leave Ukraine. While on the territory of the military unit of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in the area of Cossack Bay in the city of Sevastopol, he incited the servicemen of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, who provided his personal security, to desert and leave for Russia. The ex-president was taken out of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea by sea by Russian military personnel,” the UCP recalled.

As a result, some state security officers left Sevastopol for Russia with the ex-president on a ship. They did not return to military service.

It is also noted that the fugitive president’s travel route through the territory of Ukraine and Russia was planned, fully controlled, and escorted by officers of the Federal Security Service and military personnel of the Southern Military District of Russia. “He agreed directly with the Russian president,” the prosecutor’s office added.

The case was considered under the procedure of special judicial proceedings in absentia (in the absence of the accused), as the individuals are fugitives from justice.

The prosecutor’s office reminded that this is the second sentence for the former president: in January 2019, he was convicted of high treason and aiding and abetting in waging an aggressive war (Part 1 of Article 111, Part 5 of Article 27, Part 2 of Article 437 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine) and sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Also, 15 former employees of the Security Service of the President of Ukraine of the State Protection Department were previously reported as suspected of desertion (Part 2 of Article 408 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

(C)UNIAN 2025