Crimea tensions rise as Russians take Ukraine naval base

W E D N E S D AY 19 MARCH 201 Militar! tensions are set to es"alate on t#e Crimean $eninsula as Russian %or"es take over a naval #ea&'uarters( an& Ukraine sa!s its troo$s )ill not )it#&ra) %rom t#e re*ion+

Russian soldiers and so-called "self-defence" units moved in on the Ukraine naval headquarters in the Crimean port city of Sevastopol early on Wednesday morning and quickly took control. Ukrainian servicemen, unarmed and in civilian clothing, have een seen leaving the ase, and three Russian flags have een hoist at the facility. "!his morning they stormed the compound. !hey cut the gates open, ut " heard no shooting," said #leksander $alanyuk, a captain in the navy.

"!his thing should have een solved politically. %o& all " can do is stand here at the gate. !here is nothing else " can do." ,We )ill sta!, !he incident is a sign of rising military tensions on the peninsula as 'osco& asserts its control the day after signing a treaty &ith the Russian-installed Crimean government to cede the region. Shortly after the incident, Ukraine(s acting defence minister said Ukrainian forces &ould not &ithdra& from the area. )sked y *ournalists follo&ing a government meeting in +iev, "hor !enyukh, a mem er of the far-right Svo oda party, said, "%o. We &ill stay." )t the $el ek air ase on the outskirts of Simferopol, Ukrainian forces remain in control and have een given an order to use their &eapons to defence the facility.

)n officer reading an order from Ukraine(s defence ministry, said, "'ilitary units located in the )utonomous Repu lic of Crimea are allo&ed to use &eapons if there is a direct threat to their lives."

#vernight Ukrainian troops moved closer to Crimea. )nti-tank trenches are eing dug in -onetsk and near Ukraine(s eastern order &ith Russia at %ovoa.ovsk. /arlier in the &eek, the Ukrainian government in +iev ordered the partial mo ilisation of 01,111 reservist troops.

,War "rime, !he military tensions follo& the death of a Ukrainian soldier on !uesday in Crimea(s main city, Simferopol 2 the first death in Crimea from a military clash since the region came under Russian control. Ukraine(s 3rime 'inister 4atsenyuk denounced the death as a "&ar crime". #n !uesday Russian 3resident 5ladimir 3utin passionately defended the anne6ation of Crimea, saying that Crimea &as an "inaliena le" part of Russia. 7o&ever, Ukraine and &estern po&ers have denounced a referendum on the &eekend in &hich 89 per cent of the population &as reported to have

voted to *oin Russia. !he most recent poll of Crimeans, conducted a month ago &hilst 3resident 5iktor 4anukovych &as still in po&er, said that *ust 0: per cent of Crimeans &ere in favour of *oining Russia. 'ean&hile the US has sent a guided-missile destroyer to the $lack Sea, in a move that it said &ould "reassure allies that &e support them." !he !ru6tun *oined $ulgarian and Romanian navies for a one-day military e6ercise &hich &as descri ed as "routine" and something that had een planned &ell efore the Crimean crisis. "!here are many reasons for e6ercises &ith allies, it allo&s us an opportunity to assure our %)!# allies that &e support them," Sha&n /klund, a pu lic affairs officer for US %aval ;orces /urope said. ,At t#e $oint o% a -alas#nikov, #n Wednesday, -avid Cameron issued a &arning to Russia that it faces e6clusion from the <= if it takes further steps in Ukraine. "" think &e should e discussing &hether or not to e6pel Russia permanently from the <= if further steps are taken," the prime minister told the 7ouse of Commons. 'r Cameron added that the Crimea referendum &as "spatchcocked together in ten days and held at the point of a Russian +alashnikov." Posted by Thavam