Ukraine Troops in Crimea Face Dilemma: To Defect, Flee Or Fight -- Simon Shuster, Time
Ukrainian soldiers guarding the country's air defense bases in the Crimea region aren't allowed to use their weapons despite provocations from Russian troops, creating tense standoffs where any wrong move could spark an armed conflict
On Friday night, when Russian troops began storming the command center of Ukraine’s air defenses in the region of Crimea, the hundred or so soldiers barricaded inside had orders not to open fire. Half of them locked themselves inside a bunker at the far end of the base, which stretches about two kilometers along the Black Sea coast. The other half stood and watched as about two dozen Russian commandos forced their way inside. Their only means of self-defense was to form a human chain behind the main gate, hoping that the Russian truck would not drive over them as it rammed its way through the iron bars. “We are not allowed to use our weapons,” says Major Vladimir Yaremchuk, who was at the base that night. “But those guys came here armed to the teeth.”
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Update: Ukraine Facing Loss of Its Navy as Russian Forces in Crimea Dig In -- New York Times
My Comment: When a country's military is in chaos .... this is what it looks like. What also does not help the situation is (from what I am hearing) a concerted effort by Ukraine to purge Russians from the military .... such instability always lead to more unrest and instability. As for the Crimean vote on independence .... my prediction is that once the vote has been completed .... expect pressure to intensify even further against those Ukraine bases that are not under Russian control.
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