Ukraine warns of war as Russia approves deployment of troops in region - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Ukraine warns of war as Russia approves deployment of troops in region Updated March 03, 2014 02:06:57 Map: Ukraine Ukraine has put its armed forces on full combat alert and warned of war after Russian president Vladimir Putin won approval from parliament to officially deploy troops in the region. The vote gave the green light to Mr Putin's proposal to send troops into Ukraine's Crimea region, where the ethnic Russian majority is rejecting the new government in Kiev. Seven things to know about Crimea The Crimean Peninsula is rich in arable land and occupies a strategically important location on the Black Sea. Crimea has a population of 2.3 million, 58 per cent of whom speak Russian and identify themselves as ethnic Russians. The Soviet Union transferred authority over Crimea to Ukraine in 1954. Ukraine retained control after the collapse of the USSR in a 1994 agreement brokered by the US, UK and France. Russia's major naval base is located in Sevastopol and is the base for their Black Sea Fleet. Russia's lease on the base expires in 2042.

The lease states that Russian personnel may not remove military equipment or vehicles outside the base without permission from Ukraine. The region was a stronghold for ousted president Viktor Yanukovych. Ukraine's acting president Oleksander Turchinov has expressed concern, saying any Russian military intervention "would be the beginning of war and the end of any relations". "Any attempt to attack military installations is in fact direct military aggression against our country and the Russian military and the Russian leadership will be held responsible," he said. He called for "real steps" by world leaders to help his country, saying it was on the brink of disaster and that Mr Putin's actions amounted to a declaration of war. Ukraine has called up all military reserves and ordered its armed forces to be combat-ready as soon as possible, the country's top security official said. Andriy Paruby said the defence ministry was to "organise and conduct training with the necessary amount of people of military age", which is up to the age of 40 in Ukraine. Russia's move has been greeted with alarm by the international community, prompting an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council. But Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says the president has not yet decided to use his new authority.

"The president now has the full arsenal of mechanisms necessary for the regulation of the situation," he said. "Of course he will take the decisions taking into account how the situation develops. "It is to be hoped that the situation will not develop according to the scenario that is developing at the moment towards a threat for Russians in Crimea." Troops with no insignia, but clearly Russian, have already taken over government buildings and positions in the autonomous republic of Crimea, which has often voiced separatist aims. It is the only part of the country with a Russian ethnic majority and the region's newly installed prime minister, Sergiy Aksyonov, on Saturday brought forward a referendum on greater autonomy for Crimea to March 30. Ukrainian defence minister Igor Tenyukh says Russia has sent 30 armoured personnel carriers and 6,000 additional troops into Crimea since Thursday. So far there has been no sign of Russian military action in Ukraine outside Crimea. Dozens of pro-Russian armed men in full combat gear have patrolled outside the seat of power in Crimea's capital Simferopol. Similar gunmen seized the city's parliament and government buildings on Thursday and took control of its airport and a nearby military base on Friday.

Obama and Putin speak as UN meeting held Photo: Barack Obama speaks on the phone with Vladimir Putin from the Oval Office in the White House. (Flickr: The White House) US president Barack Obama has told Mr Putin that Moscow's deployment of troops in Crimea is a clear violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and warned of greater economic and political isolation if they are not withdrawn. The White House says the two leaders spoke by phone for 90 minutes, their second phone call in the past eight days over Ukraine. The US called on Russia to de-escalate tensions by withdrawing its forces back to bases in Crimea and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in Ukraine. Based on the Russian version of the phone call, Mr Putin gave no ground, saying Moscow reserved the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in Ukraine if they come under threat. "President Obama expressed his deep concern over Russia's clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and territorial integrity, which is a breach of international law," a statement from a White House spokesman said. Explore our interactive before and after photos to see how protests have turned central Kiev into a battle zone.

US secretary of state John Kerry later condemned Russia's "incredible act of aggression" and threatened "very serious repercussions" from the US and other countries, including sanctions to isolate Russia economically. "You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on completely trumped up pre-text," Mr Kerry told the CBS program Face the Nation. However, Mr Kerry added that Russia still has "a right set of choices" that can be made to defuse the crisis. "It's an incredible act of aggression. It is really a stunning, wilful choice by president Putin to invade another country," he said. "Russia is in violation of the sovereignty of Ukraine. "Russia is in violation of its international obligations." Mr Peskov said "no comment at the moment" when asked about Mr Kerry's remarks. In an initial signal of its displeasure, the US will suspend participation in preparatory meetings for a G8 summit in Sochi, Russia. Britain and France have followed suit. UN Security Council meets over crisis Photo: The UN Security Council meets in New York to discuss the Ukraine tensions.

(Twitter: UKUN_NewYork) The ongoing Ukraine crisis has also been the subject of intense debate at the UN Security Council in New York. The council met for its second emergency consultation in as many days as western powers including Britain, France and Germany called for de-escalation of the tensions. The deputy secretary general of the UN reminded the Security Council that now is the time for cool heads to prevail. He was followed by Ukraine's UN representative, Yuri Sergeyev, who described the Russian troops movements as an act of aggression. "We call on the Security Council now to do everything possible to stop aggression of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. There is still a chance," he said. Ukraine urged the emergency session to act now to stop Russian "aggression" in Crimea, accusing Moscow of brutally violating the world body's charter. The US ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, told the meeting that Russia's move is "as dangerous as it is destabilising". "It is time for the Russian intervention in Ukraine to end. The Russian military must stand down," Ms Power said. Russia's UN representative responded, saying the crisis did not need to occur.

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon is also set to express "grave" concerns directly to Mr Putin by telephone, his spokesman said. "He calls for an immediate restoration of calm and direct dialogue between all concerned to solve the current crisis," Martin Nesirky told reporters in New York. Abbott tells Russia to 'back off', backbencher dissents In Australia, Prime Minister Tony Abbott has told Russia to "back off" and not interfere in Ukraine. "This is very, very concerning and I think that every Australian, I think people right around the world will be thinking right now 'hands off the Ukraine'," he said. "This is not the kind of action of a friend and neighbour, and really Russia should back off." But Queensland LNP backbencher George Christensen has spoken out against the Prime Minister, saying the Crimean political leadership asked Russia to have a presence there. He expressed concern at the prospect of conflict between Russia and the US in a tweet: East Ukraine is ethnically Russian & wants to be part of Russia. Obama should leave well alone.

Last thing needed is another war #auspol — George Christensen (@GChristensenMP) March 2, 2014 In further comments to the ABC, he said Mr Abbott should not be discussing the crisis as a case of goodies and baddies. Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says Australians should not travel to Crimea and Australians in the area should leave if it is safe to do so. Crimea's pro-Russian protesters against change of government More than 10,000 people carrying Russian flags protested on Saturday in the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk, the stronghold of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych. Caught up in Kiev unrest A Ukrainian couple visiting Brisbane speak about their anxiety over their son's involvement in violent protests in Kiev. Protesters declared they supported "the aspirations of Crimea to rejoin Russia". "Russia! Russia!", they shouted, as demonstrators on the sidelines of the rally distributed leaflets calling on people "not to obey authorities in Kiev". "We're aghast by what is happening in Kiev," said Oleksandr, a 40-year-old protester. "We will not let nationalists enter our city." On Friday, Mr Yanukovych made his first public comments since fleeing Ukraine and seeking protection in Russia.

He provoked mass protests in Ukraine in November by backing out of plans to sign landmark deals with the European Union and instead saying Kiev would seek closer economic and trade ties with its former Soviet master Russia. AFP/Reuters First posted March 02, 2014 07:21:08 Ukraine unrest Pro-Russian Forces Seize Ukraine Navy HQ Pro-Russian Forces Seize Ukraine Navy HQ March 19, 2014 5:21 AM VOA News See comments Pro-Russian forces have taken control of Ukraine's navy headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, a day after Russia signed a treaty with local authorities to make Crimea part of Russia. Witnesses say at least 200 unarmed members of so-called self-defense forces entered the base Wednesday and raised the Russian flag. Ukrainian service members did not resist the takeover, and were seen leaving the facility. WATCH: Related video from VOA's Henry Ridgwell Embed code Copy and paste the embed code below. The code changes based on your selection. The code has been copied to your clipboard.

Video size Russian news agencies quoted sources in the Sevastopol prosecutor's office as saying the commander of Ukraine's navy, Serhiy Haiduk, had been "temporarily detained" after leaving the navy headquarters. Later Wednesday, reports said a second naval base had been seized by pro-Russian forces. Tuesday, a Ukrainian officer was shot dead when gunmen attacked a Ukrainian military base near Simferopol, capital of Crimea, according to news reports. A member of the peninsula's self-defense forces was reportedly also killed. Power is blunt at UNSC meeting Samantha Power, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, speaks to a meeting of the United Nations Security Council to discuss the situation in Ukraine, March 19, 2014. Ambassador Samantha Power, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, blasted Russia's belligerence at a Security Council meeting on Ukraine and emphasized U.S. rejection of the military intervention, calling it a "land grab." "These actions, again, violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, Russia’s own binding agreements, international law, the expressed will of most members of this Council, and the letter and spirit of the United Nations Charter," she said. "...

let me just emphasize again what Russia has done is wrong as a matter of law, wrong as a matter of history, wrong as a matter of policy, and dangerous. What happened in Crimea cannot be recognized as valid. We must stand together denying recognition and imposing consequences for this illegal act. In doing so, we must also be very clear that what happened in Crimea cannot be repeated in other parts of Ukraine." Samantha Power, has equated Russia's takeover of Ukraine's Crimean peninsula to theft, saying "a thief can steal property, but that does not confer the right of ownership on the thief." Power's comments at an emergency Security Council meeting on Ukraine Wednesday drew a sharp and immediate response from Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who shot back: "It is simply unacceptable to listen to these insults addressed to our country." The tense exchange came at the Council's eighth emergency Ukraine session in the past three weeks. The meeting again left Churkin isolated as the lone Council diplomat defending Russia's move to annex Crimea. Churkin also warned the United States that its public criticism of Russia's role in Crimea could jeopardize future Russian cooperation on other issues facing the 15-member Security Council. The Russian did not elaborate.

But cooperation between Washington and Moscow is key to international efforts aimed at organizing Syrian peace talks. Both governments also are involved in consultations aimed at ending the international standoff over Iran's nuclear program. Churkin also accused senior U.N. human rights official Ivan Simonovic of presenting "a one-sided assessment" of the human rights situation in and near Crimea. Moscow has sought to justify its military presence in Ukraine as a response to threats against Russian-speaking Ukrainians both in and outside the peninsula. But Simonovic, who just completed a nine-day official visit to Ukraine, told the Council that harassment and attacks on Russian-speaking Ukrainians are "neither widespread nor systemic." Ukraine to pull military from Crimea Ukraine says it has drawn up plans to evacuate all of its outnumbered military personnel from the Crimean peninsula. The move, announced Wednesday, effectively surrenders military control of the territory as heavily armed pro-Russian militiamen seized a key Crimean base. In announcing the withdrawal, Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council chief, Andriy Parubiy, said Kyiv will seek United Nations support in turning the peninsula into a demilitarized zone.

He also said Ukraine is planning to hold military maneuvers "with our allies." He did not elaborate, though The Associated Press reports the U.S. and U.K. will be involved. Parubiy spoke hours after pro-Russian militiamen seized Ukrainian naval headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, and one day after Moscow signed a treaty with local authorities making Crimea part of Russia. Witnesses say at least 200 unarmed self-defense forces entered the Sevastopol base Wednesday and raised the Russian flag. Ukrainian service personnel did not resist and were seen leaving the facility. Russian news agencies quoted sources in the Sevastopol prosecutor's office as saying the commander of Ukraine's navy, Sergei Gaiduk, had been "temporarily detained" after leaving the navy headquarters. Later Wednesday, there were reports that a second Ukrainian base had also been seized by Russian forces. Ukraine's deputy prime minister and defense minister traveled Wednesday from Kyiv to Crimea in an attempt to defuse tensions, but were denied entry into the territory. International observers have been repeatedly turned away from the peninsula. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also was traveling to the region Wednesday.

He is to meet in Moscow with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Thursday, he is slated to meet in Kyiv with Ukraine's acting president and prime minister. Russian take-over Thousands of Russian soldiers and pro-Russian forces have overtaken Crimea in recent weeks. The region, with a majority ethnic-Russian population voted in a referendum Sunday to break away from Ukraine and join Russia. The vote is widely seen as having been orchestrated by Moscow. Crimea, balance of forces Putin on Tuesday formally moved to annex Crimea to the Russian Federation, a step harshly condemned by the West. Referring to the referendum, Putin, in speech before lawmakers said the vote was legal and that Crimea has always been an "inalienable" part of Russia. Putin criticized Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev for placing Crimea under Ukrainian control in 1954. When Crimea ended up as part of independent Ukraine in 1991, Putin said Russia had been "plundered." US condemns Russia for use of force Holding Russian forces in Crimea responsible for the escalation of tensions there, the U.S. has has been blunt with Moscow.

State Department Spokeswoman Jen Psaki ​ ​"We strongly condemn Russia's use of force in Crimea. The Russian military is directly responsible for any casualties that its forces - whether they be regular uniformed troops or regulars without insignias - inflict on Ukrainian military members in Crimea," said State Department spokeswomen Jen Psaki, speaking at Wednesday's daily briefing. Psaki said that reports of the killing of a Ukrainian military officer yesterday are particularly concerning, and "fly in the face of President Putin's claim that Russia's military intervention in Crimea has brought security to that part of Ukraine." "Diplomacy, in our view, remains the only acceptable means of resolving this crisis," added Psaki. Ukraine introduces visas for Russians Ukraine's Foreign Ministry has been given instructions to introduce visas for Russians visiting Ukraine, according to Parubiy. Speaking after a meeting of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, Parubiy also said Kyiv would take measures for Russian forces to leave the peninsula. He said prospects of a military confrontation between Russia and Ukraine were growing and that Russia planned to occupy Ukrainian territory and undermine presidential elections. The vote is scheduled for May 25.

The visa requirement for Russians is widely viewed as an effort to stave off the influx of Russian citizens Kyiv sees as being sent into Ukraine to foment unrest in order to destabilize the country. Biden: Russia on ‘dark path’ U.S. Vice President Joe Biden said Russia is on a "dark path" to isolation with its actions in Ukraine, and that the United States will respond to any aggression against its NATO allies. Biden made the comments while in Lithuania, during a trip to reassure Baltic allies concerned about Russia's moves in Ukraine. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) speaks during meeting with Latvia's President Andris Berzins (not pictured) in Vilnius March 19, 2014. Biden met with the leaders of Lithuania and Latvia Wednesday after a visit to Poland on Tuesday. He reaffirmed the U.S. pledge to protect its NATO allies from attack. Poland, the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are NATO members. Ukraine is not but has been a partner of the alliance. Biden told Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves on Monday that the United States may rotate its forces into the region to conduct ground and naval exercises and training missions.

Washington also has added more fighter jets to help patrol airspace over the Baltics. NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen said during a speech in Washington Wednesday that the crisis in Crimea is "the most serious security crisis since the end of the Cold War." UN chief heads to Moscow, Kyiv U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon departs on Wednesday for Moscow and Kyiv, where he will hold talks with Russian and Ukrainian leaders, pushing for a peaceful resolution of the crisis over Crimea, the United Nations said. He will meet Thursday in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and other senior officials, the U.N. press office said in a statement. FILE - U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon Ban will travel to Kyiv Friday, where he will hold talks with top Ukrainian officials, members of the U.N. Human Rights Monitoring Mission and representatives of civil society. “The Secretary-General has consistently called for a solution that is guided by the principles of the United Nations Charter,” the statement said. It gave no further details. Key elements of the charter include respect for fellow U.N. member states' sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as for the peaceful resolution of disputes.

No movement on OSCE monitors Members of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) failed again on Wednesday to agree on sending monitors to Ukraine, raising doubts about whether a deal was possible at all. Some diplomats accredited to the Vienna-based security watchdog spoke of the difficulty posed by Russia's effective veto of action by the 57-member group, which has a principle of consensus. Ukraine’s government and Western countries want OSCE monitors deployed in Ukraine but talks on Wednesday at OSCE headquarters broke up again without a deal. “This is the third time that a text has been presented to which only one state objects - and that is the Russian Federation,” U.S. Ambassador Daniel Baer told reporters. “Meanwhile they continue to say that they understand the urgency of deploying monitors, that they support it, and so they are talking out of both sides of their mouth,” said Bear, adding that the behavior put in question Russia’s commitment to a constructive approach. Russia, West trade barbs Russia accused Western states of violating a pledge to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and political independence under a 1994 security assurance agreement, saying they had “indulged a coup d'etat” that ousted president Viktor Yanukovych last month.

The Foreign Ministry said actions by the United States and European Union ran counter to assurances granted by the U.S., Britain and Russia in exchange for Ukraine's commitment to give up its nuclear arsenal following the collapse of the Soviet Union. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said it was Russia that violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, which also committed the signing countries to respect Ukraine's existing borders. Fabius said that “one of the countries that agreed to guarantee [Ukraine's] integrity, Russia, has on the contrary violated it” through its annexation of Crimea. Secretary of State John Kerry speaks about foreign policy, including the situation in Ukraine, during a town hall meeting with university students, Tuesday, March 18, 2014, at the State Department in Washington. Kerry: Voting at the ‘butt of a gun’ Speaking before university students in Washington Wednesday, Secretary of State John Kerry condemned Sunday’s referendum and Crimea’s subsequent annexation by Russia, expressing disappointment over what he called President Putin's interpretation of the facts.

"And there is well-established law about countries seceding from a part of their own country - existing country, which is supposed to happen according to their constitution and their legal process… but not at the butt of a gun," said Kerry. Kerry called Moscow's actions "dangerous," and said the United States will follow through with sanctions as a means of enforcing international standards. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Kerry by phone Tuesday that U.S. sanctions on Russia are unacceptable and will have consequences. Some information in this report was provided by Reuters. The Crimea Region Attention centered on Ukraine's southern Crimea region when pro-Russia gunmen seized control of key government buildings in the regional capital Simferopol. Crimea is the base of Russia's Black Sea fleet and has deep ties with Russia. Russia and Ukraine Military Forces Russia maintains its Black Sea fleet at Sevastopol in Crimea, Ukraine. Under earlier agreements with Ukraine, Russia is allowed to keep several thousands troops in Crimea. This graphic also compares Russia and Ukraine's over all military forces. Russia, Ukraine and the EU Ukraine lies between the European Union and Russia, and has ties to both. Pipelines carry Russian gas through Ukraine to the EU.

Ukraine's suspension of an association agreement with the EU fueled the current unrest in Ukraine. Native Languages Russia's naval base in Ukraine: Critical asset or point of pride? - CSMonitor.com Russia's naval base in Ukraine: Critical asset or point of pride? Latest News Save for later Saved Russian military vessels sit at anchor at a navy base in the Ukrainian Black Sea port of Sevastopol today. The base is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, and is a major factor in the Kremlin's geopolitical thinking. But just how important is it to the Russian military? Reuters View Caption of Moscow — At the heart of Russia 's escalating dispute with Ukraine over the Russian-majority territory of Crimea lies a famous fortress-city, Sevastopol . Even today, Russian troops patrol its streets, even though the city is legally part of Ukraine. Sevastopol, scene of much past Russian military glory, remains the headquarters of the Russian Navy 's Black Sea Fleet. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union more than two decades ago, it has survived through leasing arrangements as an enclave of Russian power inside Ukraine, an entity similar to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba for the US military.

But as tensions mount, and pressure to secede from Ukraine grows among Crimea's Russian population, the big question hanging over the recent turmoil is whether Russia would intervene militarily to help them. And that could depend, to some degree, on the strategic importance of Sevastopol in the Kremlin's drive to restore Russia's power on the world stage. Recommended: How much do you know about Ukraine? Take our quiz! An iconic history There was a time when the Black Sea Fleet was the spearhead of Russian power and the symbol of its determination to break out of the Black Sea into the Mediterranean and beyond. During the Crimean War, in 1855, the city was besieged for 11 months by British, French, and Turkish forces determined to smash Russian naval capabilities. That siege was immortalized in Russian literature by Leo Tolstoy, who fought in it as a young army lieutenant and later published his diaries of the battle.

During World War II, Sevastopol held out against invading Nazi armies for 250 days, earning it the Soviet-era honor "hero city." Photos of the Day Photos of the day 01/09 In 1954 then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev controversially "gifted" Crimea to Ukraine , in honor of the 300th anniversary of Russian-Ukrainian unity, a move that carried no political consequences until the USSR broke up several decades later. But even then, Sevastopol was separated into a special zone by Soviet authorities and ruled directly from Moscow . But over the past two decades, Russia's once-mighty Black Sea Fleet has mostly rusted at anchor in Sevastopol. Without the Soviet Union's ambitions to build a blue-water navy capable of challenging the US on the world's oceans, it has had little to do. It was mobilized during Russia's brief 2008 war with Georgia, but ended up playing no role. In 2010, Kiev and Moscow signed the Kharkov Agreement, which extended Russia's lease on Sevastopol until 2042 .

And over the past three years, ships from the fleet have been sent to hold maneuvers in the Mediterranean as part of President Vladimir Putin's efforts to show support for Russia's ally, Syria, and show the flag in places where Russia has long been absent. The poor sister But the Black Sea Fleet "has been given very little attention over recent years," says Alexander Konovalov, president of the independent Institute of Strategic Assessments in Moscow. "There's been a bit of upgrading, but not very much." The fact is, he says, "Russia is a classical land power, and the navy has usually been seen as something that guards the coast. Russia could easily fight a war with Georgia or even, God forbid, Ukraine, without calling on naval forces at all." The officially acknowledged roster of the Black Sea Fleet includes a few dozen warships, most of them light. Many date back to the Soviet era and, experts say, are not in operational shape. The fleet has no aircraft carriers or nuclear submarines. Traditionally, the navy is the poor sister among Russian armed forces.

Most resources, even today, go to the Strategic Missile Forces – the land-based intercontinental missiles that comprise the bulk of Russia's nuclear deterrent – and then to the army and the air force. In Soviet military doctrine, the main role of the ocean-going navy was to protect the USSR's huge fleet of nuclear ballistic missile submarines. Russia has been rebuilding that force, and now has about a dozen such subs in service, but none of them are based in Sevastopol. Of Russia's four major conventional naval units, the Black Sea Fleet is ranked last in importance after the Baltic, Northern, and Pacific Fleets – which enjoy far better access to the open sea. 'A symbol we don't absolutely need' As such, "Sevastopol is an important base, but not vitally so," says Alexander Golts, deputy editor of the online newspaper Yezhednevny Zhurnal. He notes that the official understanding with Ukraine, even when the lease was renewed by deposed President Viktor Yanukovych, was that Russia would eventually redeploy its Black Sea naval forces to Novorossiysk, a civilian seaport just up the coast from the Olympic venue of Sochi.

So if the new anti-Moscow government in Kiev moves to rescind the Kharkov Agreement – a move that some analysts say could be the "red line" issue that causes the Kremlin to intervene – another option is available to the Russian Navy. "There have already been efforts to reconfigure Novorossiysk as a base for the Black Sea Fleet, and it is feasible," Mr. Golts says. "But, frankly speaking, Sevastopol is much better. It would be a pity to lose it, but not crucial for Russia." If Russia does intervene in Crimea in the coming days or weeks, the calculus in Moscow will be mainly a political one, and not a hard strategic choice, says Mr. Konovalov. "Sevastopol is a powerful psychological factor for us, a symbol of Russian glory and pride," he says. "It's an important page of our history but, at the end of the day, we don't absolutely need it." Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox.

Daily Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea Aleksandar Vasovic and Maria Kiselyova Share By Aleksandar Vasovic and Maria Kiselyova SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine/MOSCOW (Reuters) - The United States warned Moscow it was on a "dark path" to isolation on Wednesday as Russian troops seized two Ukrainian naval bases, including a headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol where they raised their flag. The dramatic seizure came as Russia and the West dug in for a long confrontation over Moscow's annexation of Crimea, with the United States and Europe groping for ways to increase pressure on a defiant Russian President Vladimir Putin. "As long as Russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic isolation," said U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, referring to reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea. Biden was in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, as part of a quick trip to reassure Baltic allies worried about what an emboldened Russia might mean for their nations. Lithuania, along with Estonia and Latvia, are NATO members.

"There is an attempt, using brutal force, to redraw borders of the European states and to destroy the postwar architecture of Europe," Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said. The head of NATO warned that Putin may not stop with the annexation of Crimea and urged Europe to step up defense spending in response to the crisis. "Crimea is one example. But I see Crimea as an element in a greater pattern, in a more long-term Russian, or at least Putin, strategy," Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a Washington think tank. "So of course our major concern now is whether he will go beyond Crimea. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon meets Putin in Moscow on Thursday and travels to Kiev on Friday. He will urge a peaceful end to a crisis that began when Ukraine's president abandoned a trade pact with the European Union and turned instead to Moscow, prompting violent street protests that led to his overthrow. Russian lawmakers raced to ratify a treaty making Crimea part of Russia by the end of the week, despite threats of further sanctions from Washington and Brussels. The Russian military moved swiftly to neutralize any threat of armed resistance in Crimea. "This morning they stormed the compound.

They cut the gates open, but I heard no shooting," said Oleksander Balanyuk, a captain in the navy, walking out of the compound in his uniform and carrying his belongings. "This thing should have been solved politically. Now all I can do is stand here at the gate. There is nothing else I can do," he told Reuters, appearing ashamed and downcast. Ukrainian military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said the commander of the Ukrainian navy, Admiral Serhiy Haiduk, was driven away by what appeared to be Russian special forces. Russian troops seized another Ukrainian naval facility in Crimea late on Wednesday. "Russian troops came and asked us to leave the base, which we did," Ukrainian navy Major Eduard Kusnarenko told Reuters outside the base in Bakhchisaray, about 30 km (20 miles) southwest of the regional capital, Simferopol. In Washington, the White House condemned Russian moves to seize Ukrainian military installations, saying they were creating a dangerous situation. U.S.

President Barack Obama, who has imposed sanctions on 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials, said Washington would keep up its diplomatic push to bring pressure on Russia, but added in a television interview: "We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine." MIXED FEELINGS Russia sent thousands of soldiers to Crimea in the buildup to a referendum last weekend in which the Russian-majority region voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and join Moscow, reflecting national loyalties and hopes of higher wages. But there is unease among pro-Ukrainian Crimeans who have complained about the heavy armed presence across the region. "I was born here, my family is here, I have a job here and I am not going anywhere unless there is an all-out military conflict," said Viktor, a 23-year-old salesman. "It is my home but things will not be the same anymore." A few hundred meters away, the local authorities attached new, Russian letters spelling "State Council of the Crimean Republic" on the building of the local assembly. Ukrainian security chief Andriy Parubiy said the Kiev government would urge the United Nations to declare Crimea a demilitarized zone.

"The Ukrainian government will immediately appeal to the United Nations to recognize Crimea as a demilitarized zone and take necessary measures for Russian forces to leave Crimea and prepare conditions for redeployment of Ukrainian forces," Parubiy said. Ukraine announced plans to introduce visas for Russians, and Russia said it might respond in kind. Putin said his move to annex Crimea was justified by "fascists" in Kiev who overthrew pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovich last month. Ukraine and Western governments have dismissed the referendum as a sham, and say there is no justification for Putin's actions. GERMANY MAKES MOVE Germany's Cabinet approved EU plans for closer political cooperation with Ukraine, a government source said, clearing the way for Chancellor Angela Merkel to sign part of a so-called association agreement at an EU summit later this week. The 28-member bloc is expected to sign a more far-reaching trade accord with Ukraine later. But maintaining aggressive rhetoric reminiscent of the Cold War, Russia accused Western states of violating a pledge to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and political independence under a 1994 security assurance agreement, saying they had "indulged a coup d'etat" that ousted Yanukovich.

Moscow, which has said it will retaliate for so far largely symbolic Western sanctions targeting Russian officials, announced on Wednesday it was closing its military facilities to a European security watchdog for the rest of the year. The Russian Defense Ministry was quoted as saying the signatories of a 2011 Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe agreement had exhausted their quotas to inspect Russian military facilities and a planned inspection in the coming days would be the last. FURTHER SANCTIONS? Biden said in Warsaw on Tuesday the United States may run more ground and naval military exercises to help Baltic states near Russia beef up their capacity after what he called Putin's "land grab" in Ukraine. The Truxtun, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, started a one-day military exercise with the Bulgarian and Romanian navies in the Black Sea on Wednesday, a U.S. Naval Forces official said. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel praised the restraint of Ukraine's armed forces in a phone call on Wednesday with his Ukrainian counterpart. A brief Pentagon statement about Hagel's conversation with Ukraine's acting defense minister, Ihor Tenyukh, made no mention of any Ukrainian requests for assistance.

Kiev has asked for lethal and non-lethal military support from the United States, which has so far only approved military rations. Washington and Brussels said further sanctions would follow the visa bans and asset freezes imposed so far on a handful of Russian and Crimean officials, drawing derision from Moscow. But Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsya, told Reuters the steps taken by the West were "a very concrete step forward," and added: "I believe these countries will not stop at this level of support. On a visit to Japan, which has joined the Western chorus of condemnation of Moscow's action, close Putin ally Igor Sechin, chief executive officer of Russian oil major Rosneft, said expanding sanctions would only aggravate the crisis. European Union leaders will consider widening the number of people targeted by personal sanctions when they meet on Thursday and Friday, diplomats said, as well as signing the political part of an association agreement with Ukraine's interim government. EU officials say they have identified more than 100 potential targets. Some media reports say Sechin and the head of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom are on the wider list.

(Additional reporting by Mike Collett-White and Gabriela Baczynska in Simferopol; Elizabeth Piper and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Ronald Popeski in Kiev; and Phil Stewart and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Mike Collett-White and Peter Cooney; Editing by Anna Willard, Giles Elgood and Lisa Shumkaer) Reblog Ukraine: Acting president Oleksander Turchinov accuses Russia of open aggression in Crimea, Barack Obama 'deeply concerned' - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Ukraine: Acting president Oleksander Turchinov accuses Russia of open aggression in Crimea, Barack Obama 'deeply concerned' Updated March 01, 2014 21:07:26 Map: Ukraine United States president Barack Obama has issued a warning to Russia that "there will be costs" for any military intervention in neighbouring Ukraine. Acting Ukrainian president Oleksander Turchinov has accused Russia of deploying troops to Crimea in an attempt to provoke conflict. The comments follow the new interim government's claims Russian forces staged an "armed invasion" in the Crimea region on Friday, blocking a military air base and entering an airport on the Black Sea peninsula.

Mr Turchinov urged Russian president Vladimir Putin to stop "provocations" in the Russian-speaking region and recalled Russia's intervention in Georgia over breakaway Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Seven things to know about Crimea The Crimean Peninsula is rich in arable land and occupies a strategically important location on the Black Sea. Crimea has a population of 2.3 million, 58 per cent of whom speak Russian and identify themselves as ethnic Russians. The Soviet Union transferred authority over Crimea to Ukraine in 1954. Ukraine retained control after the collapse of the USSR in a 1994 agreement brokered by the US, UK and France. Russia's major naval base is located in Sevastopol and is the base for their Black Sea Fleet. Russia's lease on the base expires in 2042. The lease states that Russian personnel may not remove military equipment or vehicles outside the base without permission from Ukraine. The region was a stronghold for ousted president Viktor Yanukovych. "Russia has sent forces into Crimea ... they are working on scenarios which are fully analogous with Abkhazia, when having initiated a military conflict, they started to annex the territory," he said in a televised address.

Russia remains in control of Abkhazia and South Ossetia after the five-day Russo-Georgia war in 2008. The United Nations and most countries still regard the regions as part of Georgia. "The Ukrainian army will fulfil its obligations but it will not give in to provocations," Mr Turchinov said. "I am personally appealing to President Putin, demanding an end to the provocation and the withdrawal of troops from the Republic of Crimea." A US defence official has told AFP news agency Russia has sent "several hundred" troops into the Crimea region of south-eastern Ukraine. Moscow has denied deploying its forces in Crimea, however, Mr Putin has not made any comment on the turmoil in Ukraine in recent days. US warns Russian military intervention will have 'costs' Witnesses in Ukraine report seeing Russian armoured personnel carriers and helicopters and at least one Russian warship on patrol. There are unconfirmed reports four Russian transport planes have landed in the Crimean capital, Simferopol, and a convoy of 23 Russian trucks has also been seen on its way there.

A representative of Mr Turchinov in Crimea said 13 Russian aircraft had landed on the Black Sea peninsula, each one carrying up to 150 personnel. Mr Obama made a statement in Washington saying he was "deeply concerned" by reports of Russian military movements inside Ukraine. "We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine," he said. "Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilising, which is not in the interest of Ukraine, Russia or Europe. "It would represent a profound interference in matters which must be determined by the Ukrainian people. It would be a clear violence of Russia's commitment to respect the independence and sovereignty and borders of Ukraine, and of international laws. "The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine." The identity of the armed groups that occupied the regional parliament in Crimea and the airports at Simferopol and Sevastopol was not immediately known. Ukrainian officials accused them of being commanded by the Kremlin but Moscow dismissed this. Australians warned to avoid Crimea Meanwhile, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT) has upgraded its travel warnings for parts of Ukraine.

DFAT says Australians should reconsider their need to travel to the Crimean peninsula. The Australian Government is also advising travellers to avoid large public gatherings, warning they may turn violent. More on this story: Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea | Reuters Wed Mar 19, 2014 | 7:56 PM EDT Russian forces seize two Ukrainian bases in Crimea By Aleksandar Vasovic and Maria Kiselyova | SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine/MOSCOW SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine/MOSCOW The United States warned Moscow it was on a "dark path" to isolation on Wednesday as Russian troops seized two Ukrainian naval bases, including a headquarters in the Crimean port of Sevastopol where they raised their flag. The dramatic seizure came as Russia and the West dug in for a long confrontation over Moscow's annexation of Crimea, with the United States and Europe groping for ways to increase pressure on a defiant Russian President Vladimir Putin. "As long as Russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic isolation," said U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, referring to reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel in Crimea.

Biden was in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, as part of a quick trip to reassure Baltic allies worried about what an emboldened Russia might mean for their nations. Lithuania, along with Estonia and Latvia, are NATO members. "There is an attempt, using brutal force, to redraw borders of the European states and to destroy the postwar architecture of Europe," Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said. The head of NATO warned that Putin may not stop with the annexation of Crimea and urged Europe to step up defense spending in response to the crisis. "Crimea is one example. But I see Crimea as an element in a greater pattern, in a more long-term Russian, or at least Putin, strategy," Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told a Washington think tank. "So of course our major concern now is whether he will go beyond Crimea. U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon meets Putin in Moscow on Thursday and travels to Kiev on Friday. He will urge a peaceful end to a crisis that began when Ukraine's president abandoned a trade pact with the European Union and turned instead to Moscow, prompting violent street protests that led to his overthrow.

Russian lawmakers raced to ratify a treaty making Crimea part of Russia by the end of the week, despite threats of further sanctions from Washington and Brussels. The Russian military moved swiftly to neutralize any threat of armed resistance in Crimea. "This morning they stormed the compound. They cut the gates open, but I heard no shooting," said Oleksander Balanyuk, a captain in the navy, walking out of the compound in his uniform and carrying his belongings. "This thing should have been solved politically. Now all I can do is stand here at the gate. There is nothing else I can do," he told Reuters, appearing ashamed and downcast. Ukrainian military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said the commander of the Ukrainian navy, Admiral Serhiy Haiduk, was driven away by what appeared to be Russian special forces. Russian troops seized another Ukrainian naval facility in Crimea late on Wednesday. "Russian troops came and asked us to leave the base, which we did," Ukrainian navy Major Eduard Kusnarenko told Reuters outside the base in Bakhchisaray, about 30 km (20 miles) southwest of the regional capital, Simferopol.

In Washington, the White House condemned Russian moves to seize Ukrainian military installations, saying they were creating a dangerous situation. U.S. President Barack Obama, who has imposed sanctions on 11 Russian and Ukrainian officials, said Washington would keep up its diplomatic push to bring pressure on Russia, but added in a television interview: "We are not going to be getting into a military excursion in Ukraine." MIXED FEELINGS Russia sent thousands of soldiers to Crimea in the buildup to a referendum last weekend in which the Russian-majority region voted overwhelmingly to leave Ukraine and join Moscow, reflecting national loyalties and hopes of higher wages. But there is unease among pro-Ukrainian Crimeans who have complained about the heavy armed presence across the region. "I was born here, my family is here, I have a job here and I am not going anywhere unless there is an all-out military conflict," said Viktor, a 23-year-old salesman. "It is my home but things will not be the same anymore." A few hundred meters away, the local authorities attached new, Russian letters spelling "State Council of the Crimean Republic" on the building of the local assembly.

Ukrainian security chief Andriy Parubiy said the Kiev government would urge the United Nations to declare Crimea a demilitarized zone. "The Ukrainian government will immediately appeal to the United Nations to recognize Crimea as a demilitarized zone and take necessary measures for Russian forces to leave Crimea and prepare conditions for redeployment of Ukrainian forces," Parubiy said. Ukraine announced plans to introduce visas for Russians, and Russia said it might respond in kind. Putin said his move to annex Crimea was justified by "fascists" in Kiev who overthrew pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovich last month. Ukraine and Western governments have dismissed the referendum as a sham, and say there is no justification for Putin's actions. GERMANY MAKES MOVE Germany's Cabinet approved EU plans for closer political cooperation with Ukraine, a government source said, clearing the way for Chancellor Angela Merkel to sign part of a so-called association agreement at an EU summit later this week. The 28-member bloc is expected to sign a more far-reaching trade accord with Ukraine later.

But maintaining aggressive rhetoric reminiscent of the Cold War, Russia accused Western states of violating a pledge to respect Ukraine's sovereignty and political independence under a 1994 security assurance agreement, saying they had "indulged a coup d'etat" that ousted Yanukovich. Moscow, which has said it will retaliate for so far largely symbolic Western sanctions targeting Russian officials, announced on Wednesday it was closing its military facilities to a European security watchdog for the rest of the year. The Russian Defense Ministry was quoted as saying the signatories of a 2011 Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe agreement had exhausted their quotas to inspect Russian military facilities and a planned inspection in the coming days would be the last. FURTHER SANCTIONS? Biden said in Warsaw on Tuesday the United States may run more ground and naval military exercises to help Baltic states near Russia beef up their capacity after what he called Putin's "land grab" in Ukraine. The Truxtun, a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, started a one-day military exercise with the Bulgarian and Romanian navies in the Black Sea on Wednesday, a U.S. Naval Forces official said. U.S.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel praised the restraint of Ukraine's armed forces in a phone call on Wednesday with his Ukrainian counterpart. A brief Pentagon statement about Hagel's conversation with Ukraine's acting defense minister, Ihor Tenyukh, made no mention of any Ukrainian requests for assistance. Kiev has asked for lethal and non-lethal military support from the United States, which has so far only approved military rations. Washington and Brussels said further sanctions would follow the visa bans and asset freezes imposed so far on a handful of Russian and Crimean officials, drawing derision from Moscow. But Ukraine's foreign minister, Andriy Deshchytsya, told Reuters the steps taken by the West were "a very concrete step forward," and added: "I believe these countries will not stop at this level of support. On a visit to Japan, which has joined the Western chorus of condemnation of Moscow's action, close Putin ally Igor Sechin, chief executive officer of Russian oil major Rosneft, said expanding sanctions would only aggravate the crisis. European Union leaders will consider widening the number of people targeted by personal sanctions when they meet on Thursday and Friday, diplomats said, as well as signing the political part of an association agreement with Ukraine's interim government.

EU officials say they have identified more than 100 potential targets. Some media reports say Sechin and the head of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom are on the wider list. (Additional reporting by Mike Collett-White and Gabriela Baczynska in Simferopol; Elizabeth Piper and Steve Gutterman in Moscow; Ronald Popeski in Kiev; and Phil Stewart and Steve Holland in Washington; Writing by Mike Collett-White and Peter Cooney; Editing by Anna Willard, Giles Elgood and Lisa Shumkaer) ADVERTISEMENT 1/14 Armed men, believed to be Russian servicemen, stand guard outside the naval headquarters after it was taken over by pro-Russian forces in Sevastopol, March 19, 2014.

Reuters/Vasily Fedosenko + Russia Seeks Access to Bases in Eight Countries for Its Ships and Bombers Russia Seeks Access to Bases in Eight Countries for Its Ships and Bombers By Patrick Goodenough | February 28, 2014 | 5:09 AM EST Russia says it is negotiating with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Algeria, Cyprus, the Seychelles, Vietnam and Singapore about access to facilities that can be used by its navy and strategic bombers. (Image: Google Maps) (CNSNews.com) – At a time of escalated tensions with the West over Ukraine, Russia says it is negotiating with eight governments around the world for access to military facilities, to enable it to extend its long-range naval and strategic bomber capabilities. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday the military was engaged in talks with Cuba, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Algeria, Cyprus, the Seychelles, Vietnam and Singapore. “We need bases for refueling near the equator, and in other places,” ITAR-Tass quoted him as saying. Russia is not looking to establish bases in those locations, but to reach agreement to use facilities there when required.

The countries are all strategically located – in three leftist-ruled countries close to the U.S.; towards either end of the Mediterranean; in the Indian Ocean south of the Gulf of Aden; and near some of the world’s most important shipping lanes in the Malacca Strait and South China Sea. Access to the new locations would extend the Russian military’s potential reach well beyond its existing extraterritorial bases, at the Syrian port of Tartus and in former Soviet states – Ukraine’s Sevastopol, Armenia, Belarus, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and the occupied Georgian regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Shoigu said Russia was also beefing up its existing military presence in the post-Soviet region, doubling its troop numbers in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and deploying a regiment of troops to Belarus where it already has fighter aircraft stationed. “Russia has started reviving its navy and strategic aviation since mid-2000s, seeing them as a tool to project the Russian image abroad and to protect its national interests around the globe,” the RIA Novosti state news agency commented.

“Now, Moscow needs to place such military assets in strategically important regions of the world to make them work effectively toward the goal of expanding Russia’s global influence.” During his previous tenure at the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin in 2002 shut down a Cold War-era radar base in Cuba and a naval base in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Russia cited financial constraints, but the move was also seen at the time as an attempt to improve relations with Washington. The listening station near Havana had been a key intelligence facility for decades, while the Vietnamese base, which was built by the U.S. during the Vietnam War, was leased to the Soviet Union in 1979 and became the largest Soviet base in the world beyond Moscow’s Warsaw Pact allies. Upon his return to the presidency in 2012, Putin began exploring options to renew alliances with the communist countries, and Russian Navy chief Vice Admiral Viktor Chirkov said that year Cuba and Vietnam were in the frame. Russia is now helping Vietnam to upgrade facilities at Cam Ranh Bay, including a submarine training center, and Russia is negotiating for preferential access to refueling and repair facilities there for its ships.

As for the Western hemisphere, Russian Navy ships in 2008 made their first visit since the end of the Cold War, holding joint maneuvers with the Venezuelan Navy in the Caribbean, navigating the Panama Canal, and making a port call in Havana. Russian Navy vessels visited Cuba again in 2009 and last August – and on Wednesday, a Russian intelligence-gathering ship, the Viktor Leonov, docked in Havana harbor with no explanation from the government or state media coverage, the Associated Press reported. Russian strategic bombers also visited the region in 2008 – for the first time since long-range flights by the aircraft were halted after the Soviet Union’s collapse – and again last fall, when two Tupolev “Blackjacks” carried out combat training patrols between Venezuela and Nicaragua. Russian defense spending has been climbing sharply in the years since its last military engagement – the invasion of Georgia in August 2008 – and early this year it was reported to have overtaken Britain to become the world’s third biggest spender, behind the U.S. and China. According to the British consultancy HIS Jane’s, Russia’s defense expenditure has more than doubled since 2007, and will have tripled by 2016.

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Russia stages massive surprise war games on Black Sea (VIDEO) — RT News Tags Military , Putin , Russia , Vehicles , Planes , Vessels , Army , Navy , Air Force The drills started early in the morning, when President Vladimir Putin, who was returning from Durban, South Africa, to Sochi aboard Air Force One, ordered Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu to alert the Black Sea fleet, as well as the regional Air Force and troops. Shoigu opened an envelope delivered to him at 4:00am Moscow time, and only then learned of the planned war games. The Russian naval drills came as a surprise not only to the Russian armed forces, but also for neighboring countries’ militaries as well, which were forced to rub sleep from their eyes and rush to their duties as up to 30 Russian battleships left port. The battleships operating from the Russian naval base in Sevastopol in Crimea, Ukraine, were also alerted.

Defense Ministry press secretary Igor Konashenkov told Interfax that the drills “engaged over 7,100 troops, around 250 armored vehicles, some 50 cannons, up to 20 fighter jets and helicopters and about 30 various warships.” “The training partly involves Air Forces, rapid deployment paratrooper divisions, Marines, special forces of the Intelligence Service of Russia’s General staff,” presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said, adding that at least three airborne insertions are planned during the exercises. The troops and vehicles made a 500-kilometer march to assigned shooting ranges for target practice. The warships also conducted firing exercises in which the Russian Air Force practiced supporting naval and ground forces. According to international practices, Russia remains within its rights not to inform any country about the military drills, given the large number of soldiers taking part in the war games, Peskov said. He also did not excluded possibility of President Putin personally inspecting the ongoing military training: The city of Sochi is situated on the Black Sea, very close to the training zones. Spontaneous training missions such as this are apparently set to become routine in the Russian military.

"If we recall the speech of the President at the Collegium of the Ministry of Defense some time ago, you remember his words that the similar practice of unannounced inspections will actively continue,” Peskov explained. In February, the Russian military conducted an unannounced combat readiness drills for the first time in 20 years. The exercises at the time involved around 7,000 troops, 40 military aircraft and hundreds of armored vehicles. The drills in the Black Sea coincided with a huge long-range aviation exercise by the Russian Air Force. A range of strategic bombers – such as the supersonic Tu-160, Tu-95MC, Tu-22M3, Ilyushin flying tankers, A-50 AWACS aircrafts, Su-27 fighter jets and supersonic MiG-31 interceptors – conducted over 60 missions at three ranges in various regions of the country. Why Crimea is so dangerous - BBC News BBC News Why Crimea is so dangerous 11 March 2014 Close share panel Image copyright AP The peninsula of Crimea in southern Ukraine is at the centre of what is being seen as the biggest crisis between Russia and the West since the Cold War.

Troops loyal to Russia have taken control of the region and the pro-Russian parliament has voted to join the Russian Federation, to be confirmed in a referendum. Why has Crimea become a flashpoint? Crimea is a centre of pro-Russian sentiment, which can spill into separatism. The region - a peninsula on Ukraine's Black Sea coast - has 2.3 million people, a majority of whom identify themselves as ethnic Russians and speak Russian. The region voted heavily for Viktor Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election, and many people there believe he is the victim of a coup - prompting separatists in Crimea's parliament to vote for joining the Russian Federation and a referendum on secession. Is Crimea truly Ukrainian? Media captionWatch a short history of the Republic of Crimea Russia has been the dominant power in Crimea for most of the past 200 years, since it annexed the region in 1783. But it was transferred by Moscow to Ukraine - then part of the Soviet Union - in 1954. Some ethnic Russians see that as a historical wrong.

However, another significant minority, the Muslim Crimean Tatars, point out that they were once the majority in Crimea, and were deported in large numbers by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1944 for alleged collaboration with Nazi invaders in World War Two. Ethnic Ukrainians made up 24% of the population in Crimea according to the 2001 census, compared with 58% Russians and 12% Tatars. Tatars have been returning since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 - causing persistent tensions with Russians over land rights. Will Crimea break away? It appears to be heading that way with a referendum due on 16 March. The region remains legally part of Ukraine - a status that Russia backed when pledging to uphold the territorial integrity of Ukraine in a memorandum signed in 1994, also signed by the US, UK and France. Crimea is an autonomous republic within Ukraine, electing its own parliament, with a prime minister appointed with approval from Kiev. But now Crimean MPs have appointed a pro-Moscow leader, Sergei Aksyonov, who wants Crimea to unite with Russia, and has called the referendum. What will the referendum decide?

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption A billboard sets out the choices for the vote: Crimea with a swastika, or Crimea in Russia Voters will be asked two questions? What does the ballot paper say? Are you in favour of re-uniting Crimea with Russia as a constituent part of the Russian Federation? Are you in favour of restoring the Constitution of the (autonomous) Republic of Crimea of 1992 and retaining the status of Crimea as part of Ukraine? Under Ukraine's constitution , "issues of altering the territory of Ukraine are resolved exclusively by an All-Ukrainian referendum". Equally, Crimea is entitled to call what are termed local referendums . There seems little doubt of a Yes vote. Kiev has dismissed the referendum as illegal, but is hardly in a position to stop it going forward. And the West says it will not recognise the result. Image copyright Reuters Image caption Russia's lease on the Sevastopol base lasts until 2042 Thousands of pro-Russian troops are in control of Crimea. Moscow denies they are Russian soldiers, calling them Crimean "self-defence" forces - though correspondents say they are too well-trained and equipped to be an irregular militia.

President Vladimir Putin has defended Crimea's decision to stage the referendum as "based on international law". Russia has a major naval base in Sevastopol, where its Black Sea fleet is based. Under the terms of the lease, any movement of Russian troops outside the base must be authorised by the Ukrainian government. There have been reports of Russian envoys distributing Russian passports in the peninsula. Russia's defence laws allow military action overseas to "protect Russian citizens". Could the Crimean crisis spark a war? Mr Putin has obtained parliamentary approval for troop deployments not just in Crimea, but Ukraine as a whole. Moscow, which regards the new authorities in Kiev as fascists, could send troops to "protect" ethnic Russians in eastern Ukraine. That would enrage nationalists in western Ukraine, who hold positions in the new government. Western powers have strongly condemned the Crimea takeover. Nato is unlikely to react militarily, but has sent extra fighter planes to Poland and Lithuania and is conducting exercises. The US and EU are considering sanctions, but President Putin may believe that they will not last - as was the case after the Georgian war of 2008.

Then, Georgian forces were routed by the Russian military when trying to retake the Georgian breakaway territory of South Ossetia. Russian forces are still in control, and Moscow has recognised both South Ossetia and a second Georgian region, Abkhazia, as independent. Wasn't there once a war in Crimea? Image copyright Hulton Archive/Getty Images Crimea has been fought over - and changed hands - many times in its history. The occasion many will have heard of is the Crimean War of 1853-1856, known in Britain for the Siege of Sevastopol, the Charge of the Light Brigade, and the nursing contributions made by Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole. The war was a result of rival imperial ambitions, when Britain and France, suspicious of Russian ambitions in the Balkans as the Ottoman Empire declined, sent troops to Crimea to peg them back. Russia lost.

Question: Which major Russian naval base is situated in the Republic of the Ukraine?
Answer: Sevastopol