Yanukovych claims presidency

Ousted Ukrainian leader Viktor Yanukovych on Tuesday said that he was still the country's legitimate president and commander-in-chief, saying he believed he would be able to return to Kiev soon. "I remain not just the sole legitimate president of Ukraine but also commander-in-chief," he said in his first public appearance in over a week, in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don. "As soon as the circumstances allow and I am sure there is not long to wait, I will without doubt return to Kiev," he added. In contrast to his lengthy press conference when he re-emerged in Russia, Yanukovych, who was speaking Russian, gave only a seven minute statement in a conference hall in Rostov-on-Don, standing in front of several Ukrainian flags, according to AFP.