Ukraine crisis: Crimea airports occupied [View all]

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

Russian military forces are blockading Sevastopol airport in the Ukrainian region of Crimea, Ukraine's interior minister has said.

Arsen Avakov called their presence an "armed invasion".

Armed men also took over the other main Crimean airport, Simferopol, on Friday morning.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26379722

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Video makes it clear that whoever they actually are has not been identified.

Ukraine Accuses Russian Soldiers in Crimea of 'Invasion'

KIEV, February 28 (RIA Novosti) – The interior minister of Ukraine accused Russian troops Friday of blockading an airport in the Crimean city of Sevastopol in what he has described as an armed invasion.

While stressing that no direct violent confrontations had taken place, Arsen Avakov said the matter should be dealt with on a diplomatic level before armed clashes broke out.

Avakov said on his Facebook account that troops from the Black Sea Fleet, which is stationed in the city, could be seen outside Belbek airport, although the inside of the terminal was controlled by Ukrainian troops.

“The airport is not operating. At the external perimeter there are Ukrainian Interior Ministry checkpoints. There have been not been armed clashes,” Avakov said.

http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140228/187963690/Ukraine-Accuses-Russian-Soldiers-in-Crimea-of-Invasion-Update1.html


From Guardians' live updates :

More on the response from Russia’s Black Sea fleet to accusations that it has taken over or blocked the military airport near Sevastopol. In a statement, it said:

No units of the Black Sea fleet were deployed in the area of Belbek nor did they take place in blockading it.

But it said it had stepped up measures by its “anti-terror units” to protect areas where parts of the fleet were located in Crimea and the living quarters of service personnel and families “given the unstable situation”.


Russia’s Black Sea fleet says its forces have not seized or taken any action at the airport near Sevastopol, close to its naval base, Interfax is reporting.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/28/ukraine-accuses-russia-of-taking-over-airports-live-updates