One of them was Viktor Yanukovych.

The Russians ordered him to prepare to return to Kyiv, but the fugitive ex-president himself did not really want that. 

The head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, said this during a telethon on the "1+1" channel.

"Perhaps my answer will surprise you, but at the beginning of the war, Russia had not decided who to appoint as the president of Ukraine. They had several options for who should become (president - ed.), but they did not have a final one. One of the most ridiculous, in my opinion, this was an option for Yanukovych's return. He was actually prepared for this. We had intelligence information from his environment about how he was preparing. By the way, he himself was not very happy about it. But there was such an option," said Budanov. 

It will be recalled that at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, in March 2022, the mass media reported that Russia had transported Yanukovych to Minsk and wanted to declare him the "president of Ukraine." 

Read also:

• The EU lifted part of the sanctions against Yanukovych and his son, as well as from Pshonka

• The Cabinet of Ministers made a decision regarding the property and assets of the ex-minister during Yanukovych's time

• Over 300 million hryvnias of Yanukovych's son were transferred to the Armed Forces