The appeal of former President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych to Russian President Vladimir Putin about using Russian forces to restore "constitutional order" in Ukraine was not only read by Russia's UN representative Vitaly Churkin at the UN Security Council meeting on March 3, 2014, but the Russian side also gave this document official status," Ukraine's ex-envoy to the UN Yuriy Serheyev has said.

"The appeal of Yanukovych was not just written and presented. During the morning of the same day Russia gave the document official status in the UN Security Council, such formula exists," Serheyev said during his testimony in Kyiv's Obolonsky District Court during the treason trial against Yanukovych. Serheev was appearing as a witness.

The diplomat said that Yanukovych's letter to Putin was distributed among members of the UN Security Council.