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| Frayed Nerves in Crimea as Rumors of War Spread | Frayed Nerves in Crimea as Rumors of War Spread |
| (6 months later) | |
| SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine — Rumors and raw nerves over Russia’s intentions reverberated on Monday throughout Crimea and especially this Black Sea port, where dozens of Ukrainian sailors donned orange construction helmets and draped mattresses over the side of their ship in response to what they feared was a Russian ultimatum to vacate the vessel. | |
| Across Crimea, the talk turned more to war, even as actual fighting remained hearsay and imaginary for a peninsula of two million inhabitants with little history of open ethnic conflict, particularly between Russians and Ukrainians — brother Slavs who share centuries of culture. | Across Crimea, the talk turned more to war, even as actual fighting remained hearsay and imaginary for a peninsula of two million inhabitants with little history of open ethnic conflict, particularly between Russians and Ukrainians — brother Slavs who share centuries of culture. |
| In Sevastopol, which carpets the hills surrounding Black Sea bays and inlets, a sunny, almost summery day provided an unlikely backdrop for a day jangled by worry over whether blood would actually be spilled. | In Sevastopol, which carpets the hills surrounding Black Sea bays and inlets, a sunny, almost summery day provided an unlikely backdrop for a day jangled by worry over whether blood would actually be spilled. |
| The ship — the Slavutych — was one of two vessels accorded the Ukrainian Navy at the Russian naval port here after tortuous negotiations following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Earlier Monday, a Russian minesweeper, the 912, patrolled nearby, supposedly keeping the Slavutych and a smaller vessel, the Ternopil, from departing. | The ship — the Slavutych — was one of two vessels accorded the Ukrainian Navy at the Russian naval port here after tortuous negotiations following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Earlier Monday, a Russian minesweeper, the 912, patrolled nearby, supposedly keeping the Slavutych and a smaller vessel, the Ternopil, from departing. |
| As darkness fell, the mattresses, apparently meant to help repel an attack, appeared on both ships amid widespread talk of a 5 a.m. Tuesday ultimatum issued by the Russians to clear the vessel. Russia’s official news agency denied any such ultimatum had been issued, but residents of the nearby Severnaya district of Sevastopol clustered near the vessel nonetheless, worried that hostilities would erupt. But about 90 minutes after the supposed ultimatum had expired, there were no reports of a Russian attack or Ukrainian resistance. | As darkness fell, the mattresses, apparently meant to help repel an attack, appeared on both ships amid widespread talk of a 5 a.m. Tuesday ultimatum issued by the Russians to clear the vessel. Russia’s official news agency denied any such ultimatum had been issued, but residents of the nearby Severnaya district of Sevastopol clustered near the vessel nonetheless, worried that hostilities would erupt. But about 90 minutes after the supposed ultimatum had expired, there were no reports of a Russian attack or Ukrainian resistance. |
| Five miles away, Rear Adm. Sergei I. Gaichuk took over earlier Monday as the new commander of Ukraine’s slender fleet — a naval force carved out of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and far inferior to that of the Russians, who have a lease on Sevastopol until 2042. | Five miles away, Rear Adm. Sergei I. Gaichuk took over earlier Monday as the new commander of Ukraine’s slender fleet — a naval force carved out of the Soviet Black Sea Fleet and far inferior to that of the Russians, who have a lease on Sevastopol until 2042. |
| Clearly apprehensive after his predecessor Denys Berezovsky lasted barely a day in office before joining the Russians, the admiral declared himself “on the side of the Ukrainian people” and loyal to acting President Oleksandr V. Turchynov. | Clearly apprehensive after his predecessor Denys Berezovsky lasted barely a day in office before joining the Russians, the admiral declared himself “on the side of the Ukrainian people” and loyal to acting President Oleksandr V. Turchynov. |
| Local reporters and a handful of foreigners were admitted into the command headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy, a collection of white and blue buildings on the outskirts of Sevastopol. The reporters had to pass a cordon of six armed men dressed in khaki who spoke Russian and seemed torn by their guard duty, turning to avoid cameras and casting their eyes low beneath their helmets. | Local reporters and a handful of foreigners were admitted into the command headquarters of the Ukrainian Navy, a collection of white and blue buildings on the outskirts of Sevastopol. The reporters had to pass a cordon of six armed men dressed in khaki who spoke Russian and seemed torn by their guard duty, turning to avoid cameras and casting their eyes low beneath their helmets. |
| Inside, Capt. Andrei A. Ryzhenko, 45, expressed the agony of Ukrainians now facing potential conflict with their more powerful Russian counterparts, recalling that they had cooperated perfectly in several exercises and projects involving all nations bordering the Black Sea. | Inside, Capt. Andrei A. Ryzhenko, 45, expressed the agony of Ukrainians now facing potential conflict with their more powerful Russian counterparts, recalling that they had cooperated perfectly in several exercises and projects involving all nations bordering the Black Sea. |
| “We are a little bit shocked,” the captain said. “We worked next to each other, we studied together.” It was barely credible that such closeness could fall apart in the space of a week, he said. | “We are a little bit shocked,” the captain said. “We worked next to each other, we studied together.” It was barely credible that such closeness could fall apart in the space of a week, he said. |
| That feeling was widespread in Sevastopol and the surrounding region, as what largely seemed like a phantom war fueled both dread and disbelief. | That feeling was widespread in Sevastopol and the surrounding region, as what largely seemed like a phantom war fueled both dread and disbelief. |
| One woman who had no doubt that the appearance of mysterious armed forces in her town was nothing but bad news was Elmira Ablyalimova, 39, who confronted camouflage-clad soldiers surrounding the Ukrainian military base in her hometown Bakhchysaray. | One woman who had no doubt that the appearance of mysterious armed forces in her town was nothing but bad news was Elmira Ablyalimova, 39, who confronted camouflage-clad soldiers surrounding the Ukrainian military base in her hometown Bakhchysaray. |
| She sought out their commander after a cluster of his soldiers, their guns draped over flak jackets or propped against trees, drank water just a few feet away from local children playing in a primitive playground on the edge of the small base. | She sought out their commander after a cluster of his soldiers, their guns draped over flak jackets or propped against trees, drank water just a few feet away from local children playing in a primitive playground on the edge of the small base. |
| “Please, I am begging you,” she beseeched the commander, a silent man who had descended from a military transport truck. “You’re a handsome young man, you must have a wife and children and parents, a family of your own. We don’t need you here in our town to protect us.” | “Please, I am begging you,” she beseeched the commander, a silent man who had descended from a military transport truck. “You’re a handsome young man, you must have a wife and children and parents, a family of your own. We don’t need you here in our town to protect us.” |
| He listened for several minutes then moved away, she said. Ms. Ablyalimova, who said she worked in the local administrative government, was furious. “We all know each other here” in the town of 27,000, she said. | He listened for several minutes then moved away, she said. Ms. Ablyalimova, who said she worked in the local administrative government, was furious. “We all know each other here” in the town of 27,000, she said. |
| Self-defense forces who were also patrolling outside the small base — from which the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag still waved — consisted mostly of men from different towns, she said. “I never saw them before — and they are the ones who think this is good,” Ms. Ablyalimova said. | Self-defense forces who were also patrolling outside the small base — from which the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag still waved — consisted mostly of men from different towns, she said. “I never saw them before — and they are the ones who think this is good,” Ms. Ablyalimova said. |
| “This is just Putin who decided to grab our country,” she said, referring to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who got authorization from Parliament late Saturday to deploy Russian forces to Ukraine, an addition to the thousands of Russian forces who are already allowed to be in Crimea under the 1990s arrangement to preserve the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. | “This is just Putin who decided to grab our country,” she said, referring to President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who got authorization from Parliament late Saturday to deploy Russian forces to Ukraine, an addition to the thousands of Russian forces who are already allowed to be in Crimea under the 1990s arrangement to preserve the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol. |
| “But it is our country and our motherland,” the woman insisted, identifying herself as a Crimean Tatar, one of tens of thousands who returned here after Stalin exiled them to Central Asia. | “But it is our country and our motherland,” the woman insisted, identifying herself as a Crimean Tatar, one of tens of thousands who returned here after Stalin exiled them to Central Asia. |
| Indignant, she marched off to complain again to the soldiers, and chat to friends. All said they were suffering sleepless nights. | Indignant, she marched off to complain again to the soldiers, and chat to friends. All said they were suffering sleepless nights. |
| The same kind of tired nerves were on display at a small base in Lubimovka, near Sevastopol, where about 200 Ukrainian soldiers had dug in behind sandbags on the manicured lawns of the base. Many smoked; some did not appear to have weapons to resist what they insisted was an expected Russian assault. Power had been cut, the men said. | The same kind of tired nerves were on display at a small base in Lubimovka, near Sevastopol, where about 200 Ukrainian soldiers had dug in behind sandbags on the manicured lawns of the base. Many smoked; some did not appear to have weapons to resist what they insisted was an expected Russian assault. Power had been cut, the men said. |
| A group of their wives and daughters blocked the gate, kissing their husbands and looking with hostility and apprehension at a small group of pro-Russia women nearby. | A group of their wives and daughters blocked the gate, kissing their husbands and looking with hostility and apprehension at a small group of pro-Russia women nearby. |
| Oleg Podavlovy is the deputy commander of the base, which houses the pilots who fly from the nearby military airfield of Belbek, where access was blocked Monday afternoon by a self-defense roadblock. He was unequivocal about an impending Russian assault, even as he hoped to avoid bloodshed in defending his post. | Oleg Podavlovy is the deputy commander of the base, which houses the pilots who fly from the nearby military airfield of Belbek, where access was blocked Monday afternoon by a self-defense roadblock. He was unequivocal about an impending Russian assault, even as he hoped to avoid bloodshed in defending his post. |
| “Our task is not to protect the authorities, nor deputies, but the state. We protect Ukraine — no matter whether it’s Crimea, Lviv, Donetsk — it makes no difference,” he said. | “Our task is not to protect the authorities, nor deputies, but the state. We protect Ukraine — no matter whether it’s Crimea, Lviv, Donetsk — it makes no difference,” he said. |
| “The armed forces of another state have entered our territory,” he said. “It’s aggression, pure and simple. What Russia is saying, that ‘they’re not our units, it’s self-defense militia,’ it’s nonsense. I’ve seen them, I’ve spoken with them, they’re special forces.” | “The armed forces of another state have entered our territory,” he said. “It’s aggression, pure and simple. What Russia is saying, that ‘they’re not our units, it’s self-defense militia,’ it’s nonsense. I’ve seen them, I’ve spoken with them, they’re special forces.” |
| At other military bases throughout the peninsula, tight-lipped soldiers presumed to be Russian special forces, without identifying insignia and carrying large automatic weapons, stood at the gates, preventing anyone from coming in or out. Self-proclaimed defense militias, in plainclothes but wearing red or black and orange armbands, stood in a line, creating a barrier in front of the soldiers. | At other military bases throughout the peninsula, tight-lipped soldiers presumed to be Russian special forces, without identifying insignia and carrying large automatic weapons, stood at the gates, preventing anyone from coming in or out. Self-proclaimed defense militias, in plainclothes but wearing red or black and orange armbands, stood in a line, creating a barrier in front of the soldiers. |
| In some cases, crowds gathered with Russian flags and signs denouncing the new provisional government in Kiev as fascist. Many also expressed strong anti-American views. | In some cases, crowds gathered with Russian flags and signs denouncing the new provisional government in Kiev as fascist. Many also expressed strong anti-American views. |
| Ksenia Kaluzhnaya, 40, who stood in one such crowd outside the headquarters of Ukrainian Naval Base A-0225 in downtown Sevastopol, said there was no desire for violence, but that Crimeans were defending their identity. “We don’t want a war,” Ms. Kaluzhnaya said. “We want Sevastopol as it is, as it was and always will be: a Russian city.” | Ksenia Kaluzhnaya, 40, who stood in one such crowd outside the headquarters of Ukrainian Naval Base A-0225 in downtown Sevastopol, said there was no desire for violence, but that Crimeans were defending their identity. “We don’t want a war,” Ms. Kaluzhnaya said. “We want Sevastopol as it is, as it was and always will be: a Russian city.” |
| People in the crowd angrily demanded that journalists on the scene show credentials, while one man, listening to an interpreter assisting a French journalist, shouted that only Russian should be spoken. When reporters tried to question the soldiers standing at the gate, members of the self-defense militia closed ranks and pushed the journalists away. | People in the crowd angrily demanded that journalists on the scene show credentials, while one man, listening to an interpreter assisting a French journalist, shouted that only Russian should be spoken. When reporters tried to question the soldiers standing at the gate, members of the self-defense militia closed ranks and pushed the journalists away. |
| A woman nearby who would give her name only as Tamara said: “Russians never started a war. Russians always ended wars.” | A woman nearby who would give her name only as Tamara said: “Russians never started a war. Russians always ended wars.” |