12:06
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)
12:10
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
12:15
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
12:27
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
12:37
16.3.2014
Kharkiv now!
Харьков сейчас!!! pic.twitter.com/N7PwkO0JS5
— Дмитрий Павлов (@Pavlov_Dmitriy) March 16, 2014
12:46
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."
13:00
16.3.2014
Ukraine's acting defense minister, Ihor Tenyuck, being quoted by Reuters as saying Russia and Ukraine have worked out a truce in Crimea until March 21:
"No measures will be taken against our military facilities in Crimea during that time," Tenyukh told journalists on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting in Kyiv. "Our military sites are therefore proceeding with a replenishment of reserves."
13:07
16.3.2014
Our Ukrainian Service tweets about a journalist who voted using her Russian passport:
Журналістка Катя Сергацкова проголосувала на #крим'ському референдумі за своїм російським паспортом - http://t.co/2wGMup3dv6 #кримsos #Крым
— Радіо Свобода (@radiosvoboda) March 16, 2014
13:17
16.3.2014
This comes amid reports in Russian media that pro-Russia protesters have arrived at the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor's Office to demand the release of "people's governor" Pavel Gubarev. Gubarev was detained earlier this month by Ukraine's security service.
Like referendum in #Crimea wasn't enough,pro-russian rally in #Donetsk takes place today
— Kateryna_Kruk (@Kateryna_Kruk) March 16, 2014