xpost from LGBT: I mean it. I will not do Russian State Media.

[okaawhatever]

14. I think you're referring to the 1997 Ukraine Russian Treaty. Funny that Yeltsin's speech mentioned:

''We respect and honor the territorial integrity of Ukraine,'' Mr. Yeltsin added, in an important aside. Many Russian leaders have urged the Kremlin to try to claim the city of Sevastopol in the Crimea -- the base of the Black Sea Fleet -- as Russian.

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/01/world/setting-past-aside-russia-and-ukraine-sign-friendship-treaty.html


MSM did cover the 25k allowance in the lease. Here's an article from the BBC printed a couple of weeks ago:

Ukraine crisis: Does Russia have a case?

Under the terms of its agreement with Ukraine, Russia is entitled to have 25,000 troops on the peninsula and currently has an estimated 16,000 deployed there. But these troops have to remain on base. Pro-Russian troops have been deployed across Crimea. Moscow insists they are local self-defence forces, but there are widespread reports that they are from Russia.
__________

The issue isn't whether Russia has exceeded the total number allowed, but rather that the sailors and Marines have left their bases. Also, the fact that they aren't wearing insignia is Russia basically saying they aren't sailors and Marines from the base. That seems to say that Russia isn't going to try and claim they were legally stationed on the base. Had the sailors been captured it would have been interesting because without insignia they are either considered spies or illegal combatants under the Geneva convention. Since Crimea has become Russian property, it likely won't matter, because the sailors won't be captured or identified.

Also, the estimates are now around 30k. (This is an estimate, I mention the number because I don't think Putin is going with the lease and the 25k allowed as any kind of defense of his actions)

(Reuters) - Russia now has 30,000 troops in Ukraine's Crimea region, Ukrainian border guards said on Friday, nearly twice the previous figure given by the government in Kiev.

Serhiy Astakhov, aide to the head of border guards service, told Reuters the figure was an estimate and included both troops that had arrived since last week and Russia's Black Sea Fleet, permanently based in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/07/us-ukraine-crisis-troops-idUSBREA260PW20140307