Escalation in Crimea

UKRAINE - In Brief 27 Feb 2014 by Dmytro Boyarchuk

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Some unidentified armed people captured the government and parliament building in Crimea today in the morning. There are also reports that Russian armed forces moved out of their military bases in Crimea (few dozens of Infantry Fighting Machines are reported standing near Simferopol the capital of the Autonomous Republic). The armed people at the seized buildings do not request anything and refused to communicate with Crimean officials. However, they allow Crimean MPs to enter the building. Recall yesterday pro-Russian forces have gathered Crimean parliament for urgent session to announce independence from Ukraine. However, Crimean Tatars organized a large protests near the Parliament which appeared to be even more impressive than pro-Russian demonstrations. The session was canceled afterwards. Apparently pro-Russian forces were dissatisfied with the result and now we observe some groups with guns. And now, probably, they will repeat the attempt to vote in the decision with armed people securing the vote. Oleksandr Turchynov, speaker of the Parliament, already warned Russia from any military actions claiming that it will be treated as open aggression. Police forces have been gathered at Simferopol. No extra activities are observed for the moment. How all this might end? Unfortunately, it might result into civil war at the peninsula. Crimean Tatars are well organized and strongly motivated against merging with Russia. In 1944 Stalin ordered to deport this nation from Crimea and only after 1989 they were able to return to their land. They are well-organized and strongly support Ukrainian independence and Madian. For sure, they will be backed with current Ukrainian author...