14:16
9.3.2014
Here's our man in Donetsk's photo of the government building:
A few hundred pro Rus protesters marched to gov building. Entrance blocked by a truck, barbed wire and riot police pic.twitter.com/liX1xZSR9q
— tom balmforth (@BalmforthTom) March 9, 2014
14:15
9.3.2014
Our correspondent in Donetsk Tom Balmforth says that with most pro-Moscow demonstrators having marched back to Lenin Square, the regional administration, which was seized twice this past week by pro-Russians, is being guarded by more than 100 riot police, with the entrance blocked by barbed wire and a truck.
14:12
9.3.2014
A polyglot antiwar video on YouTube by Ukrainian university students allied in their support for Euromaidan (h/t @edwardlucas):
13:43
9.3.2014
Here's the direct Yatsenyuk quote via Reuters on his urgent trip to the United States: "I am going to the United states to hold top-level meetings on resolving the situation unfolding in our bilateral and multilateral relations."
13:38
9.3.2014
Carl Bildt seems awfully concerned here:
Another day of crisis. Russia just continues. Prepares annexation of Crimea. Clearly wants regime change in Kiev. But highly likely to fail.
— Carl Bildt (@carlbildt) March 9, 2014
13:34
9.3.2014
Rogozin Says U.S., NATO 'Threats' Justify #Russia Rearmament http://t.co/hfBdR9S0CS #news
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 9, 2014
13:22
9.3.2014
Nice Shaun Walker "Guardian" piece on the dilemma of Ukrainian troops in Crimea, including an unconfirmed report that a visit by high-ranking military personnel from Kyiv ended in a kidnapping, possibly with three Ukrainian officers now "in an FSB prison in Sevastopol and could be transferred to Russia soon."
Here's the gist of the piece:
There is frustration at the bases at Kiev's failure to take more decisive action. A Ukrainian military source in Sevastopol said: "There's a feeling that in Kiev they are paralysed: they don't want to believe that this is happening, and they just don't know what to do. They are hoping they will wake up and find this will all have gone away – that there will be a miracle. They are not doing anything."
He added: "Can you imagine if there was just one American soldier stranded somewhere and being assaulted by enemies? The US government would mount a massive campaign to save him. We have thousands of soldiers stranded and they have been abandoned by our government, completely abandoned."
Here's the gist of the piece:
There is frustration at the bases at Kiev's failure to take more decisive action. A Ukrainian military source in Sevastopol said: "There's a feeling that in Kiev they are paralysed: they don't want to believe that this is happening, and they just don't know what to do. They are hoping they will wake up and find this will all have gone away – that there will be a miracle. They are not doing anything."
He added: "Can you imagine if there was just one American soldier stranded somewhere and being assaulted by enemies? The US government would mount a massive campaign to save him. We have thousands of soldiers stranded and they have been abandoned by our government, completely abandoned."
My piece on Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea in today's Observer... Threatened by Moscow, abandoned by Kiev http://t.co/7tksIViUjU
— Shaun Walker (@shaunwalker7) March 9, 2014
13:09
9.3.2014
Ukraine's prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, says he will go to Washington this week to discuss the standoff with Russia over Crimea. (agencies and local media)
13:06
9.3.2014
Numbers growing at pro-Russian Donetsk rally.
Thousands of pro Rus protesters marching through central Donetsk to gov building
— tom balmforth (@BalmforthTom) March 9, 2014
13:04
9.3.2014
A few hundred pro Rus protesters marched to gov building. Entrance blocked by a truck, barbed wire and riot police pic.twitter.com/liX1xZSR9q
— tom balmforth (@BalmforthTom) March 9, 2014