Ukrainian Troops in Crimea Side with Pro-Russia Forces

SIMFEROPOL, March 2 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian servicemen stationed in Crimea are leaving en masse their military units and handing over weaponry and ****nals to local pro-Russia authorities and militia, a RIA Novosti correspondent reported Sunday.

The Ukrainian Defense Ministry immediately denied the report, which was also circulated by other Russian media, calling it “a provocation.”

The ministry said in a statement that despite the attempts of “armed men” to take control of the military units stationed on the Crimean peninsula, their personnel refused to surrender and remained loyal to Kiev authorities.

Crimea, an autonomous republic within Ukraine, is now at the center of the ongoing crisis in the country as pro-Russia groups move to distance themselves from a reformed national parliament that ousted President Viktor Yanukovych a week ago.

The current development comes shortly after Russia’s upper house of parliament unanimously approved a request from President Vladimir Putin on Saturday to deploy military forces in Ukraine’s mainly ethnic Russian-populated region of Crimea.

Putin issued his request in response to what he said was a threat to the lives of Russian citizens and military forces located in naval bases in Crimea.

Putin, who is the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces, has not yet ordered the deployment of a “limited military contingent” in Ukraine, but said in telephone conversations with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama early on Sunday that Moscow reserved the right to protect its own interests and those of Russian speakers in the event of violence breaking out in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.

There is already a substantial Russian military presence in southern Ukraine, courtesy of the leased Black Sea Fleet naval base in the Crimean Peninsula.

Large movements of Russian troops have been reported around the peninsula, which is in defiance of express instructions from Ukrainian authorities this week for Russian soldiers to remain confined to their quarters.

Meanwhile, thousands of pro-Moscow protesters staged a number of rallies in eastern Ukraine on Saturday backing the anti-Kiev stance of the Crimean population and calling for Russia to defend them as well.

New authorities in Kiev have already responded to Russia’s plans by putting the army on high alert and calling up all military reserves.

Kiev has also appealed to NATO on Saturday" with a request to consider all options to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine.”

The North Atlantic Council, NATO’s main governing body, is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to discuss events in Ukraine, the military bloc’s secretary general, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, said in his Twitter blog.

Updates with Ukraine’s Defense Ministry denial of the report

 

One more finger to the West and pathetic Obama

Wow. Top Ukrainian Navy Commander has defected from Ukrainian Armed forces and swore allegiance to pro-Russian Crimea.




Commander of the Ukrainian Naval Forces Denis Berezovsky said Sunday that swore allegiance to the Crimean people. Earlier it was reported that Crimea-stationed Ukrainian troops have switched sides to join forces with local pro-Russia authorities in the Russian-dominated autonomous republic of Crimea. Allegedly the transition was peaceful and without a single shot being fired.

"I, Denis Berezovsky, swear allegiance to the people of Crimea and undertake to protect them, as required by statute," Berezovsky said at a press conference in Sevastopol.



[video=youtube;Zt9efnLV4UY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Zt9efnLV4UY[/video]

 

Of course, there is a propaganda war at play here.

Russia: Ukraine's forces are loyal to us (and you should be too!)

Ukraine: Nonsense! Our foces are loyal to us (and you should be too!)

 

And how about this. It is a google translation from Greek Defencenet:

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


A total of 18 Ukrainian warships hoisted the Russian flag of St. Andrew, including a total of 15,000 Ukrainian officers, non-commissioned officers and sailors.

It is perhaps the biggest change of national flags in the world history of wars

 

Some of Ukraine's military has some haven't. Putin has surrounded many Ukraine outpost in Chimera and demanded their disarmament some leading to a standoff which is worrisome.

 

If the news here are true, then Crimea will be Russian territory again very soon, because regardless of whom has the political power, the will of the people must prevail, and if the majority votes for Russia, then Russia will be a little bigger in a few.

I guess Californians with their "six states" must do the same in order to fulfill their dream, just to close their "borders" with armed men and settle the frontiers... less talk and more action... Lol

 

Latest news is that Russian Army is storming 2 Ukrainian Army bases who refused to surrender. There are explosions being reported. Hopefully these are only flashbangs or stun grenades.

 

When American troops invaded Grenada, Iraq, Libya and Afghanistan, they were shot at and hated.

When Russian Troops "brutally invade Ukraine" they are welcomed by hundreds of thousands and get all the cute girls.

Next time you ignorant Westerners complain about Russia , think about that!

 

I am not 100% on anyone's side yet as I need to watch how this plays out a bit first....

However is that really the criteria needed to annex a part of a country?

So Mexico can just claim Chula Vista and National City because it is literally all Hispanic?

Again, I have not yet decided. However, if that is your criteria and justification for taking Crimea, I vehemently disagree.

 

If a super pro-Christian military force came in and said we will install only pro-christian laws, do you think the Christians of the United States would shun them or welcome them? I would say they would welcome them.

Does that make it right to take land from a nation that 51%+ don't agree with those laws/morals/agendas?

A % of the population of Ukraine identifies with being Russian or Russian culture, so that nullifies the other % of the populations right to not agree? And will likely be killed for not agreeing? That is tyranny not democracy.

 

Is this the democracy in Kiev you are supporting?

Nazi's marching in Kiev

[video=youtube;_8sc0B-96B0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpag e&v=_8sc0B-96B0[/video]



Monument to World War 2 veterans dismantled in Ukraine

 

Some context would be nice

 

I support Democracy. The president was taken out of office by his parliament. Elections will be held very soon I think early May was the time given my the parliament. I don't support tyranny, if Russia is so sure that Ukraine is Pro Russia and this is all EU/USA propaganda/terrorism, why not leave the decision to the people of Ukraine? Why so quickly resort to violence? Could it be Russia is afraid that the majority of Ukraine is not on their side?

You are so ready to eat up Russia's propaganda, and so eager to dismiss any pro EU Ukraine information as western propaganda? Why not let the people of Ukraine decide in the elections in May? Do you fear the outcome that much?

 

Don't you know, when we invade it's a liberation, only when Russia does it it's an invasion. Kerry though is a comedian, so he really can't be taken seriously...or at least that's what I figure. Here is his latest routine:


“You just don’t invade another country on phony pretext in order to assert your interests,” John Kerry said during an interview with NBC’s Meet the Press. “This is an act of aggression that is completely trumped up in terms of its pretext. It’s really 19th century behaviour in the 21st century.”

 

Majority of Ukrainians voted for pro-Russian government in 2010.

The legitimate government was overthrown by nationalists and neo-nazi's. They killed policemen and soldiers. First law they created was to ban Russian language. They destroyed all museums, monuments to World War 2 veterans. They paraded around with photos of Hitler and other nazi colloborators.

Russia decided it has had enough and moved in. Good for them.

 

That is not Russia's decision, this is the VERY same thing the United States has done to many other countries and been demonized for it.
They are meddling in another nations internal affairs to secure a likeable outcome for them.

- - - Updated - - -

I would never say what the US has done is liberating those countries they were invasions straight out. At least in Iraq.

 

yeah Jeannette kerry hes a laughing stock all over youtube [video=youtube;fOAOgWR1dhI]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOAOgWR1dhI[/video]

 

Actually what happened is that an agreement was formed after eleven hours of discussion on when elections should be held in Ukraine and when President Yanukovich should leave. This agreement was signed by Yakunovich and by Germany, Poland, U.S., Russia and Lithuania. It was not kept though, and Yakunovich was told to leave immediately, and he was even shot at.

The protesters or rather the mutineers denied the agreement and set up their own terms about the elections being held in May. Of course they had no legal right, so this means that Yakunovich is still the legal President of Ukraine. Of course this doesn't mean that the U.S. won't recognize the protesters whether they be legal or not legal, since it is in our interest, after all we recognize the terrorists coming into Syria from Saudi Arabia and even call them Syrian freedom fighters to the American public.

Now all of these things were brought up in the Security Council, but heaven forbid our news media disclose anything to the American public that isn't in the interest of our State Department.

As for Yakunovich, you have to remember that he was voted in by an election that was watched over by the international community. The ones who are now sitting in Kiev and took the government over by force, are from the Western area of Ukraine next to Poland and like the Poles they have a hatred of Russia that goes back centuries. None of the protesters were voted in and they represent only the Western part of the country, so how can you support them and still say you believe in democracy. Wouldn't it be an oxymoron?

In Ukraine over sixty percent of the people are Russian speaking, so they have a cultural affinity towards Russia the same way we have an affinity towards all the English speaking people. In other words we hurt when they hurt. Also they are Orthodox Christians and always looked towards Russia for protection from the Turks as well as protection from a Western Europe that allied itself with the Turks against the Orthodox world. This Western support eventually culminated in the ethnic cleansing and genocide of millions of Christian Armenians, Greek speaking Romans and Assyrians by the Ottoman Turks.

These things cannot be easily forgotten, especially when they see a Western Europe acting in exactly the same way towards Eastern Europe as it did in the past.

 

The fomentation of civil strife in the liberal democracy of the Ukraine will not go unnoticed or unforgotten.

 

Is this your "liberal democracy"? Protesters burning down Police armored Tank in Kiev.
In USA they would get 20 years in jail for threatening to lives of law enforcement. Try and go attack an NYPD station and see what happens.

[video=youtube;3i1Ou9VIbDk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpag e&v=3i1Ou9VIbDk[/video]




Russia is there to stay. Nothing you or the West can do about it.

I am sure you weren't complaining when US invaded Vietnam, Iraq, Grenada, Kosovo, attacked Yugoslavia, and destroyed Libya.

I am sure you think all these missions were to bring freedom. Haha. Well let me tell you something, Americans were never greeted there. Russians are welcomed as liberators in Crimea.

 

Fascist/Baathist pigs never change.

 

Members of the Berkut Special Forces Units were disbanded by illegitimate government in Kiev.

Now they have come to Crimea and pledged loyalty to their new home.

Berkut members receiving Russian Passports. Bravo to Russia for standing up for these brave men

[video=youtube;yKR-8C77HfE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpag e&v=yKR-8C77HfE[/video]

 

And by this the Fascists would have us believe that Yanukovych was not voted out of office by his own party which was duly elected in the Ukrainian parliamentary elections, now we understand why Russian autocratic and Baathist al-Assaad supporters hate 3 equal branches of government and the right of the people to assemble and petition their government for a redress of grievances, but unfortunately for them the people united against the state can never fall.

 

berkut , syrian army and russian army doesnt care what you think.

syrians love + support russia forever

 

Yes we know the fascists don't care what the majority of Ukrainians think, that's what makes them fascists.