Russian Forces Seize Ukrainian Village Beyond Border, Hotels In Crimea Stormed By Masked Gunmen
Source: Huffington Post
Russian forces have invaded the Ukraine, according to the Foreign Ministry in Kiev, with troops taking control of the village of Strilkove, six miles beyond the border of Crimea. The move comes ahead of Sundays referendum on whether the Black Sea peninsula should secede and become part of the Russian Federation.
According to AP, the seizure of the village, which involved troops, helicopter gunships and armoured vehicles, is the first move outside the peninsula by the Kremlins forces. There were no reports of gunshots fired in the village.
--snip--
Within Crimea, reports from journalists suggest that Russian Special Forces have stormed hotels, with masked men brandishing "silenced Kalashnikovs" placing residents under house arrest. Russian and Crimean authorities are claiming the move is part of a training exercise.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/03/15/russian-forces-invade-ukraine_n_4971538.html
PB
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)see 7.52pm GMT and earlier http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/15/ukraine-crisis-fatal-clashes-as-tensions-rise-before-crimea-vote-live
For Strilkove see 3.57pm GMT same link as above. Also posted in LBN here http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014756180
muriel_volestrangler
(101,314 posts)Bela Kovacs, an MEP from the far-right Hungarian party Jobbik, said that everything he had seen on Saturday conformed to international standards and he expected the vote to be free and fair.
He said there were no British observers at the referendum. The BNPs Nick Griffin really wanted to come, but we persuaded him not to, he said. He added that Griffin planned to stand for president of the European Commission: Just wait until you see what he has planned, he said.
Serge Trifkovic, a Serbian-American writer, was the most entertaining, speaking in extraordinary metaphor and railing against the west.
What is sauce for Kosovos goose is certainly sauce for Crimeas gander, he said, to the dismay of the Russian translator. When asked if he had been paid to attend, he said that if he were looking for money he would have approached the CIA. The observers, he said, were as poor as church mice.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/15/ukraine-crisis-fatal-clashes-as-tensions-rise-before-crimea-vote-live#block-5324a250e4b05ba05a3f8db5
Worth remembering which side the far right is on, in reality.
dipsydoodle
(42,239 posts)Only "observer" I've ever met was the mother of a Canadian dance friend who told me about when she and other observers were kicked out of Azerbaijan and the US didn't bat an eye lid.
At a later date US observers declared Azerbaijan's elections to be free and fair whilst the EU observers said at the same time they were the exact opposite.
Igel
(35,300 posts)The first reported move was in Kherson oblast' near the village of Chomhar (or "Chomgar", if you're Russophone).
They may be confused since the Russians near Chomhar didn't have Russian insignia on their clothing. Even if one identified himself as attached to a unit based in Chechnya. Ramzan Something-or-other.
Doesn't matter. Six miles over the border isn't enough to count as an incursion. US forces are always "incursing" 6 miles into Mexico or Canada, or even Cuba. It's standard military practice and supported by progressives everywhere.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)When was the last time US forces took a Mexican or Canadian town 6 miles within those countries' borders?
You do know you can be anti-war AND oppose what Russia is doing, right?
William769
(55,146 posts)Hardly. Korrespondent, Unian, Kiev Post, various other sources from Lviv through Kyiv/Kiev through Kharkov and Donetsk up through Moscow. Not RT, except in self-parody. Liked lenta.ru from time to time. Blocked on my work computer, though--it didn't like .ru.
n/t
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)I dueled with somebody today who thought the 6 mile incursion near Strel'kovy wasn't anything out of the usual. Certainly not an "invasion," but Ukraine's whining for attention. Some Ukr sources are positing that perhaps that particular incursion was just because the troops were drunk.
Links about Chonhar/Chongar (the h ~ g difference is language-dependent. Ukrainian "h", Russian "g", but same Cyrillic spelling). I persist in misspelling it with an "m" instead of an "n." Podunk little place.
http://ua.korrespondent.net/ukraine/events/3316765-rosiiski-viiskovi-zainialy-selysche-chonhar-khersonskoi-oblasti
http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/03/8/7018158/
http://www.unian.ua/politics/894484-rosiyski-soldati-uviyshli-na-teritoriyu-mistechka-chongar-v-hersonskiy-oblasti-zmi.html
And, no, "pravda.com.ua" isn't the same as pravda.ru. Not sure if there's any behind-the-scenes connection. Not sure if there's a connection between korrespondent.net in Ukr and the one based in Moscow, either. Rather doubt it, though.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)But I see you already have experienced that.
SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)Putin is an evil fuck. My heart breaks for the people of Ukraine.
RKP5637
(67,108 posts)SunSeeker
(51,550 posts)He surrounds himself with yes men, so no one is there to bring him back to reality any time soon.
RKP5637
(67,108 posts)with 'we invaded to protect Russian speaking people.' Yes, coming from Angela Merkel, that is very telling!
TwilightGardener
(46,416 posts)hold people as prisoners? What exactly are they training for--to storm hotels and hold people as prisoners? In case they do that in real life?
geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)muriel_volestrangler
(101,314 posts)geek tragedy
(68,868 posts)against Pakistanis with great passion
jakeXT
(10,575 posts)good luck holding that