13:46
16.3.2014
AP reports on the mood in Sochi ahead of tonight's Paralympic Games closing ceremonies:
"The Paralympic flame will be extinguished in Sunday night's closing ceremony just as voting ends in a referendum, denounced in the West as illegitimate, on whether Crimea should split off from Ukraine and seek annexation by Russia.
Although Ukraine backed off from boycotting the Paralympics, the crisis afflicting their homeland remained on the minds of athletes competing in Russia. In protest, Ukrainian parathletes covered their medals during podium ceremonies.
"That is how we show our protest and disagreement that our country could be divided and part of it could be excluded from Ukraine," said Iuliia Batenkova, who won six medals in Sochi including one gold. "Crimea is my motherland, where I was born, and of course I worry about it. I want peace."
Although Ukraine backed off from boycotting the Paralympics, the crisis afflicting their homeland remained on the minds of athletes competing in Russia. In protest, Ukrainian parathletes covered their medals during podium ceremonies.
"That is how we show our protest and disagreement that our country could be divided and part of it could be excluded from Ukraine," said Iuliia Batenkova, who won six medals in Sochi including one gold. "Crimea is my motherland, where I was born, and of course I worry about it. I want peace."
13:37
16.3.2014
Kharkiv now!
Харьков сейчас!!! pic.twitter.com/N7PwkO0JS5
— Дмитрий Павлов (@Pavlov_Dmitriy) March 16, 2014
13:27
16.3.2014
Reuters speaks to Ukrainian citizens outside Crimea:
"First, I think this referendum is illegal. Secondly, it will be fabricated under the barrels of guns. And probably they have already invented some results. But I think Crimea will not be separated. I think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is at a loss now and is clueless how to leave Crimea without losing face."
"I think [Crimeans] ought to be patriots, like people in Kyiv and in the west [of Ukraine]. I would like them to feel that they are Ukrainians like everyone else. It is possible that life is difficult now that the government is not able to provide adequate support. But everything will come in time. Now the most important thing is unity and love."
"Stavropol Krai, Krasnodar Krai (eds: territory of Russia) used to be inhabited by Ukrainians who still live there. If we argue using the logic of Russia, we could claim these territories as ours."
-- Oleksandr Chumachenko, Odessa resident
"First, I think this referendum is illegal. Secondly, it will be fabricated under the barrels of guns. And probably they have already invented some results. But I think Crimea will not be separated. I think [Russian President Vladimir] Putin is at a loss now and is clueless how to leave Crimea without losing face."
-- Valeriy Pantyushenko, Kyiv resident
"I think [Crimeans] ought to be patriots, like people in Kyiv and in the west [of Ukraine]. I would like them to feel that they are Ukrainians like everyone else. It is possible that life is difficult now that the government is not able to provide adequate support. But everything will come in time. Now the most important thing is unity and love."
-- Svitlana Blavatna, Ternopil resident
"Stavropol Krai, Krasnodar Krai (eds: territory of Russia) used to be inhabited by Ukrainians who still live there. If we argue using the logic of Russia, we could claim these territories as ours."
-- Oleksandr Chumachenko, Odessa resident
13:15
16.3.2014
A look (in Russian) at how the vote is going, region by region:
Nearly half the population of #Crimea had voted by noon, reports @lifenews_ru. Breakdown of votes by region: http://t.co/bZFcHZjAwL
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 16, 2014
13:10
16.3.2014
A handy reminder of the big day:
#NeverForget! RT @PaulSonne: Ooh, a referendum refrigerator magnet. pic.twitter.com/W5ToQ6se99
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) March 16, 2014
13:06
16.3.2014
"The result is very high. Everything will be okay, there's no doubt about that. Everybody is unanimous in their passion to vote and express their opinion. I'm confident that Crimeans now have an opportunity to make their free choice for the first time on which country they want to live in."
-- Crimea's pro-Russia Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov, speaking to journalists in Simferopol (Reuters)
13:03
16.3.2014
Reuters speaks to voters in Simferopol:
"There has been no improvement over 20 years. Now we expect it. Everybody is expressing their will now. And the will of the people should be a sacred thing, not the will of the government that creates laws to suit themselves."
"It is such a festive day! I am so happy that I want to cry. My sister is 75 years old, she was born in the Soviet Union, and -- can you imagine -- all this time she has been dreaming to die in Russia. And now her dream has come true."
"There has been no improvement over 20 years. Now we expect it. Everybody is expressing their will now. And the will of the people should be a sacred thing, not the will of the government that creates laws to suit themselves."
-- Vitaly
"It is such a festive day! I am so happy that I want to cry. My sister is 75 years old, she was born in the Soviet Union, and -- can you imagine -- all this time she has been dreaming to die in Russia. And now her dream has come true."
-- Lyudmila
13:00
16.3.2014
"According to the information from polling stations, people are lining up. We have not had this kind of high activity from so early in the morning since Soviet times."
-- Crimean Electoral Commission head Mikhail Malyshev, as quoted by Reuters during a news conference in Simferopol
-- Crimean Electoral Commission head Mikhail Malyshev, as quoted by Reuters during a news conference in Simferopol
12:57
16.3.2014
EuroMaidan points out this unique voting cabinet:
Какое оригинальное оформление кабинок.А не запрещена ли агитация в день референдума? Хотя там посчитано еще вчера... pic.twitter.com/9lTnHAuvI7
— Євромайдан (@Dbnmjr) March 16, 2014