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Ukraine latest - The invasion begins: armed Russian-speaking gunmen with Crimea in their grip as Barack Obama warns Moscow Ukraine latest - The invasion begins: armed Russian-speaking gunmen with Crimea in their grip as Barack Obama warns Moscow
(35 minutes later)
Airports were taken over by armed men in combat fatigues. Barricades shut off road links to the region. Military helicopters were seen flying in across the border. Armoured personnel carriers rolled along roads. And the Crimean peninsula’s main port, Sevastopol, was blocked off.Airports were taken over by armed men in combat fatigues. Barricades shut off road links to the region. Military helicopters were seen flying in across the border. Armoured personnel carriers rolled along roads. And the Crimean peninsula’s main port, Sevastopol, was blocked off.
Yet, after all that, it still remains unclear whether Ukraine had been subjected to a fully fledged invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces, as Kiev’s new government claimed. What was very clear, however, at the end of another day of fast-moving drama, was that Kiev had lost control of part of its territory. Crimea, already semi-autonomous, may not yet be ruled by the Kremlin as the majority of its population is aggressively demanding, but it was slipping away, almost hourly, on Friday. US President Barack Obama said late on Friday night that the US was “deeply concerned by reports of military movements by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine”. He said any violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty would be “deeply destabilising” and “invite the condemnation” of nations across the world. Mr Obama also warned there “will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine”.
US President Barack Obama has warned Russia there will be costs if the country intervenes militarily in Ukraine. Mr Obama said the US is deeply concerned by reports of military movements by Russia inside Ukraine. Yet, even after that, it still remained unclear whether Ukraine had been subjected to a full-scale invasion by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces, as Kiev’s new government claimed. What was very clear, however, at the end of another day of fast-moving drama, was that Kiev had lost control of part of its territory. Crimea, already semi-autonomous, may not yet be ruled by the Kremlin as the majority of its population is aggressively demanding, but it was slipping away, almost hourly, on Friday. Ukraine’s interim President Olexander Turchynov said he was “sure that Ukraine will keep its territory, Ukraine will defend its independence, and any attempts of annexation or invasion will have very grave consequences” despite the “naked aggression against Ukraine”.
"Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interests of Ukraine, Russia or Europe," he said in a statement from the White House. “Ukrainian servicemen are performing their duties, but not succumbing to provocations, are not engaging in a military conflict as they understand the high danger that the civilian population of Crimea faces,” he added as he made a personal appeal to Mr Putin to withdraw Russian troops from area.
Ukraine's acting president has accused Russia of open aggression on Friday and said it was provoking his country in the same way as it had Georgia before going to war in 2008. The White House had expressed growing concern about Moscow’s intentions before President Obama spoke. Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the US was watching carefully to see whether Russian activity in Crimea “might be crossing a line in any way”. Mr Kerry said he had called the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the second time in two days, and Mr Lavrov had told him the Kremlin would respect the former Soviet republic’s sovereignty.
Urging Mr Putin to stop "provocations" in Ukraine's Russian-speaking Crimea, Oleksander Turchinov recalled Russia's intervention in Georgia over breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which have large ethnic Russian populations. “While we were told that they are not engaging in any violation of the sovereignty and do not intend to, I nevertheless made it clear that could be misinterpreted at this moment,” Mr Kerry said.
"Russia has sent forces into Crimea ... they are working on scenarios which are fully analogous with Abkhazia, when having initiated a military conflict, they started to annex the territory," Turchinov said in televised comments. “There are enough tensions. It is important for everybody to be extremely careful not to inflame the situation and not send the wrong messages.”
The White House expressed growing concern over Moscow’s intentions in Ukraine, with Secretary of State John Kerry delivering a blunt warning that the US was watching carefully to see whether Russian activity in Crimea “might be crossing a line in any way”. However, Olexander Turchynov accused Russia of a “military invasion and occupation”, saying Russian troops had taken up positions around a coastguard base and two airports in Crimea. The UN Security Council said it would hold private talks on the crisis, though action by the council is unlikely as Russia is a  veto-wielding permanent member.
Mr Kerry said he had called the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov for the second time in two days, and Mr Lavrov had told him the Kremlin would respect the former Soviet republic’s sovereignty. Britain announced on Friday night that it is advising against all travel to the Crimean peninsula and urged any British citizens there to leave.
“While we were told that they are not engaging in any violation of the sovereignty and do not intend to, I nevertheless made it clear that could be misinterpreted at this moment,” Mr Kerry said today. “There are enough tensions that it is important for everybody to be extremely careful not to inflame the situation and not send the wrong messages.” Speaking in public for the first time since he fled Ukraine a week ago, the former President, Viktor Yanukovych, told reporters in Russia that Moscow “must use all means at its disposal to end the chaos and terror gripping Ukraine”. But he denied encouraging military intervention.
However, Mr Turchynov accused Russia of a “military invasion and occupation”, saying Russian troops had taken up positions around a coast guard base and two airports in Crimea. The local administration in Crimea has already said a referendum would be held on 25 May – when Kiev plans to hold national post-revolution elections – on whether the Autonomous State of Crimea should have even greater autonomy.
The UN Security Council announced that it would hold private consultations to discuss the crisis in Ukraine, though action by the council is unlikely as Russia is a veto-wielding permanent member, meaning it can block any action. This was announced after deputies had met gunmen who had taken over their parliamentary buildings in the capital, Simferopol. On Friday, new Crimean officials were named, most of whom were sympathetic to separatism.
Britain announced on Friday night that it is advising against all travel to Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula and urged any British citizens there to leave. The bitterness, division and the desire for retribution that has surfaced since the overthrow of Mr Yanukovych was evident on the streets of Simferopol yesterday. Gangs of Russian-speaking men used racist epithets against Crimea’s vehemently anti-Moscow, minority Tatar community.
Speaking in public for the first time since he fled Ukraine a week ago, the former President Viktor Yanukovych told reporters in Russia that Moscow “must use all means at its disposal to end the chaos and terror gripping Ukraine”, though he also denied encouraging military intervention. The local administration in Crimea has already stated that a referendum will be held on 25 May – when Kiev plans to hold national post-revolution elections – on whether the Autonomous State of Crimea should have even greater autonomy. Into this combustible mix appeared Vladimir Zhirinovsky, seen by many internationally as a somewhat absurd figure but not here, not in the current atmosphere.
This was announced after deputies had met gunmen who had taken over their parliamentary buildings in the capital, Simferopol. on Friday, new Crimean officials were named, most of whom were sympathetic to the cause of separatism. The veteran demagogue of the Russian far right turned up at a roadblock outside Simferopol. Beaming members of the Crimean People’s Brigade were only too happy to help him on his way to Sevastopol, the home of Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet.
Pro-Russian supporters rally outside the Crimean parliament building (Getty Images) The bitterness, division and the desire for retribution that has surfaced since the overthrow of Mr Yanukovych was evident on the streets of Simferopol yesterday. Smarting from what they saw as persecution and humiliation by the revolutionaries in the capital and west of the country, gangs of Russian-speaking men were more belligerent than 24 hours earlier, some using racist epithets against Crimea’s vehemently anti-Moscow, minority Tatar community that had been campaigning against secession. There, Mr Zhirinovsky held two addresses. One, in front of the local government offices, as befits a deputy state Duma speaker, was relatively restrained: “Russia will help the economic situation here in the south-east… We Russians don’t want to create the impression we will ‘take’ Crimea… Crimea should decide its future for itself.”
Into this combustible mix came an appearance by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, seen by many internationally as a somewhat absurd figure but not here, not in the current atmosphere. The veteran demagogue of the Russian far right turned up at a roadblock outside Simferopol. The beaming members of the Crimean Peoples Brigade of locals were only too happy to help him on his way to Sevastopol, the home of Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet. Later, however, an address to men wearing the orange and black ribbons of the Russian military order of St George, was different. “Be faithful to yourselves, be proud to be Russians; we were here long before there were any ‘Ukrainians’. These ‘Ukrainians’, they have their Maidan [Kiev’s Independence Square, the centre of the protest movement]. Well, we have our Magadan.”
Pro-Russian Cossacks rally outside the Crimean parliament building (Getty Images) There, Mr Zhirinovsky held two addresses. One, in front of the local government offices, as befits a deputy state Duma speaker, was relatively restrained: “Russia will help the economic situation here in the south-east… We Russians don’t want to create the impression we will ‘take’ Crimea… Crimea should decide its future for itself.” Later, however, an address to men wearing the orange and black ribbons of the Russian military order of St George, was very different. “Be faithful to yourselves, be proud to be Russians; we were here long before there were any ‘Ukrainians’. These ‘Ukrainians’, they have their Maidan [Kiev’s Independence Square, the centre of the protest movement that demanded the removal of Mr Yanukovych]. Well we have our Magadan.”
There were loud cheers – the crowd knew he was referring to the gulag in eastern Siberia at the time of Stalin, where thousands perished.There were loud cheers – the crowd knew he was referring to the gulag in eastern Siberia at the time of Stalin, where thousands perished.
Mr Zhirinovsky had flown into Simferopol in the afternoon. In the morning, six military trucks had arrived at the airport, disgorging men in combat fatigues, balaclavas, and helmets who were carrying semi-automatic rifles and PKN machine guns. They had brought with them mortar rounds and, according to airport officials, rations for two months. Mr Zhirinovsky had flown into Simferopol in the afternoon. In the morning, six military trucks had arrived at the airport, disgorging men in combat fatigues, balaclavas, and helmets who were carrying semi-automatic rifles and PKN machine guns. They had brought mortar rounds and, according to airport officials, rations for two months.
Boots belonging to a protester are left on a makeshift memorial at the Independence square in central Kiev (Getty Images) The men refused to answer questions by journalists about whether they were Russian. The carriers bringing the men had no number plates and their fatigues had no regimental markings but were remarkably like the combat uniforms tested recently by the Russian ministry of defence, especially that of the marines. The men refused to answer questions by journalists about whether they were Russian. The carriers bringing the men had no number plates and their fatigues had no regimental markings but were remarkably like the combat uniforms tested recently by the Russian ministry of defence, especially that of the marines.
They patrolled in front of the building; a lot of it, seemingly, for the cameras. The effect of combat readiness was somewhat weakened, however, by their Kalashnikovs being unarmed, the magazines stuck in their pockets. An airport security officer, who had retreated inside the departure lounge, claimed they are “Russian military, from Sevastopol” but this could not be confirmed. They patrolled in front of the building; a lot of it, seemingly, for the cameras. The effect of combat readiness was somewhat weakened, however, by their Kalashnikovs being unarmed, the magazines stuck in their pockets. An airport security officer, who had retreated inside the departure lounge, claimed they were “Russian military, from Sevastopol”, but this could not be confirmed.
Later in the morning came members of the “Peoples’ Brigade” with their orange and black ribbons. Aleksei said he was there because “fascists and criminals” from the Maidan were on their way from Kiev. He had also heard that “people who had made themselves ministers” were due. The new Interior Minister, Arsen Avakov, and the head of the security council, Valentyn Nalyvaichenko, were due to arrive to hold talks with local leaders. Later in the morning came members of the “People’s Brigade” with their orange and black ribbons. Aleksei said he was there because “fascists and criminals” from the Maidan were on their way from Kiev. He had also heard that “people who had made themselves ministers” were due. The new Interior Minister, Arsen Avakov was due to arrive to hold talks with local leaders.
Ukrainians encircle an area filled with floral ltributes and candles as they remember those killed during the recent violent protests, in Kiev, Ukraine (EPA) This was cancelled, according to reports, because their safety could not be guaranteed. Mr Avakov charged that what was happening in Crimea was “an armed invasion in violation of all international agreements and norms”. But there was also admission of impotence, no pledge that Ukrainian forces would intervene. To do so, he claimed, would need the declaration of a national emergency. This was cancelled because their safety could not be guaranteed. Mr Avakov said that what was happening in Crimea was “an armed invasion in violation of all international agreements and norms”. But he admitted that Ukrainian forces would not intervene. To do so, he claimed, would need the declaration of a national emergency.
The military airport at Sevastopol was also taken over by armed men. Ukrainian border guards reported that they were being denied access to the routes to the Black Sea Fleet by marines. A fleet of eight military transport helicopters had also crossed into Ukrainian air space to land at Sevastopol, according to the guards.