​Ex-President Yanukovych's Son: Brother's Funeral Held In Sevastopol Because Their Mother Lives In Crimea

Oleksandr Yanukovych, the son of former president Viktor Yanukovych (2010-2014), has explained that the funeral of his brother, Viktor, was held in Sevastopol because their mother lives in Crimea, пишет издание «ukranews.com».

He was speaking in an interview with the Komsomolskaya Pravda publication.

"We decided to bury my brother here because he loved Crimea very much, especially Sevastopol. He visited the St. Nicholas Church more than once. In addition, our mother lives on the peninsula, and it will be easier for her to visit my brother's grave here," he said.

He added that he was devastated after his brother's funeral and that he wanted to fly to St. Petersburg or Moscow (Russia) as soon as possible.

On the circumstances of the death of his brother, Oleksandr said that Viktor was driving the automobile when the ice on which it was traveling began to crackle and crack.

According to him, everyone except Viktor managed to jump out of the automobile when it began to sink.

Asked whether Viktor's grave would remain unmarked, he replied in the negative.

"No, of course not! We will soon erect an engraved plaque and a monument there," he said.

According to reports by the newspaper, the funeral of Viktor Yanukovych Jr., who died in tragic circumstances on Lake Baikal, took place in Sevastopol at around noon on March 23.

The head of the St. Nicholas Church, Father Georgy, performed the funeral ceremony.

Ex-president Viktor Yanukovych, his wife Liudmyla, the deceased's wife Olha and her 5-year-old son Ilia, and close friends went to the cemetery.

As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the Party of the Regions has expressed condolences to ex-president Yanukovych and his family in connection with the death of his son, Viktor (a former parliamentary deputy for the Party of the Regions), in Russia on March 20.

Viktor Yanukovych Jr. was 33 years old.

On March 22, several media outlets reported that Viktor Yanukovych Jr. drowned while fishing on Lake Baikal in Russia.

The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations later denied these reports, saying that the deceased's name was Viktor Davydov and that he was a citizen of Russia.

There was no official information about the death of Yanukovych Jr. from the Russian authorities and law enforcement bodies.

To subscribe to our English newswire, please contact Ukrainian News Agency marketing and sales department by phone +38 (044) 494-31-61 or e-mail [email protected].