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Russian troops backed by armoured vehicles stormed a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea.
Reports say at least one person was injured during the assault on Belbek base, near Sevastopol. The base is now said to be under Russian control.
Earlier, several hundred unarmed protesters seized a Ukrainian naval base at Novofedorivka, western Crimea.
Pro-Russian militia have also been seizing Ukrainian navy ships.
Ukrainian troops in Crimea feel beleaguered and abandoned by their commanders in Ukraine.
On Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law formalising Russia’s takeover of Crimea from Ukraine, despite fresh sanctions from the EU and the US.
In Belbek, two armoured personnel carriers burst through the wall of the base followed by Russian troops firing weapons in the air.
At least one person was injured during the assault on Belbek base, near Sevastopol
An ambulance was then seen entering the base amid reports that at least one person had been injured.
The Ukrainian soldiers were later gathered at the base main square in front of the heavily armed Russian troops.
The storming followed an ultimatum by the Russians to surrender.
The Belbek base commander earlier told the few dozen troops still there to shoot in the air if they were attacked.
Ukraine’s military chiefs deny this, saying each unit in Crimea has been issued with clear orders on what to do if attacked.
In Novofedorivka, attackers threw smoke bombs at the base.
Pro-Russian militia – backed by Russian forces – have already seized a number of Ukrainian bases in the southern peninsula.
Russian troops have taken over control of Crimea following last month’s overthrow of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych after mass street protests.
The Kremlin says it acted to protect its “compatriots” in Crimea from “fascists” moving in from the mainland Ukraine.
Kiev denies the claim, accusing Moscow of “blatant lies” to justify the land grab.
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Russian stock market fell sharply on Friday as investors weighed the impact of western sanctions over Ukraine.
The MICEX index, which is priced in roubles fell as much as 3% and the RTS, which is priced in dollars fell 3.6%
Shares slumped after President Barack Obama said sanctions might be extended to key parts of the Russian economy if Russia took further action in Ukraine.
Russia’s mining, defense and natural resources sectors could all be targets.
Stocks recovered some ground during the day after President Vladimir Putin moved to restore calm following the introduction of asset freezes and visa bans by the US against high ranking Russian officials.
The MICEX closed down 1% and the RTS index was down 1.45% at the end of the day.
Russia’s financial services industry found itself under the most pressure.
Visa and Mastercard said earlier on Friday they had stopped providing services to two Russian banks, Rossiya and SMP Bank.
Rossiya, described by the US as Russia’s 15th largest bank, has assets of $12 billion. It said card payment services for its clients had been stopped without notification.
US officials said Bank Rossiya, which is linked to a number of Russian businessmen, had been sanctioned, and would be “frozen out” from the dollar.
Russian stock market fell sharply as investors weighed the impact of western sanctions over Ukraine
They described Rossiya as a “personal bank for senior officials of the Russian Federation”.
Visa and Mastercard confirmed they had stopped providing services to SMP Bank without providing notification.
In a statement SMP, which is Russia’s 39th biggest bank with $5 billion in assets, called Visa and Mastercard’s actions “illegitimate” because its owners, rather than the bank itself, were the subject of sanctions.
The bank’s co-owners, billionaire brothers Arkady and Boris Rotenberg, are childhood friends of Vladimir Putin and were hit with sanctions on Thursday.
Vladimir Putin said Bank Rossiya was “just an average bank” which had “nothing to do” with events in Crimea.
He added he did not hold an account with the bank, but promised to open one “first thing on Monday” and asked for his salary to be transferred there.
Vladimir Putin also ordered Russia’s central bank to “take the bank’s clients under protection and provide all possible assistance to them.”
Russia’s central bank said the blacklisting of Rossiya and its transactions by the US did “not have a serious bearing on the lender’s financial stability”.
Although only banks with connections to high ranking Russian officials have been targeted Russian bank shares were broadly lower.
Shares in Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, closed 1.17% lower – having fallen 2.9% earlier on Friday, while shares in VTB Bank were 2.61% lower after falling 4.3% earlier in the day.
Other sectors were also hit. Gas giant Gazprom was down 0.9%, oil firm Lukoil ended the day 1.36% higher. Russian steel company NLMK closed 1.94% lower.
Shares in gas producer Novatek closed down 9.63%. The company is part owned by Gennady Timchenko, a shareholder in Bank Rossiya and one of the wealthy Russian businessmen targeted by Western sanctions.
Ratings agencies S&P and Fitch warned they were changing their outlook for the Russian economy to “negative” from “stable” – the first stage before a possible downgrade in the country’s credit rating – because of the potential impact of sanctions.
President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised the move, suggesting it was not an objective decision and that somebody “ordered” it.
Russia’s credit rating is currently BBB.
Meanwhile the rouble was stable on Friday having previously fallen sharply on Thursday evening in response to the announcement of further US sanctions.
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European Union leaders have signed an agreement on closer relations with Ukraine, in a show of support following Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and the EU signed the deal in Brussels.
Pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych’s abandonment of the deal had led to deadly protests, his removal and Russia taking over Crimea.
On Friday, Russia’s upper house unanimously approved the treaty on Crimea joining the Russian Federation.
The EU Association Agreement is designed to give Ukraine’s interim leadership economic and political support.
EU President Herman Van Rompuy said in a statementthat the accord “recognizes the aspirations of the people of Ukraine to live in a country governed by values, by democracy and the rule of law”.
Ukraine’s interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and the EU signed the deal in Brussels (photo AP)
The move comes hours after the EU broadened its sanctions over Russia’s annexation of Crimea.
It added 12 individuals to an earlier list of 21 who now face asset freezes and travel bans.
The US on Thursday added to its own list and also targeted Rossiya Bank.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Friday the international sanctions were “absolutely unlawful”.
However, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with officials in Moscow that Russia would not take an immediate reciprocal action.
“I think we should refrain from taking steps in response for now,” Interfax quoted Vladimir Putin as saying.
However, Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev said Ukraine should pay back $11 billion in gas discounts as an agreement linked to the lease of the Sevastopol naval base in Crimea was now invalid.
Two credit rating agencies have now downgraded Russia’s outlook to negative from stable.
In Moscow, all 155 senators present in the upper house of parliament voted to ratify the treaty incorporating Crimea into the Russian Federation.
President Vladimir Putin is expected to complete the process by signing the treaty at a ceremony later on Friday.
President Barack Obama has announced more sanctions on Russian officials and Bank Rossiya over the annexation of Crimea.
Barack Obama also said he had signed an order enabling the US to impose sanctions on sectors of the Russian economy.
Meanwhile EU leaders have arrived in Brussels amid warnings that they may impose tougher economic sanctions.
Barack Obama has announced more sanctions on Russian officials and Bank Rossiya over the annexation of Crimea (photo ABC)
Tensions are high as Moscow approves a treaty enabling Crimea – an autonomous republic in Ukraine – to join Russia.
Barack Obama said: “Russia must know that further escalation will only isolate it further from the international community.”
The president said the US was watching with concern the situation in southern and eastern Ukraine.
A White House official said the latest wave of US sanctions targeted 20 Russian individuals with interests in the Crimea.
Bank Rossiya is being targeted for supporting Russian government officials, the US Treasury said.
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EU leaders are due to meet in Brussels to discuss further targeted sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
It comes as UN chief Ban Ki-moon visits Russian leaders in Moscow to urge a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Tensions remain high in Crimea – pro-Russia forces seized two bases on Wednesday, including Ukraine’s navy headquarter in Sevastopol.
Ukraine’s navy commander was detained, but has now been released.
Crimean leaders signed a treaty with Moscow on Tuesday to absorb the peninsula – an autonomous republic in southern Ukraine – into Russia, following a disputed referendum on Sunday.
EU leaders are due to meet in Brussels to discuss further targeted sanctions in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine (photo AFP)
Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said the political process was expected to be completed this week, Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.
The lower house will vote on ratifying the Crimea treaty on Thursday, and the upper house on Friday. The measure is expected to sail through.
Sergei Lavrov said Russia was protecting the rights of Russians, and would continue to “insist their rights and freedoms are observed fully in the countries where [our] compatriots are living”.
Thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and sailors remain trapped inside military bases on the peninsula, surrounded by heavily armed pro-Russia forces.
Earlier this week, a Ukrainian serviceman and a member of the pro-Russia self-defense force were killed in an incident in Simferopol.
The crisis comes nearly a month after Ukraine’s pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych was replaced by Western-leaning interim authorities.
Western leaders have denounced Russia’s actions in Crimea as a violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and a breach of international law.
The EU, the US and a number of other countries have already imposed sanctions on Russian and Ukrainian individuals.
Washington ordered the freezing of assets and travel bans on 11 individuals, while the EU imposed similar sanctions on 21 people.
EU leaders are expected to discuss extending their sanctions on Thursday, to possibly include political and military figures close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
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Armed pro-Russian activists have stormed the headquarters of Ukraine’s navy in the Crimean city of Sevastopol.
Several Ukrainian servicemen have left, the Russia flag is flying and there are reports that Ukrainian navy chief Serhiy Hayduk has been detained.
It comes a day after Crimean leaders signed a treaty with Russia absorbing the peninsula into Russia.
Sunday’s disputed referendum, which officials say backed splitting from Ukraine, has been widely condemned.
Crimean and Russian officials say the vote showed overwhelming public support for joining Russia, with 97% of voters in favor.
But the West and the Ukrainian government in Kiev say the referendum – organized in two weeks and boycotted by many of Crimea’s Ukrainian and Tatar minorities – was illegal, and the results will not be recognized.
Activists put Russian flag at the Sevastapol navy base
On Wednesday, Russia’s constitutional court approved the treaty as legal.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh has reportedly been ordered to head to Crimea amid the rising tensions.
Russia’s Interfax news agency quoted Crimea’s Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, who is in Moscow, as saying: “Nobody will let them into Crimea, they will be sent back.”
Later, there were reports that Ukrainian navy chief Serhiy Hayduk had been detained and taken away from the base by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB).
A number of Ukrainian servicemen were seen leaving the base. There have been no reports of clashes or shots being fired.
Ukrainian navy spokesman Sergiy Bogdanov told AFP news agency: “There are about 200 of them, some wearing balaclavas.”
“They are unarmed and no shots have been fired from our side. The officers have barricaded themselves inside the building,” he said.
He said even though Kiev had authorized the military to use force in Crimea in self-defense “we are not doing so and will not do so”.
Reports are also emerging of a similar incident at a Ukrainian navy base in Novo-Ozyorne, western Crimea.
Ukrainian defense ministry spokesman Vladyslav Seleznev said a tractor had rammed the gates of the compound and pro-Russians had entered the base.
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A Ukraine’s army junior officer has been killed in an attack on a military base in Crimea.
This is the first such death since pro-Russia forces took control in February.
Ukraine has now authorized its troops to fire in self-defense.
The attack came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Crimea signed a bill to absorb the peninsula into Russia.
Western powers condemned the treaty and a G7 and EU crisis meeting has been called for next week in The Hague.
The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned an EU deal in favour of stronger ties with Russia. He fled Ukraine on February 22 after protests in which more than 80 people were killed.
According to new reports, armed men arrived in two unmarked vehicles, storming the base in Simferopol and firing automatic weapons.
A Ukraine’s army junior officer has been killed in an attack on a military base in Crimea
The Ukrainian government said a junior officer who was on duty in a park inside the base had been killed and another officer injured. A third serviceman had leg and head injuries after being beaten with iron bars, it said.
The government said the commander of the unit was captured by men wearing Russian uniforms.
Defense ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by “unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered”.
The Ukrainians had had their IDs, weapons and money confiscated, he said.
Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk told an emergency government meeting: “The conflict is shifting from a political to a military stage.
“Russian soldiers have started shooting at Ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime.”
Reports from the Crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russia defense force member had been shot dead.
Crimean police later said both Ukrainian and pro-Russian forces had been fired on from a single location and that one Ukrainian was killed and one injured, and one pro-Russian was killed and one injured.
None of the accounts can be independently confirmed.
Until now only warning shots have been fired amid a truce – but it appears the tension has boiled over and there are fears that further clashes could follow.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin told Russia’s parliament that Crimea had “always been part of Russia” and in signing the treaty he was righting a “historical injustice”.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Crimea have signed a bill to incorporate the peninsula into Russia.
Vladimir Putin told parliament that Crimea had “always been part of Russia”.
Kiev said it would never accept the treaty and the US has called a G7-EU crisis meeting next week in The Hague.
After the signing, Kiev said a Ukrainian serviceman had been killed in an attack on a base in Crimea.
The defense ministry said the attack took place in the capital, Simferopol.
US Vice-President Joe Biden, speaking earlier in Poland, said Russia’s involvement in Crimea was “a brazen military incursion” and its annexation of the territory was “nothing more than a land grab” by Moscow.
The Ukrainian foreign ministry said: “We do not recognize and never will recognize the so-called independence or the so-called agreement on Crimea joining the Russian Federation.”
Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the Crimea crisis had moved from the political to the military stage.
Germany and France quickly condemned the Russia-Crimea treaty.
Vladimir Putin later appeared before crowds in Moscow’s Red Square, telling them: “Crimea and Sevastopol are returning to… their home shores, to their home port, to Russia!”
He shouted “Glory to Russia” as the crowds chanted “Putin!”
Vladimir Putin and Crimean leaders signs treaty to incorporate the peninsula into Russia
Crimean officials say that, in a referendum held in the predominantly ethnic-Russian region on Sunday, 97% of voters backed splitting from Ukraine.
The EU and the US have declared the vote illegal. Travel bans and asset freezes have been imposed on government officials and other figures in Russia, Crimea and Ukraine, but these have been largely dismissed as ineffectual in Russia.
In a televised address in front of both houses of parliament and Crimea’s new leaders, Vladimir Putin said: “In the hearts and minds of people, Crimea has always been and remains an inseparable part of Russia.”
The referendum had been legal and its results were “more than convincing”, he said.
“The people of Crimea clearly and convincingly expressed their will – they want to be with Russia,” he said, and were no longer prepared to put up with the “historical injustice” of being part of Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin criticized Ukraine’s post-uprising leaders and those behind the unrest, saying they were “extremists” who had brought chaos.
He also praised the “courage, bearing and dignity” of Crimeans, and thanked all Russians for their “patriotic feeling”.
The West, Vladimir Putin said, had behaved “irresponsibly” in backing the uprising, and he denied Russia was interested in annexing more territory.
“Don’t trust those who frighten you with Russia… we do not need a divided Ukraine” he said.
Russia “will of course be facing foreign confrontation,” he said, adding: “We have to decide for ourselves, are we to protect our national interest or just carry on giving them away forever?”
The audience frequently applauded Vladimir Putin at length during his emotionally charged speech, and gave him a standing ovation.
President Vladimir Putin, Crimea’s PM Sergei Aksyonov, the region’s Speaker Vladimir Konstantinov and the mayor of Sevastopol, Alexei Chaliy, then signed a treaty on making the Black Sea peninsula a part of Russia.
Earlier, Vladimir Putin had recognized Crimea as a sovereign state and approved a draft bill on its accession to the Russian Federation.
The bill must now be approved by the constitutional court and then ratified by parliament.
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President Vladimir Putin has formally informed the Russian parliament of Crimea’s request to join the Russian Federation.
This is the first legislative step towards absorbing the peninsula.
Vladimir Putin, who signed a decree on Monday recognizing Crimea’s independence, also approved a draft bill on the accession.
The move comes after a referendum on Sunday in which Crimean officials say 97% of voters backed splitting from Ukraine.
The EU and the US have declared the vote illegal and imposed sanctions.
Travel bans and asset freezes have been imposed on government officials and other figures in Russia, Crimea and Ukraine.
Kiev has appealed to the international community not to recognise the result of the vote, which interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk described as a “circus” carried out at gunpoint.
On Tuesday, Arseniy Yatsenyuk said that “for the sake of preserving Ukraine’s unity and sovereignty”, Kiev was prepared to grant “the broadest range of powers” to Ukraine’s other mainly Russian-speaking regions in the south and east, which have seen pro-Moscow protests in recent weeks.
In a pre-recorded address on Ukraine’s 5 Kanal TV – delivered in Russian – Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the reforms would give cities the right to run their own police forces and make decisions about education and culture.
Vladimir Putin has formally informed the Russian parliament of Crimea’s request to join the Russian Federation
Crimea was taken over by pro-Russian forces in late February after Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia following months of protests.
However, Russia has always insisted the troops are not under its direct control.
Kiev is also concerned about a build-up of Russian troops on its eastern borders, and has authorized the partial mobilization of 40,000 troops.
President Vladimir Putin is due to address both houses of the Russian parliament in a special session at 15:00 local time. A delegation of Crimea’s new leaders is also expected to attend.
Russian news website Gazeta.ru, quoting sources, says that after the speech, President Vladimir Putin and the speaker of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, are expected to sign an agreement on Crimea’s “entry into the Russian Federation”.
Having approved the draft bill, Vladimir Putin has told lawmakers “to consider it practical to sign the agreement at the highest level,” Russia’s Interfax news agency reports.
Once signed, the bill must be approved by the constitutional court and then ratified by parliament.
The process is likely to be completed this week, after which Crimea is expected to be considered a new part of the Russian Federation, with the status of a republic.
In a sign of the wider impact of the Crimean referendum, parliament in the breakaway Moldovan region of Trans-Dniester announced on Tuesday that it too had appealed to Moscow for the right to join Russia, reports said.
Crimea was transferred from Russia to Ukraine while under Soviet rule in 1954 and much of its population is ethnic Russian.
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Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree recognizing Crimea as a sovereign and independent country.
The new decree is paving the way for Crimea to be absorbed into Russia.
It said it had taken into account Sunday’s referendum in Crimea, in which officials said 97% of voters backed breaking away from Ukraine.
The EU and the US said the referendum was illegal and imposed sanctions on 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine.
President Vladimir Putin has signed a decree recognizing Crimea as a sovereign and independent country
Crimea was taken over by pro-Russian gunmen in late February.
The incursion came after Ukraine’s President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia following months of street protests.
The Kremlin officially denies the gunmen are Russian soldiers, but concedes that lawmakers authorized President Vladimir Putin to use force after a formal plea for help from Viktor Yanukovych.
Crimea has been part of Ukraine since 1954, but much of its population is ethnic Russian.
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EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels are discussing the bloc’s response, including imposing a visa ban and an asset freeze against a number of Russian officials following Crimea’s controversial referendum on Sunday.
According to Crimean officials, Sunday’s referendum overwhelmingly backed leaving Ukraine.
Ukraine’s chief electoral official, Mikhail Malyshev, said the vote was nearly 97% in favor of joining the Russian Federation, with a turnout of 83%.
The EU has already suspended talks on an economic pact with Russia and an easing of visa restrictions.
The EU will impose a visa ban and an asset freeze against a number of Russian officials following Crimea’s controversial referendum
Speaking in Brussels, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said the “so-called referendum” was “illegal under the constitution of Ukraine and under international law”.
“I call upon Russia yet again to meet with Ukrainian leaders and to start a dialogue with them, and to try to move to de-escalation, please, as quickly as possible. We’ve seen no evidence of that,” Catherine Ashton told reporters.
The baroness said the EU “can’t simply sit back and say this situation can be allowed to happen”, but that ministers needed to think carefully about what their response should be.
The White House has also described Russia’s actions in Crimea as “dangerous and destabilizing”, and said the international community would not recognize the results of a poll “administered under threats of violence”.
President Barack Obama has warned Moscow that Washington is also ready to impose “costs” over its actions in Ukraine.
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Crimean parliament has formally declared independence from Ukraine and asked to join the Russian Federation.
The move follows Sunday’s controversial referendum which officials say overwhelmingly backed joining Russia.
The government in Kiev has said it will not recognize the results. The US and EU say the vote was illegal and have vowed to impose sanctions on Moscow.
The Crimean peninsula has been under the control of pro-Russia forces since late February.
Moscow says the troops are pro-Russian self-defense forces and not under its direct control.
The crisis follows the ousting of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych on February 22, following months of street protests and deadly clashes.
Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk has called the vote “a circus performance” which had been backed up by “21,000 Russian troops, who with their guns are trying to prove the legality of the referendum”.
Crimean parliament has formally declared independence from Ukraine and asked to join the Russian Federation
The vote was boycotted by many among Crimea’s minority Ukrainian and Tatar population, and the election process has been widely criticized.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian parliament in Kiev has formally approved the partial mobilization of 40,000 reservists, in response to what it called the “war-time situation”.
Interim President Oleksandr Turchynov described the referendum as a “great farce” which “will never be recognized either by Ukraine or by the civilized world”.
According to the vote in Crimea’s parliament on Monday, Ukrainian laws now no longer apply in the region and all state Ukrainian state property belongs to an independent Crimea.
The region will adopt the Russian currency, the rouble, and will move to Moscow time – two hours ahead – by the end of March.
The document approved by Crimean lawmakers also appealed to “all countries of the world to recognise it as an independent state”.
The referendum on breaking from Ukraine and joining Russia was called in early March by the Crimean parliament, with voters asked to choose between joining Russia, or having greater autonomy within Ukraine.
There was no option for those who wanted the constitutional arrangements to remain unchanged.
Ukraine’s chief electoral official, Mikhail Malyshev, said the vote was 96.6% in favor of joining the Russian Federation, with a turnout of 83%.
Crimea’s Tatar population – about 12% of the population – said they would boycott the vote, fearing their lives would be worse under the Kremlin.
The Tatars were deported to Central Asia by Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in 1944. They were only able to return with the fall of the Soviet Union and many want to remain in Ukraine.
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People in Ukraine’s region Crimea are voting on whether or not to re-join Russia in a referendum condemned as “illegal” by Kiev and the West but backed by Moscow.
Russian troops have taken de facto control of the majority ethnic-Russian region, and voters are expected to support leaving Ukraine.
Crimean Tatars are boycotting the vote, pledging their allegiance to Kiev.
Russia earlier vetoed a draft UN resolution criticizing the vote – the only Security Council member to do so.
The US-drafted document was supported by 13 Council members. China, regarded as a Russian ally on the issue, abstained from the vote.
The US and EU have warned they would slap further tough sanctions against Russian officials if the referendum goes ahead.
Crimea are voting on whether or not to re-join Russia (photo AFP)
Russia intervened in the Crimean peninsula by seizing control of government buildings and blocking Ukraine’s troops at their bases after the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22.
However, the Kremlin officially denies deploying extra troops there, describing them as Crimea’s “self-defense forces”.
Polling stations across Crimea opened at 08:00 local time and will close 12 hours later.
Voters are being asked whether they would like Crimea to rejoin Russia.
A second question asks whether Ukraine should return to its status under the 1992 constitution, which would give the region much greater autonomy.
Some 1.5 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots, and the first results are expected to be released shortly after the referendum.
Ethnic Russians form a clear majority in the region (58.5%), and many of them are expected to vote for joining Russia.
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A huge rally is being held in Moscow to oppose Russia’s intervention in Ukraine a day before the region of Crimea votes to secede in favor of joining Russia.
Holding Russian and Ukrainian flags, protesters shouted: “The occupation of Crimea is Russia’s disgrace.”
A smaller pro-Moscow rally was being held elsewhere.
Moscow supports the vote, which Ukraine and the West have dismissed as illegal.
Kiev says Russian “provocateurs” are behind clashes eastern Ukraine.
Huge rally is being held in Moscow to oppose Russia’s intervention in Ukraine (photo AFP)
Three people have died in Ukraine in pro- and anti-Moscow rallies in the cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv with sides blaming each other.
Russia’s military intervention in the Crimean peninsula – part of Russia until 1954 and host to its Black Sea fleet – followed the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on 22 February.
Ukraine’s interim President Oleksandr Turchinov echoed the charge, saying “Kremlin agents” were organizing and funding the protests in eastern Ukraine.
Moscow denies this, vowing to protect its “compatriots” from far-right radicals.
Up to 50,000 people attended the rally in Moscow to oppose the government’s intervention in Crimea and eastern Ukraine.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that Russia and the US have “no common vision” on the crisis in Ukraine after meeting US Secretary of State John Kerry in London.
However, Sergei Lavrov called his London meeting with John Kerry “constructive”.
John Kerry said the US was “deeply concerned” about Russia sending troops to the Ukraine border and in Crimea.
Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would respect the result of Sunday’s referendum in Crimea on whether to join Russia but John Kerry said the US would not recognize it.
After six hours of talks, Sergei Lavrov told reporters that Russia had no plans to invade south-eastern Ukraine.
Russia would “respect the will of the people of Crimea”, he said.
Crimeans are to vote on Sunday, March 16, on whether to leave Ukraine and become part of the Russian Federation.
John Kerry, who described the talks as “direct and candid”, said the US acknowledged Russia’s “legitimate interests” in Ukraine.
Russia and the US have no common vision on the Ukraine crisis
He said that the US had not changed its position on the “illegitimate” referendum in Crimea and would not recognize its outcome.
However, John Kerry said his Russian counterpart had made it clear that President Vladimir Putin was not prepared to make any decision until after the vote.
The secretary of state said that he had told Sergei Lavrov that there would be consequences if Russia “does not find a way to change course”.
Russia’s military intervention in the Crimean peninsula – part of Russia until 1954 and host to its Black Sea fleet – followed the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22.
Moscow has not recognized the interim government that took over in Kiev following Viktor Yanukovych’s departure.
Sergei Lavrov said that Russia had “deep concern” that there were “no measures” to provide security and order in Ukraine or to prevent the actions of “radicals”.
Thursday night saw clashes in Ukraine’s eastern city of Donetsk between a pro-Russian crowd and supporters of the new Kiev government, which left at least one person dead.
The US and the EU have said that Sunday’s vote in Crimea violates international law and the Ukrainian constitution, and are planning to impose sanctions against Russian officials if the crisis does not ease.
President Barack Obama also reiterated on Friday that there would be “consequences” if Ukraine’s “sovereignty continues to be violated”.
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Donald Trump appeared on The Today Show to promote his 2014 Miss USA pageant airing on NBC in June, when the conversation turned to President Barack Obama and his weakness in handling Russia’s actions in Crimea.
“You’ve been critical of the president and his handling of the situation with Ukraine and Crimea,” the show co-host Matt Lauer said.
“I think you said, I’m paraphrasing here, but basically [Russian President Vladimir] Putin was playing with or toying with Obama. That is kind of a common refrain of yours, I should mention.”
Donald Trump replied that others have said the same thing.
“But you always think that Obama is being weak,” Matt Lauer said.
Donald Trump appeared on The Today Show to promote his 2014 Miss USA pageant, when the conversation turned to Barack Obama (photo NBC)
“What would you have done differently than he did in the days before Russian troops went into Crimea?”
The incursion should have never happened, Donald Trump said.
“If you’re the president, that doesn’t happen and it’s not a big surprise,” he said.
“I mean, it should have worked so that a thing like that doesn’t happen.”
The US should be strong in its reaction to Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump said.
“We should definitely do sanctions. And we have to show some strength. I mean, Putin has eaten Obama’s lunch, therefore our lunch, for a long period of time,” he said.
“And I just hope that Obama, who’s not looking too good, doesn’t do something very foolish and very stupid to show his manhood. I just hope that doesn’t happen.”
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry are preparing for key talks on Ukraine in London, as a disputed referendum in Crimea looms on Sunday.
John Kerry is expected to warn Sergei Lavrov that the referendum and Russia’s military intervention in Crimea could trigger concerted US and EU sanctions.
He has warned of “very serious steps” if Russia annexes the region.
Russia insisted at the UN on Thursday it did “not want war” with Ukraine.
During an emergency meeting of the Security Council, Moscow’s ambassador to the UN Vitaly Churkin defended the right of Crimea, which is predominantly ethnic Russian, to decide whether or not to join the Russian Federation.
Russia’s military intervention followed the fall of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22.
John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov will meet at the US ambassador’s residence in central London.
It appears John Kerry will try to persuade Russia that it risks paying a heavy price in political and economic damage from American and European measures which could be triggered by Sunday’s referendum.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry are preparing for key talks on Ukraine in London (photo Reuters)
“If there is no sign of any capacity to be able to move forward and resolve this issue, there will be a very serious series of steps on Monday in Europe and here [in Washington] with respect to the options that are available to us,” he said before arriving in London on Friday.
While John Kerry seems to think the referendum itself may be all but unstoppable, he insists that it is what Russia does after that vote which counts – and Ukraine’s territorial integrity must not be permanently violated.
The talks are the last opportunity for face-to-face dialogue at such a senior level before the likely vote in Crimea, our correspondent says, which could determine whether what happens next edges Ukraine away from, or deeper into, a dangerous crisis.
John Kerry told lawmakers before his departure to London that the US was not eager to impose further sanctions on Russia.
“Our choice is not to be put in the position of having to do that. Our choice is to have a respect for the sovereignty and independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said.
The secretary of state said that he had spoken again by telephone with Sergei Lavrov on Thursday ahead of their Friday meeting, and that he and his Russian counterpart had been in almost daily contact over the past two weeks.
John Kerry has hinted at a possible compromise to the crisis by which the Ukrainian parliament would allow Crimea to hold a referendum on self-determination.
“The constitution of Ukraine requires that any effort by any entity within Ukraine to secede be done through the constitutional process,” John Kerry said.
He said that at the moment Russia did not “have the assets… necessary to be able to march in and take over Ukraine”, although he conceded that could change in future.
But correspondents say that the signs are not good for Friday’s talks, as both men have clashed in recent weeks and failed to agree on a number of US proposals.
Russia has refused to recognize the interim leadership that took over in Kiev with Viktor Yanukovych’s departure or participate in a contact group aimed at bringing the two countries together for talks.
In his appearance before the UN on Thursday, Vitaly Churkin said that it was Kiev that was “splitting its country into two parts”, not Moscow.
The referendum in Crimea, he said, had come about because of a “legal vacuum” in the country, and questioned why Crimeans should not be “afforded the opportunity” to decide on their future.
Ukraine’s interim PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk told the UN Security Council that his country was a victim of Russian aggression, producing a copy of the UN Charter to make his point that Moscow was violating it and several other international treaties.
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More than 8,000 Russian troops have begun military exercises close to the border with Ukraine.
Russian defense ministry confirmed that artillery such as rocket launchers and anti-tank weapons would also be involved in the exercises.
They come at a time of high tension ahead of Crimea’s referendum on Sunday on whether to join Russia.
Ukraine PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk has told the UN Security Council his country is a victim of Russian aggression.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk said it was “absolutely and entirely unacceptable, in the 21st Century, to resolve any kind of conflict with tanks artillery and boots on the ground”, in reference to Russian troops at key sites in Crimea.
Meanwhile, reports from the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk say at least one person has been killed and several wounded in clashes between hundreds of pro- and anti-Moscow demonstrators.
More than 8,000 Russian troops have begun military exercises close to the border with Ukraine
Russia confirmed that military exercises had begun in the regions of Rostov, Belgorod and Kursk, which are close to the border of Ukraine, and would continue until the end of March.
“The main aim… is a multi-faceted check of the units’ cohesiveness followed by the performance of battle training assignments in unfamiliar terrain and untested firing ranges,” the Russian defense ministry said.
In a sign the tension may be spreading, Belarus – a Russian ally – confirmed Moscow had deployed, at its request, extra fighter jets and military transport aircraft after Nato boosted its forces in the neighboring Baltic countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin told a meeting of his Security Council that this was an inter-Ukrainian crisis that “arose not through our fault, but we are involved in it, one way or another”.
He said he wanted to discuss how to “build relations with our partners and friends in Ukraine and our other partners in Europe and the United States”.
Separately, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said Russia had now given its support to a possible long-term monitoring mission in Ukraine.
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Ukraine’s parliament has passed a bill to create a 60,000-strong National Guard to bolster the country’s defenses ahead of Crimea referendum.
The vote came ahead of Sunday’s referendum in Crimea, now controlled by pro-Russian forces, on whether citizens want to join Russia.
Russian President Vladimir Putin insists Russia is not to blame for the crisis.
Ukraine’s parliament has voted to create a 60,000-strong National Guard to bolster the country’s defences
Meanwhile Germany’s Angela Merkel says Moscow faces “massive” political and economic damage if it refuses to change course. The US has also threatened action.
Russia was exploiting the weakness of neighboring Ukraine, rather than acting as a partner for stability, the German chancellor said on Thursday, adding that there was no military solution to the crisis.
The Russian military and pro-Russian armed men moved in to seize key sites in Crimea – an autonomous region of Ukraine whose population is mainly ethnic Russian – in late February after the fall of President Viktor Yanukovych.
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The G7 leaders have called on Russia to stop all efforts to “annex” Ukraine’s Crimea region.
G7 said if Russia took such a step they would “take further action, individually and collectively”.
They also said they would not recognize the results of a referendum in Crimea this weekend on whether to split from Ukraine and join Russia.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s national security chief has warned of a major Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders.
Andriy Parubiy said Moscow had not withdrawn its troops after carrying out military exercises near Ukraine’s eastern and southern frontiers last month.
The Group of Seven industrial nations – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US – along with the EU urged Russia to “cease all efforts to change the status of Crimea”.
G7 said Crimea’s referendum has no legal effect as it is in direct violation of Ukraine’s constitution
“In addition to its impact on the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine, the annexation of Crimea could have grave implications for the legal order that protects the unity and sovereignty of all states,” they said in a statement released by the White House.
They said Sunday’s referendum, asking the people of Crimea if they want to be a part of Russia or Ukraine, has “no legal effect” as it is in “direct violation” of Ukraine’s constitution.
“Given the lack of adequate preparation and the intimidating presence of Russian troops, it would also be a deeply flawed process which would have no moral force.”
The leaders repeated their calls for Russia to de-escalate the crisis by withdrawing its troops, talking directly with Kiev and using international mediators to “address any legitimate concerns it may have”.
US Secretary of State John Kerry says he has been asked by President Barack Obama to travel to London for talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.
“Our job is to present them with a series of options that are appropriate in order to try to respect the people of Ukraine, international law and the interests of all concerned,” John Kerry told the House Appropriations Committee on Foreign Operations.
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Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have held rival pro-unity and pro-Russian rallies, as Moscow continues to strengthen its grip on Crimea.
Pro-Russia supporters beat up their opponents in Sevastopol, Crimea.
In the eastern city of Luhansk, pro-Russian activists seized regional offices forcing the governor to resign.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and UK’s PM David Cameron telephoned Russian President Vladimir Putin to urge him to pull back from Crimea. The region is to vote to secede on March 16.
Addressing a huge crowd in Kiev to mark the 200th birth anniversary of national poet Taras Shevchenko, Ukraine’s PM Arseniy Yatsenyuk pledged not to give a “single centimetre” of Ukrainian land to the Kremlin.
Ukraine’s defence minister has said Kiev has no plans to send the army to Crimea.
In the eastern city of Donetsk, pro-Russian protesters take down a Ukrainian flag near the regional government building, replacing it with a Russian flag.
Pro-Russian rally in Simferopol, Crimea
In Kharkiv, also in the east, some 10,000 people reportedly march to support Ukraine’s unity, chanting “No to war!” and “Ukraine, Kharkiv, Crimea!”.
Russia’s ex-tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who spent a decade behind bars, accuses Moscow of being complicit with Ukraine’s ousted government in using deadly violence against protesters
In Yevpatoriya, western Crimea, pro-Russian forces threaten to storm the command point of a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile unit if the personnel there do not surrender their weapons.
In Sevastopol, the violence erupted when pro-Russian groups attacked dozens of people guarding a rally to commemorate Taras Shevchenko.
The crowd threw missiles at a car as the activists tried to flee the scene, smashing windows.
Some of the attackers were Russian Cossacks with whips.
The rally was attended by about 200 people.
A rival pro-Russian demonstration was also staged in the city – the base of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
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US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Russia that any moves to annex Crimea would close the door to diplomacy.
John Kerry told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Crimea is part of Ukraine and Moscow should avoid military escalation.
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has been discussing the deepening crisis with world leaders.
It comes as warning shots were fired as a team of international observers was turned back from entering Crimea.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said that no-one was hurt in the incident at Armyansk.
John Kerry told Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov that Crimea is part of Ukraine and Moscow should avoid military escalation (photo Reuters)
It was the third time the OSCE has been prevented from entering Crimea, now in the control of pro-Russian forces.
Moscow has been tightening its military grip on the Crimean peninsula, and the pro-Russian authorities there have called a March 16 referendum to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
The exchange between John Kerry and Sergei Lavrov came in a telephone conversation on Saturday, a US State Department official said.
“He [John Kerry] made clear that continued military escalation and provocation in Crimea or elsewhere in Ukraine, along with steps to annex Crimea to Russia would close any available space for diplomacy, and he urged utmost restraint,” the official said.
President Vladimir Putin has insisted he has the right to protect Russian interests and the rights of ethnic Russians in Crimea.
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Warning shots have been fired in Armyansk city, northern Crimea, as a team of OSCE observers was turned back from entering the region.
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) said that no-one was hurt in the incident at Armyansk.
It was the third time the OSCE has been prevented from entering Crimea, now in the control of pro-Russian forces.
In another development, Russia’s deputy foreign minister has held talks with Ukraine’s ambassador in Moscow.
Warning shots have been fired in Armyansk as a team of OSCE observers was turned back from entering Crimea
The foreign ministry gave no details but said the talks on Saturday between deputy minister Grigory Karasin and ambassador Volodymyr Yelchenko were held in an “open atmosphere”.
Also on Saturday, President Barack Obama and his French counterpart Francois Hollande warned of “new measures” against Moscow if it failed to make progress on defusing the crisis in Ukraine.
The French presidency said that, in a phone call, the two leaders insisted on the “need for Russia to withdraw forces sent to Crimea” and “to do everything to allow the deployment of international observers”.
It was not clear what “new measures” could entail.
Witnesses travelling with the OSCE said several shots were fired in the air as a convoy of vehicles approached a checkpoint manned by pro-Russian forces on a road leading from mainland Ukraine into the Crimea peninsula.
An OSCE spokeswoman said that the mission was withdrawing to the nearest big city, Kherson, to decide on its next steps.
The Vienna-based OSCE was invited by Ukraine’s interim government, but Russian separatist authorities in Crimea say it does not have permission to enter the region.
Russia has warned the US not to take “hasty and reckless steps” in response to the crisis in Ukraine’s Crimea region.
In a phone call with Secretary of State John Kerry, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said imposing sanctions on Moscow would harm the US.
Pro-Russian troops have been in control of Crimea for the last week.
Earlier, a stand-off involving pro-Russian soldiers at a Ukrainian military base outside Sevastopol reportedly ended without incident.
Crimea’s parliament announced on Thursday it would hold a referendum on March 16 on whether to join Russia or remain part of Ukraine.
In a phone call with John Kerry, Sergei Lavrov said imposing sanctions on Moscow would harm the US (photo Reuters)
Russia’s parliament has promised to support Crimea if it chooses to become part of Russia.
The vote has been denounced as “illegitimate” by the interim government in Kiev, which took power after President Viktor Yanukovych fled to Russia last month in the wake of mass protests against his government and deadly clashes with security forces.
In their telephone conversation on Friday, Sergei Lavrov warned John Kerry against taking “hasty and unthought-through steps capable of causing harm to Russian-US relations”, Russia’s foreign ministry reports.
Sergei Lavrov said imposing sanctions on Russia in response to its involvement in Ukraine “will inevitably have a boomerang effect against the US itself”.
The US State Department said John Kerry had “underscored the importance of finding a constructive way to resolve the situation diplomatically, which would address the interests of the people of Ukraine, Russia and the international community”.
“Secretary Kerry and Foreign Minister Lavrov agreed to continue to consult in the days ahead on the way forward,” said the US statement.
The Pentagon estimates that 20,000 Russian troops may now be in Crimea, while the Ukrainian border guards’ commander puts the figure at 30,000.
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According to new reports, pro-Russian soldiers have stormed a Ukrainian military base outside the Crimean city of Sevastopol, before withdrawing soon afterwards.
Two trucks from Russia’s Black Sea Fleet outside the gates, surrounded by armed men.
No shots are believed to have been fired, and the assailants and trucks reportedly left after “negotiations”.
Troops wearing Russian uniform without insignia have blockaded bases since taking control of Crimea last week.
Some military installations and other buildings in the peninsula have been taken over, but both sides have so far held their fire.
On Friday evening, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that about 100 Ukrainian personnel were stationed at missile defense base A2355.
Troops wearing Russian uniform without insignia have blockaded military bases since taking control of Crimea last week
Citing a duty officer and Ukraine’s defense ministry, the agency said a truck had rammed open the gates of the facility and about 20 “attackers” had entered, throwing stun grenades.
The Ukrainian troops immediately barricaded themselves inside a building and their commander began negotiations before any shots were fired, it added.
There were two military trucks with Russian number plates outside the gates, surrounded by irregular soldiers and a very hostile crowd of pro-Russian demonstrators.
Two journalists who attempted to take photographs were beaten badly.
Later, a Ukrainian officer told a Daily Telegraph journalist that the stand-off had ended after the “talks”, and that the Russian trucks and about 30 to 60 Russians troops had withdrawn.
The incident comes hours after Russian parliamentarians gave a standing ovation to a delegation of pro-Moscow politicians from Crimea, promising support if they wanted to become part of Russia.
The region is due to hold a referendum on March 16, on whether to join Russia or remain part of Ukraine. The vote has been denounced by the interim government in Kiev as illegitimate.
Meanwhile, Russia’s state-owned energy company, Gazprom, warned Ukraine that its gas supply might be cut off unless its $1.89 billion of debts were cleared.
Gazprom halted supplies to Ukraine for almost two weeks in 2009, a move that caused shortages in Europe.
Ukrainian officials have said the state has come close to bankruptcy since protesters ousted President Viktor Yanukovych at the end of February.
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