Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych made a 10-minute statement before the press, on 11 March 2014, from Rostov-on-Don (Russia). He did not take questions from reporters.

After insisting that he still considers himself to be the legitimate president of his country and the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, he spoke out against the coup d’état.

"Hooded men (...) patrol the cities, anarchy to which the Ukrainian people have fallen prey is gaining ground. They are sacking senior army officers, those who are opposed to deploying Ukrainian armed forces against civilians in the southeast of the country. Think about it! They want to bring the army under the banner of Bandera (Nazi collaborator during the Second World War, ed) and start a civil war," he said.

He denounced the Ukrainian presidential election of 25 May as illegal, but did not take a position on the self-determination referendum in the Crimea.

Finally, he argued that "U.S. law prohibits providing financial assistance to the government of any State whose duly elected president is deposed by military coup or decree. I intend to appeal to the U.S. Congress, Senate, and Supreme Court to assess the legality of the actions of the government of that country. According to your own laws, you are prohibited from giving money to bandits."

Russian sources indicate that President Yanukovych has suffered this week from a heart attack.