13:36
12.3.2014
Reuters reports that U.S. officials believe it was the Russian military blocking the unarmed OSCE observer mission's access to Crimea last week, citing a U.S. statement:
The U.S. diplomatic mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OCSE) quoted a report by the OSCE observer team which said the gunmen appeared to have Russian military equipment and vehicles.
Pro-Russian forces have taken over military installations across Crimea, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. When the OSCE military obsever team tried to get into Crimea last Saturday, warning shots were fired and it was turned back.
"The passage into Crimea of the multinational delegation sent to Ukraine...was blocked five times in multiple locations by heavily armed guards lacking clear national identification," a U.S. statement said.
It quoted the team's report as saying that its observations "produced significant evidence of equipment consistent with the presence of Russian Federation military personnel (in the vicinity of) the various roadblocks encountered during the period of the observation."
It also said trucks had number plates associated with the Black Sea Fleet, according to the U.S. statement.
The U.S. ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, said in the statement: "This report adds to our deep concerns and clearly suggests direct involvement by the Russian federation and its agents in preventing impartial, unarmed observers from doing the work they are supposed to do."
Pro-Russian forces have taken over military installations across Crimea, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet. When the OSCE military obsever team tried to get into Crimea last Saturday, warning shots were fired and it was turned back.
"The passage into Crimea of the multinational delegation sent to Ukraine...was blocked five times in multiple locations by heavily armed guards lacking clear national identification," a U.S. statement said.
It quoted the team's report as saying that its observations "produced significant evidence of equipment consistent with the presence of Russian Federation military personnel (in the vicinity of) the various roadblocks encountered during the period of the observation."
It also said trucks had number plates associated with the Black Sea Fleet, according to the U.S. statement.
The U.S. ambassador to the OSCE, Daniel Baer, said in the statement: "This report adds to our deep concerns and clearly suggests direct involvement by the Russian federation and its agents in preventing impartial, unarmed observers from doing the work they are supposed to do."
13:31
12.3.2014
#EU approves framework for asset freezes and travel bans against #Russia over #Crimea http://t.co/2JRzbl2SqX via @reuters @martinsanta
— Luke Baker (@LukeReuters) March 12, 2014
13:08
12.3.2014
"I want to remind everyone that I remain the sole legitimate President of Ukraine and the Supreme Commander [of the Armed Forces]. I did not give up my powers early. I am alive! I have not been impeached in accordance with the Constitution of Ukraine."
A full transcript of Yanukovych's March 11 press conference is available here:
13:08
12.3.2014
Car with Kyiv license plate in front of us ordered to pull over. We have Sevatopol plates, so waves through without questions.
— Mark MacKinnon (@markmackinnon) March 12, 2014
12:59
12.3.2014
A possibly -- no, probably -- no, most definitely drunk Russian woman explaining her views on Crimea at a pro-Russia rally at Red Square:
12:50
12.3.2014
Crimea's First Deputy PM Rustam Temirgaliyev has announced that "Crimean self-defense" forces will continue to restrict landings by civilian aircraft at Simferopol's international airport until the peninsula's March 16 independence referendum. Temirgaliyev said this was necessary to prevent the infiltration of extremists. He said the airport will resume normal operations promptly on the 17th.
12:42
12.3.2014
Another shot of "Putin's Noodles"
Акция закончилась, все разошлись pic.twitter.com/xvMZRGaqh8
— Ilya Varlamov (@varlamov) March 12, 2014
12:40
12.3.2014
The Russian Consulate in Odesa, slammed by protest noodles.
"Лапша". Консульство РФ в Одесі закидали макаронами #MediaWar pic.twitter.com/rS6iqATj3Q
— Hromadske.TV (@HromadskeTV) March 12, 2014
12:36
12.3.2014
Moshe Reuven Azman, #Ukraine's Chief Rabbi: Right Sector are against chauvinism and xenophobia, as they told Israel's Ambassador
— Myroslava Petsa (@myroslavapetsa) March 12, 2014
12:33
12.3.2014
The former governor of Ukraine's eastern region of Kharkiv, Mykhaylo Dobkin, has reportedly been placed under house arrest in Kyiv pending the completion of investigations against him. A court in the Ukrainian capital issued the ruling on March 11, and Dobkin has vowed to appeal.
Dobkin was detained in Kyiv the previous afternoon. He is suspected of violating Ukraine's territorial integrity and of making public calls to decentralize state power. Earlier this month, Dobkin, a member of the former ruling Party of Regions, announced plans to run for the presidency in a snap election called by the new authorities in Kyiv for the end of May.
Members of the Party of Regions, formerly led by ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, call Dobkin's detention politically motivated.
Dobkin was detained in Kyiv the previous afternoon. He is suspected of violating Ukraine's territorial integrity and of making public calls to decentralize state power. Earlier this month, Dobkin, a member of the former ruling Party of Regions, announced plans to run for the presidency in a snap election called by the new authorities in Kyiv for the end of May.
Members of the Party of Regions, formerly led by ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, call Dobkin's detention politically motivated.