Yanukovych vows to keep fighting

Fugitive Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych is pledging to fight on for his country’s future.

He told reporters today that he “intends to keep on fighting for Ukraine’s future” against new Ukrainian authorities he described as “pro-fascist thugs”.

He was speaking in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, appearing in public for the first time since Saturday.

He spoke as the Swiss government ordered financial institutions to freeze any assets belonging to Yanukovych and people close to him.

The government said the order is effective immediately and the decision was taken in co-ordination with other financial centres.

It said the move was an attempt to “prevent any risk of misappropriation of Ukrainian government property”.

The statement didn’t specify how much, if any, money Yanukovych and his entourage have in Switzerland.

Meanwhile Ukraine’s Prosecutor General says it is preparing to seek his extradition.

Prosecutors said he is wanted on suspicion of mass murder in last week’s violent clashes between protesters and police, in which more than 80 people were killed.