#Ukraine #denouncesreferendum as #Crimeansvote to #joinRussia - #liveupdates #Ukrainianambassador says vote is #illegal and Ukraine will #use #allnecessarymeans to #defends #itsterritory Oliver Laughland and Conal Urquhart theguardian, Sunday 16 March 2014 13.06 GMT Jump to comments (…) Print this Two men cast their ballots during the referendum on the status of Ukraines Crimea region at a polling station in Simferopol Two men cast their ballots during the referendum on the status of Ukraines Crimea region at a polling station in Simferopol Photograph: Sergei Karpukhin/Reuters 11.56pm AEST Ukrainian journalists have exposed some of the shortcomings of the referendum organisation. This @ukrpravda_news journo was allowed to vote in Crimea referendum. Even though shes a Russian citizen -@sosmaydan pic.twitter/GHip1Xf3S8 — Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) March 16, 2014 11.54pm AEST Russians throw grenades and lay mines in Crimea BBC Monitoring has translated some reports from Unian news agency about Russian activities near Ukrainian troops and sailors. Russian security forces have also been throwing grenades into the water next to Ukrainian navy ships in Sevastopol’s Kuryna Bay. Russian troops have placed several dozen anti-tank mines outside a base of Ukrainian marines in the Crimean town of Feodosiya. Updated at 11.54pm AEST 11.45pm AEST Russian-Ukrainian truce Ihor Tenyukh, the Ukrainian defence minister told reporters in Kiev that the Russian and Ukrainian defence ministries have agreed a truce in Crimea until March 21. Ukrainian troops will stay in their bases and Russians who are often stationed outside the bases will not attempt to remove them. What happens after March 21 has yet to be negotiated. Updated at 11.45pm AEST 11.31pm AEST Moscow reports military movement Alec Luhn in Moscow says that local media are reporting that Ukrainian military units are heading toward the Russian border while pro-Russians are doing what they can to stop them. Around 300 men in Lugansk put up barricades of scrap metal to prevent military vehicles from Kiev proceeding further east and that residents near Donetsk also stopped a military convoy from passing. Updated at 11.33pm AEST 11.27pm AEST British response limp and apathetic - expat In Kiev, Luke Harding has been talking to British expat Dave Young who is very critical of Britain’s response to Russia‘s actions in Crimea. Young was at a pro-Ukraine rally today at the Maidan in Kiev, holding a Union flag with the words “Great Britain- Ukraine” written on it. Demonstrators carrying flags from around the world were protesting against today’s “referendum” in Crimea. It’s been limp and apathetic. He’s been slow to react, more concerned with protecting the interests of the City than doing what is right. It feels that Britain has a corporate foreign policy where the aim is to offend no-one. There is a fundamental argument here about the right of a country to decide its future. It’s being sabotaged from outside. God knows how long Russia has been planing this action. It’s clear they don’t want Ukraine to stand as an independent nation. The whole of Europe needs to realise this is a pivotal point. After here, where next? If this state falls what next? Updated at 11.34pm AEST 11.11pm AEST Russia vetoes UN charter The Ukrainian foreign ministry has accused Russia of vetoeing the UN charter and threatening peace and security in a statement issued today. Russia has factually disregarded the fundamental principles and goals of the Charter of the United Nations. The draft is based on the inadmissibility of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and political independence of any State, as well as on the principle of peaceful settlement of disputes (Article 2 of the UN Charter) and non-recognition of an acquisition of territory as a result of threat or use of force, and others. In other words, “Russia has vetoed the UN Charter itself”, as it was rightly pointed out by the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations......... .....The illegitimacy of the so-called referendum in Crimea scheduled for 16 March 2014, as well as the fact that its results cannot lay grounds to any changes in the status of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, have also been recognized internationally, as this step contradicts not only the Constitution of Ukraine but the international law as a whole. All the above confirms that today’s Russian leadership has taken up principal responsibility for undermining the fundamental principles of international law and transformed Russia into a personification of threats to international peace and security in the 21st century. Updated at 11.35pm AEST 10.45pm AEST Ukraine appeals for military aid First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema said that Ukraine had appealed for US and European military assistance in the event of border clashes with Russia and also to guard the airspace above Ukraine’s 15 nuclear reactors. But Ukraine have received no clear response. “No clear reply was received,” he said in a television interview. “Both the Americans and the Europeans will decide in terms of the situation.” Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk met U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington last week but no mention was made of U.S. military assistance. Updated at 10.46pm AEST 10.43pm AEST Ukrainian troops will stay in Crimea Ukraine will not pull its troops out of Crimea despite a rapid build-up of Russian troops in the region to a level of about 22,000 servicemen, according to the defence minister. Ihor Tenyukh said Ukraine did not consider the peninsula lost and would remain there and take action in accordance with events, Reuters reports. Under agreements covering the basing of Russia’s Black Sea fleet in Crimea, Russia had set a limit of 12,500 for the number of its servicemen in Crimea for 2014, he said. “Unfortunately, in a very short period of time, this 12,500 has grown to 22,000,” he said. “This is a crude violation of the bilateral agreements and is proof that Russia has unlawfully brought its troops onto the territory of Crimea.” He saod the figure of Russian servicemen in Crimea had stood at 18,400 on Friday. “We are seeing an increase in the number of Russian servicemen in Crimea. And the Ukrainian armed forces are therefore taking appropriate measures along the southern borders.” Tenyukh said every senior Ukrainian officer in Crimea “clearly knows what is to be done depending on the situation. Decisions will be taken depending on how events unfold. But let me say once again that this is our land and we will not be leaving it.” Updated at 11.42pm AEST 10.14pm AEST Referendum is a clown show - Tatar leader BBC Monitoring reports that the leader of the Crimean Tatar ethnic minority, Refat Chubarov, has criticised today’s referendum, calling it a “clown show” and a “circus”. In an interview with Kiev-based Inter TV, he urged Crimean Tatars to boycott the vote. Updated at 10.47pm AEST 10.10pm AEST Ukrainian tanks on the move This is from a correspondent from Janes but I think he means Russian armour as Artemovsk is in Russia. I stand corrected. There is also an Artemovsk in Ukraine Ukrainian armour seen today in Artemovsk. Thought to be en route towards Russo-Ukr border near Rostov on Don. pic.twitter/L6m5Jjbe9C — Konrad Muzyka (@KonradMuzyka) March 16, 2014 Updated at 10.48pm AEST 10.05pm AEST After the cyber attacks on Nato the Crimean referendum site has been hacked. Official website of #Crimea referendum is down due to cyber-attack originated from US - local minister of information t.co/61ClrQe5jp — RT (@RT_com) March 16, 2014 9.50pm AEST Amnesty activists missing in Crimea Amnesty International has expressed concern for the welfare of three activists in the Crimean capital Simferopol in Ukraine who have disappeared after apparently being chased by unknown vehicles and having shots fired at them late on Thursday night. Two of the activists’ mobile phones have been traced to the vicinity of Simferopol’s military commissariat, which is being guarded by military officers in unmarked uniforms, though the officers deny that they are holding them. The three activists - Oleksiy Gritsenko, Natalya Lukyanchenko and Sergiy Suprun - have been in the region since last week. Today the father of Gritsenko confirmed to Amnesty that there has been no contact with any of the three since 11pm last night, following a call from Lukyanchenko to fellow activists to say that their car was being chased by vehicles and shots had been fired at them. Updated at 10.48pm AEST 9.44pm AEST Crimea poll has no legitimacy, validity and legal value The International Federation for Human Rights has issued a press release condemning the referndum in Crimea. According to the release, “Since the announcement of the “referendum”, the self-proclaimed Crimean authorities, supported by the deployment on the territory of increasing numbers of Russian military forces, have carried out abductions and expulsions towards continental Ukraine pro-unity activists, acts of intimidation of local communities, and the closing down of all independent media, thereby violating Ukrainian and international Human Rights legislation. Given the lack of security, many persons are presently fleeing from Crimean territory. The self-proclaimed authorities have also prevented the deployment of international observers. The OSCE observation mission has several times been refused access to the territory. Ivan Simonovic, UN Assistant Secretary general for Human Rights, was prevented from visiting Crimea, supposedly for “security” reasons. And Robert Serry, UN special envoy to Crimea, was expelled on 5 March. “ Karim Lahidji, the president of FIDH said: The legal and security conditions, and the conditions relating to freedom of expression and opinion, are such that the referendum cannot be held without violating international law, thereby losing its legitimacy, validity and legal value. The security council, of which all the members except Russia recalled the principles of territorial sovereignty, must act, by virtue of the founding principles of the United Nations Charter, in order to preserve regional security and the fate of its populations. Updated at 10.49pm AEST 9.31pm AEST Russian bikers take a trip to Crimea. Russian biker dudes from Ghost MC in Domodedovo come to check out Simferopol vote. pic.twitter/CNRChOMuet — Dan Peleschuk (@dpeleschuk) March 16, 2014 9.21pm AEST Kiev Post tweets that 30% of registered voters cast their votes within 30 minutes of polls opening in Crimea but then corrects itself. Within 30 minutes of polls opening, 30% of registered voters had already cast vote -- Raisa Zamiatina, head of elex t.co/5jkeIl2cMZ — KyivPost (@KyivPost) March 16, 2014 Correction: Within TWO HOURS of opening, 30% of registered voters had already cast their vote -- Raisa Zamiatina, head of the elex #Crimea — KyivPost (@KyivPost) March 16, 2014 9.16pm AEST Donetsk demonstration There are a few suggestions pro-Russians are organising a much bigger demomonstration in Donetsk today. Both demonstrators and police are bussing in re-inforcements. Seems a heavier police presence in Donetsk ahead of a pro-Russia rally organizers say will be bigger and more interesting than yesterdays — Mike Giglio (@mike_giglio) March 16, 2014 Updated at 11.00pm AEST 8.48pm AEST The tone gets nastier as it praises Putin for “fighting the criminal Jewish oligarchs”. Russia is fighting her way out of the corruption and problems left behind from the collapse of the Soviet system and the treachery of Gorbachev. Putin has been fighting the criminal Jewish oligarchs and slowly dismantling their corruption and hold on power; but this is not an over-night fix. It is a slow fight and one that Putin is winning, against much pressure from the West and within. Ukraine need(s) to understand that the offer of assistance from Russia, without the austerity package that goes with the EU Europe loan, was really the best deal for Ukraine. Russian sentiment for the Ukraine is fraternal - the EU’s sentiment for the Ukraine simply commercial. 8.46pm AEST Whoring is quite a theme on the opinion pages of Pravda. In separate piece, it castigates Ukraine: So determined to rid themselves of the corruption of a democratically elected President, they can’t wait to whore themselves to the EU pimp who plies Euros in exchange for souls. They are convinced that somehow the West is going to offer a solution to their perceived hardship and corruption that they have suffered. Corruption that has been unleashed by the West on the former Soviet Union through the dismantling of the Soviet System and the ensuing vacuum that allowed the cartels to flourish and take power. The corruption will continue even after the illegitimate government is installed; it will just be more insidious, pervasive and suffocating and this time - impossible to escape from. Updated at 8.53pm AEST 8.42pm AEST The English website of Pravda carries a fairly inflammatory coloumn in which it describes Angela Merkel as the whore of Washington. Washington, enabled by its compliant but stupid NATO puppets, is pushing the Ukrainian situation closer to war. German Chancellor Merkel has failed her country, Europe, and world peace. Germany is the strength of the EU and NATO. Had Merkel said “No” to sanctions on Russia, that would have been the end of the crisis that Washington is brewing, a crisis unlikely to be ended short of war. But Merkel has signed away the sovereignty of the German nation and assigned the fate of Germany to a province in the American Empire. Thus has Merkel and the weak German leadership consigned the world to war. Already blamed for World War 1 and World War 2, now Germany will be blamed for World War 3. 8.25pm AEST Crimean cash crisis Stephen from Yalta emailed the BBC and described the economic problems facing Crimeans as they vote. My wife is Crimean Russian, and will be voting in favour of re-joining Russia. There has been a massive run on ATM’S and banks yesterday. Queues up to 10 metres long. The local money changers are cashing in on this. Buying and selling USA Dollars at a extortionate rates. Updated at 11.01pm AEST 8.19pm AEST Voters look to Russia in Sevastopol AFP has been talking to voters in Sevastopol. One voter, Aleftina Klimova, 80, said she was born in Russia and wanted to re-join it. “I was expecting that the United States, France and all of them would act in a negative way,” she said. “You see, I was afraid for (Russian President Vladimir) Putin. I wondered what he would do to resist... But he managed to resist. I have not slept all night, I waited for this moment and everything is going as I wanted.” A second voter, 57-year-old Tatiana Ischinka, added: “We want to go home. It’s our land, our town, our country, our republic. We all want it, all of Sevastopol. It’s a Russian-Slavic town.” Updated at 11.01pm AEST 8.14pm AEST Moscow TV lauds peaceful vote Alec Luhn in Moscow says that Russian state television is reporting a huge turnout for Crimean referendum and “no armed men” at the polling stations. State news agency Interfax is quoting observer Enrique Ravello, a well-known nationalist deputy in Spain’s parliament, as saying he’s seen an “unprecedented turnout” in Crimea. “There’s no coercion, pressure on people. The referendum is being held peacefully, freely and openly.” According to polling by German research group GfK, 70% of Crimeans who want to participate in the referendum plan to vote to join Russia, while only 11% plan to vote to remain part of Ukraine. The Crimean referendum website was down on Sunday. Previously, organisers said the site underwent a DDoS hacker attack originating in the University of Illinois Urbana-Champagne in the United States. St. Petersburg has closed down its main street for an automobile rally in support of the Crimean referendum organized by conservative parties. Yesterday, Moscow saw huge competing rallies for and against Russian intervention in Ukraine. At least 10,000 people took part in an anti-intervention, anti-Putin rally, at the end of which was read a resolution calling for the withdrawal of Russian troops from Crimea and the end of Russian interference in Ukraine’s internal affairs. Updated at 11.02pm AEST 7.46pm AEST Cyber warfare Russia Today writes that a group calling itself CyberBerkut has claimed responsibility for taking down 3 NATO websites in a series of DDoS attacks. The group criticizes NATO for stirring up turmoil in Ukraine and helping the “Kiev junta” suppress freedom of speech. CyberBerkut claims it brought down NATO’s main website (nato.int), as well as the sites of the alliance’s cyber defense center (ccdcoe.org) and NATO’s Parliamentary Assembly (nato-pa.int). The group, in a message posted on its website, says its members will “not allow the presence of NATO occupation on the territory of our homeland!” The hacktivists also claimed that they are countering the action of the so-called “Tallinn cyber center” or NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence, which has been hired by the “Kiev junta” to carry out “propaganda among the Ukrainian population through the media and social networking.” The Western cyber network, hactivists claim, is hiding behind the façade of the so-called “Maidan Cyber Sotnya” and helps “blocking objective sources of information and concealing criminal activities of those calling themselves the ‘legitimate authority.’” DDoS attack on some #NATO sites ongoing but most services restored. Integrity of NATO data &systems not affected. We continue working on it — Oana Lungescu (@NATOpress) March 16, 2014 Updated at 11.02pm AEST 7.40pm AEST Crimean banks closed One tweeter remarks that the banks in Crimea have decided to close on Monday to transfer accounts from Ukrainian hyrvnia to Russian roubles. Sign says because accts are being transferred into rubles bank will be closed 17 March At least count the votes 1st pic.twitter/Ulh9JaO6rD — bruce springnote (@BSpringnote) March 16, 2014 Updated at 11.02pm AEST 7.33pm AEST Here’s a useful info-graphic on the Crimea referendum produced by AFP. Crimea info-graphic Crimea info-graphic Photograph: /AFP 7.21pm AEST Ukraine will not recognise Crimea poll Ukraine does not recognize the referendum which is taking place in Crimea Volodymyr Khandogiy, Ukraine’s Ambassador to the UK, told the BBC. A referendum, any vote in the situation when you have foreign troops stationed there would not produce any meaningful results. The votes would be casted with the foreign occupation of Crimea. Khandogiy said Ukraine will use all necessary means to defend its territory. Until now soldiers, Ukrainian forces have demonstrated quite remarkable restrain in not being provoked, in not responding to the provocation which is now ongoing in the Crimea. I know for sure that Ukraine will use all necessary means to defend its territory and this is something that must be clear to everyone. He said that he hoped for greater support from the international community. We did get this political support and we are very grateful to everyone both in Security Council and NATO and on the bilateral level. We apreciate the position of the United Kingdom on that matter. But still we would like to see more resolute approach from international community. We would like to see using all sort of measures to stop Russia from interfering into Ukraine’s internal affairs, from occupiing Ukraine, from basically annexing part of Ukraine. Updated at 11.03pm AEST 7.15pm AEST Reuters has been speaking to voters in Simferopol. Svetlana Vasilyeva, 27, a veterinary nurse said: I have voted for Russia.This is what we have been waiting for. We are one family and we want to live with our brothers. We want to leave Ukraine because Ukrainians told us that we are people of a lower kind. How can you stay in such a country? 7.08pm AEST A commenter on Twitter has pointed out that the polling booths could actually be covered in the colours of the Crimean flag, which is also red, white and blue, not the Russian flag. @oliverlaughland @guardian have you noticed that james mates has mistaken a crimean flag for a russian flag yet? t.co/xx2ag2J1HG — joolsd (@joolsd) March 16, 2014 6.48pm AEST Photographs from the polling booths are pouring in. Here are a selection: People line up to receive their ballots during the referendum on the status of Ukraines Crimea region at a polling station in Simferopol People line up to receive their ballots during the referendum on the status of Ukraines Crimea region at a polling station in Simferopol A woman prepares to cast her ballot A woman prepares to cast her ballot Photograph: BAZ RATNER/REUTERS A woman casts her ballot during voting in a referendum at a polling station in Simferopol A woman casts her ballot during voting in a referendum at a polling station in Simferopol Photograph: VASILY FEDOSENKO/REUTERS A Ukrainian police officer stands on duty during voting A Ukrainian police officer stands on duty during voting Photograph: THOMAS PETER/REUTERS 6.37pm AEST Russian foreign minister called US on Saturday Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov called US secretary of state John Kerry on Saturday to argue that the referendum is compatible with international law. Lavrov issues a statement on Sunday morning. According to Reuters: The call, which the Russian Foreign Ministry said was an extension of the talks Lavrov held with Kerry on Friday in London, was initiated by the U.S. side. ‘Sergei Viktorovich Lavrov reiterated that the Crimean referendum fully complies with international law and the United Nations Charter and the results should be the starting point in determining the future of the peninsula,’ the ministry said in a statement. ‘The minister also drew attention to the need for the current Kiev authorities to curb the rampant violence by ultra-nationalist and radical groups terrorising the dissident, Russian-speaking population, our compatriots.’ 6.25pm AEST Neither of the two questions being asked of voters in the Crimea rejects control by Russia, according to a Reuters report: The first question asks: ‘Are you in favour of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation?’ The second asks: ‘Are you in favour of restoring the 1992 Constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine?’ At first glance, the second option seems to offer the prospects of the peninsula remaining within Ukraine. But the 1992 national blueprint is far from doing that. Instead, it foresees giving Crimea all the qualities of an independent entity within Ukraine - but with the broad right to determine its own path and choose relations with whom it wants - including with Russia. ITV news Europe editor James Mates has tweeted a picture of a polling booth in Crimea, dressed in the colours of the Russian flag: In case anyone forgets what theyre supposed to be voting for, polling booths are in colours of Russian flag #crimea pic.twitter/vhaF0kiTgy — James Mates (@jamesmatesitv) March 16, 2014 6.11pm AEST Voting begins Voting in the Crimean referendum has begun, to decide if the peninsula will leave Ukraine and become part of Russia. The vote has already been dismissed by president Obama and many European nations, including Ukraine, as illegitimate and in violation of the Ukrainian constitution. The Crimea is predominantly ethnic Russian, and many of its residents say they fear that the new Ukrainian government, who took power after the ousting of pro-Russia President Viktor Yanukovych, will oppress them. Since Yanukovych fled to Russia, Crimea has come under control of local militia forces, as well as heavily armed troops under apparent command from Moscow. If the referendum passes, Russia faces the prospect of sanctions from Western nations. Here is a summary of yesterday’s events in the region: Russia vetoed a UN security council motion declaring the Crimea referendum invalid. Thirteen nations voted in favour. Significantly China, which often sides with Russia, abstained Ukraine said it repelled a detachment of Russian troops in southern Ukraine, north of Crimea. Russia’s foreign ministry said it was considering protection requests from Russian-speaking Ukrainians. Spurred by the Ukrainian crisis, anti-Putin activists in Moscow staged their largest protest for two years. France said next stage of sanctions against Russia will be on military co-operation. Updated at 6.17pm AEST theguardian/world/2014/mar/16/crimea-referendum-polls-open-live?guni=Network%20front:network-front%20main-3%20Main%20trailblock:Network%20front%20-%20main%20trailblock:Position2:sublinks
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 13:18:10 +0000
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