20:48
7.3.2014
More preparation for annexation? From Interfax and ITAR-TASS:
Authorities in Crimea have stopped the broadcasting of two more Ukrainian national TV channels and replaced them with broadcasts from Russian channels.
According to reports Friday five Ukrainian TV channels and one Crimean TV channel have now been taken off the air in the Crimean Peninsula and replaced with Russian channels.
In Kyiv, authorities have requested television and radio broadcasting authorities to "temporarily" suspend retranslation of Russian channels "Vesti," "Rossiya 24," "ORT," and "RTR Planeta."
These moves come amid tensions between Kyiv and Moscow over the presence of pro-Russian forces in Crimea and attempts by Crimean officials to hold a referendum on joining Russia.
According to reports Friday five Ukrainian TV channels and one Crimean TV channel have now been taken off the air in the Crimean Peninsula and replaced with Russian channels.
In Kyiv, authorities have requested television and radio broadcasting authorities to "temporarily" suspend retranslation of Russian channels "Vesti," "Rossiya 24," "ORT," and "RTR Planeta."
These moves come amid tensions between Kyiv and Moscow over the presence of pro-Russian forces in Crimea and attempts by Crimean officials to hold a referendum on joining Russia.
20:39
7.3.2014
Another interesting piece on the role of the far-right in the Maidan protests:
The new deputy prime minister, Oleksandr Sych, is from Svoboda; National Security Secretary Andriy Parubiy is a co-founder of the neo-Nazi Social-National Party, Svoboda's earlier incarnation; the deputy secretary for National Security is Dmytro Yarosh, the head of Right Sector. Chief prosecutor Oleh Makhnitsky is another Svoboda member, as are the ministers for Agriculture and Ecology (Channel 4, 3/5/14). In short, if the prospect of fascists taking power again in Europe worries you, you should be very worried about Ukraine.
19:25
7.3.2014
Meanwhile, the Paralympics is opening in Sochi
No insignia I presume RT @RT_com: #SOCHI2014: Ice breaker of peace enters the #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/U0kBI6dd50 (Photo @Sochi2014)
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) March 7, 2014
18:29
7.3.2014
RussiaToday @RT_com has updated its maps to show #Crimea as part of Russia. Not Putin propaganda organ, eh? pic.twitter.com/WAKM0aSCR0 #Ukraine
— Daniel Hamilton (@danielrhamilton) March 7, 2014
18:08
7.3.2014
If you're looking for some weekend listening, you could do a lot worse than listen to our very own Brian Whitmore's Power Vertical podcast. It's on Crimea.
The @PowerVertical podcast is out. @MarkGaleotti @llywelyn The Crimean Game Changer http://t.co/iMSu5Awvnz
— Brian Whitmore (@PowerVertical) March 7, 2014
17:41
7.3.2014
Interfax was reporting earlier that OSCE monitors were refused entry -- once again -- to Crimea. More from the wires:
The Organization for Security and Co-operation In Europe (OSCE) says its military observers have again been denied access to Crimea and are heading back to the Ukrainian city of Kherson to plan their next step.
The OSCE's announcement via Twitter on Friday came after news agencies reported that armed men at a checkpoint blocked two buses carrying OSCE observers from entering Crimea.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday that the OSCE observers had failed to obtain "official invitations" from the Crimean authorities.
The OSCE team of 47 military and civilian observers was similarly blocked on Thursday and spent the night in Kherson, the nearest big town north of the peninsula.
The OSCE's announcement via Twitter on Friday came after news agencies reported that armed men at a checkpoint blocked two buses carrying OSCE observers from entering Crimea.
The Russian Foreign Ministry said Friday that the OSCE observers had failed to obtain "official invitations" from the Crimean authorities.
The OSCE team of 47 military and civilian observers was similarly blocked on Thursday and spent the night in Kherson, the nearest big town north of the peninsula.
17:32
7.3.2014
"Yes, I am a Russian soldier! I have no flag on my uniform, because it is a secret mission" #Ukraine #Crimea http://t.co/PTkEO002fr
— NATOSource (@NATOSource) March 7, 2014
17:04
7.3.2014
And more on the recent IMF visit to Kyiv. The Ukrainian coffers are pretty much empty and the country desperately needs financial assistance:
The head of a delegation from the International Monetary Fund that just completed a visit to Kyiv said he was "impressed with the authorities' determination."
Reza Moghadam said Friday he had "productive" talks with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his economic team during the mission's March 6-7 visit.
Moghadam said the IMF is prepared to help "the people of Ukraine and support the authorities' economic program to put Ukraine firmly on the path of good economic governance and sustainable growth while protecting the poor and vulnerable."
The IMF team also met with acting President and speaker of parliament Oleksander Turchynov, Governor of the National Bank Stepan Kubiv, and the finance and economic development and trade ministers.
The new Ukrainian government has said it inherited virtually empty coffers after the previous government was ousted.
Reza Moghadam said Friday he had "productive" talks with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk and his economic team during the mission's March 6-7 visit.
Moghadam said the IMF is prepared to help "the people of Ukraine and support the authorities' economic program to put Ukraine firmly on the path of good economic governance and sustainable growth while protecting the poor and vulnerable."
The IMF team also met with acting President and speaker of parliament Oleksander Turchynov, Governor of the National Bank Stepan Kubiv, and the finance and economic development and trade ministers.
The new Ukrainian government has said it inherited virtually empty coffers after the previous government was ousted.
17:04
7.3.2014
Interpretermag.com has a report about hacker attacks against Ukrainian media and the interim government.
"'The nature of the attacks is such that the control centers are scattered around, and an attack could be launched from anywhere – from Russia, Ukraine, America or China,' Yevgeny Bespalov, General Director of the Friendly Runet told Gazeta.ru. 'They are difficult to identify.'"
"'The nature of the attacks is such that the control centers are scattered around, and an attack could be launched from anywhere – from Russia, Ukraine, America or China,' Yevgeny Bespalov, General Director of the Friendly Runet told Gazeta.ru. 'They are difficult to identify.'"
17:01
7.3.2014
More from the wires of the "USS Truxton" making its way to the Black Sea.
A U.S. warship has passed through Turkey's Bosphorus straits on its way to the Black Sea.
Turkish television on Friday showed the USS Truxton, a navy guided-missile destroyer, heading north for what the U.S. military has described as a "routine" deployment scheduled well before the crisis in Ukraine.
The ship is due to conduct training exercises with naval forces from NATO allies Bulgaria and Romania.
Earlier this week, Washington announced plans to put more U.S. fighter jets on a NATO air patrol mission in the Baltics to reassure allies alarmed by Russia's effective seizure of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.
Turkish television on Friday showed the USS Truxton, a navy guided-missile destroyer, heading north for what the U.S. military has described as a "routine" deployment scheduled well before the crisis in Ukraine.
The ship is due to conduct training exercises with naval forces from NATO allies Bulgaria and Romania.
Earlier this week, Washington announced plans to put more U.S. fighter jets on a NATO air patrol mission in the Baltics to reassure allies alarmed by Russia's effective seizure of Ukraine's Crimea peninsula.