Russian Aggression Against Ukrain. RUSSIA and Ukraine have edged closer to a military confrontation after Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, asked the upper house of the Russian parliament to approve the deployment of the countrys armed forces in Ukraine. The request was made “in connection with the extraordinary situation developing in Ukraine and the danger to the lives of the citizens of Russian Federation and our compatriots and military personnel located within the territory”. An official in Ukraine’s armed forces says that after several days without the use of force, military units across Ukraine have been put on heightened alert and told to open fire if they come under attack. A week ago Russian and Ukrainian military commanders informally agreed among themselves to avoid confrontation and provocations. But in the past two days several Ukrainian military units have come under attack from unidentified armed men, who are widely believed to be Russian forces. A Ukrainian military airport in Kirovsky was attacked on February 28th by some 350 men in camouflage, who smashed up navigation systems, rendering the airport unusable. Feodosiya, Ukraine’s naval base in the Black Sea, was approached by Zubr, Russian-made air-cushioned hovercraft, which retreated after the Ukrainian navy threatened resistance. At the entrance to Balaclava bay on March 1st were ten military personnel trucks with Russian number plates, alongside five armoured vehicles with mounted machine guns, blocking Ukrainian customs posts. Each truck held some 30 masked men with automatic rifles, who did not respond to questions. Two military ambulances were parked next to them, and two Russian Orthodox priests stood holding a large cross. A small crowd of perhaps two-dozen local people waved Russian flags. Meanwhile, the causeway between Crimea and mainland Ukraine has been blocked. On a main road between the cities of Simferopol and Sebastopol, a checkpoint manned by an unarmed self defence unit and leather-clad pro-Russia bikers displays a sign reading: Where we are—is Russia. The bikers have put up a black banner with red lettering saying: Russia has always been a graveyard for evil ideas. You cannot win over a graveyard, you can only stay in it—for ever. Source: The Economist
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 08:03:27 +0000
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