Former Interior Troops Commander Shuliak: Euromaidan Activists Found Armoured Vehicles For Attack On 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 Euromaidan activists were ready to use armoured vehicles for an attack on the Mezhyhiria residence in Kyiv region in the early hours of February 22, 2014.

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

According to Shuliak, a number of officers and soldiers of the 95th brigade of paratroopers (based in Zhytomyr region) and the Desna military training center (Chernihiv region) joined the Euromaidan protesters.

"Several groups of armoured vehicles were prepared for the storm of the residence," he said.

The attack was planed for early hours of February 22, 2014.

"That was a direct threat to the life of the president!" he said.

According to Shuliak, Yanukovych intended to stay in Ukraine and to act in compliance with the peace agreement with the opposition.

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.