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| Ukraine crisis: voting begins in Crimea as president warns of Russian 'invasion' | Ukraine crisis: voting begins in Crimea as president warns of Russian 'invasion' |
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| Voting has got under way in Crimea in a referendum that will decide whether the Black Sea peninsula leaves Ukraine and becomes part of Russia. | Voting has got under way in Crimea in a referendum that will decide whether the Black Sea peninsula leaves Ukraine and becomes part of Russia. |
| Polling stations opened at 8am local time (6am GMT) and are due to close 12 hours later. Provisional results will be released late on Sunday, with the final tally expected one or two days later. A vote in favour of leaving Ukraine could prompt US and European sanctions against Russian officials as early as Monday. | |
| The majority of Crimea's 1.5 million electorate are thought to be in favour of leaving Ukraine and becoming part of Russia, but others see the referendum as part of a land grab by the Kremlin. Ethnic Tatars, Sunni Muslims of Turkic origin who make up 12% of Crimea's population, have said they will boycott the referendum. | |
| European leaders and the US president, Barack Obama, have dismissed the vote, which has been organised by Crimea's pro-Russian authorities at short notice, as illegitimate, saying it would violate Ukraine's constitution. | European leaders and the US president, Barack Obama, have dismissed the vote, which has been organised by Crimea's pro-Russian authorities at short notice, as illegitimate, saying it would violate Ukraine's constitution. |
| According to ballot papers published before the referendum, voters have the right to choose one of two options, neither of which rejects control by Russia. | According to ballot papers published before the referendum, voters have the right to choose one of two options, neither of which rejects control by Russia. |
| The first question asks: "Are you in favour of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?" The second asks: "Are you in favour of restoring the 1992 constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?" This envisages making Crimea an independent entity within Ukraine, with the broad right to determine its own path and choose relations with whom it wants, including Russia. | The first question asks: "Are you in favour of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?" The second asks: "Are you in favour of restoring the 1992 constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?" This envisages making Crimea an independent entity within Ukraine, with the broad right to determine its own path and choose relations with whom it wants, including Russia. |
| On Saturday, Ukraine's president said there was a "real danger" Moscow would seize further territory after the referendum in Crimea, and he accused "Kremlin agents" of orchestrating turmoil in the Russian-speaking east of his country. | On Saturday, Ukraine's president said there was a "real danger" Moscow would seize further territory after the referendum in Crimea, and he accused "Kremlin agents" of orchestrating turmoil in the Russian-speaking east of his country. |
| The acting leader, Oleksander Turchynov, said there was every possibility Russia would advance deeper into Ukraine. He told parliament: "The situation is very dangerous. I'm not exaggerating. There is a real danger from threats of invasion of Ukrainian territory." | The acting leader, Oleksander Turchynov, said there was every possibility Russia would advance deeper into Ukraine. He told parliament: "The situation is very dangerous. I'm not exaggerating. There is a real danger from threats of invasion of Ukrainian territory." |
| A group of Russian commandos advanced beyond Kremlin-occupied Crimea on Saturday and landed by helicopter in an area of southern Ukraine under Kiev's control, Ukraine's defence ministry said. About 60 Russian troops arrived in four helicopters at 1.30pm in the village of Strilkove, in Kherson province, three miles (5km) beyond the autonomous Crimean border. Another 60 flew in in six helicopters at 3.30pm. | A group of Russian commandos advanced beyond Kremlin-occupied Crimea on Saturday and landed by helicopter in an area of southern Ukraine under Kiev's control, Ukraine's defence ministry said. About 60 Russian troops arrived in four helicopters at 1.30pm in the village of Strilkove, in Kherson province, three miles (5km) beyond the autonomous Crimean border. Another 60 flew in in six helicopters at 3.30pm. |
| Early reports suggested Ukrainian forces had evicted them, but the Russian contingent still appeared to be there on Saturday night. A spokesman for Ukraine's border guard service, Oleg Slobodyan, said the Russians had taken up positions next to a gas production facility, backed by three armoured personnel carriers. Ukrainian troops had reportedly retreated to a nearby crossroads. | Early reports suggested Ukrainian forces had evicted them, but the Russian contingent still appeared to be there on Saturday night. A spokesman for Ukraine's border guard service, Oleg Slobodyan, said the Russians had taken up positions next to a gas production facility, backed by three armoured personnel carriers. Ukrainian troops had reportedly retreated to a nearby crossroads. |
| Ukraine's foreign ministry dubbed the incursion a "military invasion" by Russia. It demanded that Moscow withdraw its forces and said Ukraine "reserves the right to use all necessary measures" to stop the invasion. The area, Arbatskaya Strelka, is a long section of land running parallel to Crimea. Since independence it has been in Kherson province, but the land was originally part of Soviet Crimea and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, may be attempting to restore this communist-era border. | Ukraine's foreign ministry dubbed the incursion a "military invasion" by Russia. It demanded that Moscow withdraw its forces and said Ukraine "reserves the right to use all necessary measures" to stop the invasion. The area, Arbatskaya Strelka, is a long section of land running parallel to Crimea. Since independence it has been in Kherson province, but the land was originally part of Soviet Crimea and the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, may be attempting to restore this communist-era border. |
| Most of the infrastructure that supplies Crimea with water and electricity is in the Kherson region. Reports suggest that Crimea's secessionist authorities have claimed the gas production company that owns the facility, which would explain the arrival of Russian troops. | Most of the infrastructure that supplies Crimea with water and electricity is in the Kherson region. Reports suggest that Crimea's secessionist authorities have claimed the gas production company that owns the facility, which would explain the arrival of Russian troops. |
| Ukraine's acting foreign minister, Andriy Deshchyta, said on Saturday it was essential that the new government in Kiev, supported by the EU and the US, resists what he called Russian "provocations". He said he was prepared to discuss greater autonomy for Crimea but only with the proper legal authorities, and not while there were "guns on the streets". He described the referendum as totally illegal. In Kiev, the Rada, Ukraine's parliament, voted to dissolve the regional assembly in Crimea that organised Sunday's poll and has already endorsed union with Russia. | Ukraine's acting foreign minister, Andriy Deshchyta, said on Saturday it was essential that the new government in Kiev, supported by the EU and the US, resists what he called Russian "provocations". He said he was prepared to discuss greater autonomy for Crimea but only with the proper legal authorities, and not while there were "guns on the streets". He described the referendum as totally illegal. In Kiev, the Rada, Ukraine's parliament, voted to dissolve the regional assembly in Crimea that organised Sunday's poll and has already endorsed union with Russia. |
| At the UN security council in New York, Russia vetoed a US-backed motion declaring the Crimea referendum invalid. The Russian envoy, Vitaly Churkin, claimed Crimea was given illegally to Ukraine in Soviet times – a view apparently held by Putin. Russia's vote was the only no, with China abstaining, while 13 nations voted yes. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said the result underscored Moscow's profound isolation over Crimea. Russia could not, she said, "deny the truth that there is overwhelming international opposition to its actions". | At the UN security council in New York, Russia vetoed a US-backed motion declaring the Crimea referendum invalid. The Russian envoy, Vitaly Churkin, claimed Crimea was given illegally to Ukraine in Soviet times – a view apparently held by Putin. Russia's vote was the only no, with China abstaining, while 13 nations voted yes. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, said the result underscored Moscow's profound isolation over Crimea. Russia could not, she said, "deny the truth that there is overwhelming international opposition to its actions". |
| The mood in the east, meanwhile, remains febrile following three deaths in two days in the cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv. On Thursday evening, Russia's foreign ministry posted an ominous statement saying that Moscow reserved the right to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine. A day later, following talks in London with the US secretary of state, John Kerry, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said no invasion was planned. | The mood in the east, meanwhile, remains febrile following three deaths in two days in the cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv. On Thursday evening, Russia's foreign ministry posted an ominous statement saying that Moscow reserved the right to protect ethnic Russians in Ukraine. A day later, following talks in London with the US secretary of state, John Kerry, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said no invasion was planned. |
| There was further violence on Saturday when pro-Russian protesters stormed Donetsk's security service. There have been large pro-Russian demonstrations in both cities, stirred up – Kiev says – by Moscow and its operatives on the ground. | There was further violence on Saturday when pro-Russian protesters stormed Donetsk's security service. There have been large pro-Russian demonstrations in both cities, stirred up – Kiev says – by Moscow and its operatives on the ground. |
| Two men, aged 21 and 30, were killed by buckshot late on Friday when pro-Russian demonstrators besieged an office of the far-right Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector, which rose to prominence fighting riot police in Kiev over the winter. Police said 32 Right Sector activists and six pro-Russian demonstrators had been detained and a number of weapons seized. | Two men, aged 21 and 30, were killed by buckshot late on Friday when pro-Russian demonstrators besieged an office of the far-right Ukrainian nationalist group Right Sector, which rose to prominence fighting riot police in Kiev over the winter. Police said 32 Right Sector activists and six pro-Russian demonstrators had been detained and a number of weapons seized. |