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
Rogozin Says U.S., NATO 'Threats' Justify #Russia Rearmament http://t.co/hfBdR9S0CS #news
— The Moscow Times (@MoscowTimes) March 9, 2014
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
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
A few thousand pro Russians demonstrating at donetsk's lenin square. Zhirinovsky expected to speak pic.twitter.com/MVsR32xEnq
— tom balmforth (@BalmforthTom) March 9, 2014
Robert Gates on @FoxNewsSunday: "I do not believe that Crimea will slip out of Russia's hand" Chris: "You think Crimea's gone" Gates: "I do"
— Mike Allen (@mikeallen) March 9, 2014