Former Commander Of Interior Troops Shuliak Tells During Trial Of Yanukovych About 2,000 Armed Protesters Near Mezhyhiria Residence On February 21, 2014

Stanislav Shuliak, former commander of the Interior Troops, said during the trial of former president Yanukovych accused of high treason that he was reported about 2,000 armed protesters near the Mezhyhiria residence in Kyiv region on February 21, 2014.

He was interrogated as a witness via video conference during the trial on Thursday, Ukrainian News Agency reports.

According to him, he was reported that automatic firearms were given to activists of the Euromaidan on Zankovska Street in Kyiv on February 20, 2014.

According to him, there were armed men on Bohatyrska Street which leads to the Mezhyhiria residence.

"My observers saw at about 10 p.m. (on February 21) and calculated a group of some 2,000 men with small arms and automatic firearms," he said.

He believes activists of the Euromaidan had seized the weapon at police stations in the west of Ukraine.

He says protesters were planning to attack the Presidential Administration, the Cabinet of Ministers, and the Verkhovna Rada on February 21, 2014.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, on Thursday, the Obolonskyi District Court of Kyiv interrogates Stanislav Shuliak, former commander of the Interior Troops, within the trial of former president Viktor Yanukovych accused of high treason.

He is a witness from the defense. He says he is in the Crimea annexed by Russia.

He says he lives in Russia and is not employed at present.