http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/russian-troops-invade-kherson-oblast-ukrainians-declare-right-to-fight-back-339509.html
KP
15Mar2014
Russian troops invade Kherson Oblast, Ukrainians declare right to fight back
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea -- Several Russian military helicopters landed on March
15 in southern Kherson Oblast near Kremlin-occupied Crimea, bringing dozens
of commandoes and exacerbating the already high tension between the two
countries.
This move was done on the eve of Crimean referendum on its ballot option of
joining Russia, a vote that Ukraine and the West consider illegal. Russian
troops unexpectedly invaded the Crimean peninsula on Feb. 27 and in the
following days Russian president Vladimir Putin said that he might order to
use military forces in Ukraine.
Four helicopters landed near Strilkove village on the north of Arabat Spit,
narrow piece of land on the south of Kherson region, bringing 60 commandos,
State Border Service reported. “The border guards together with soldiers
(about 20 people) had to move back from the cross road leading to Henichesk
(city nearby) and had to take up defense,” it said in the report.
At about 3:30 p.m., six more helicopters landed there, bringing 60 more
commandos. Several military vehicles were riding along the Arabat Spit at
the same time. The Russians told the Ukrainian border guards they came to
defend from possble terrorist attack the local gas production station owned
by Chornomornaftogaz, Ukraine’s exploration company that Crimea authorities
have declared as its property.
While the border guards said there were no clashes, the Ministry of Defense
said in its report that the Ukrainian army reacted, bringing forces of army
aviation and airmobile battalion and forcing the invaders leave the
territory.
But based on information of well-informed army expert Dmytro Tymchuk, head
of Center of Military and Political Researches, the Russians are still
there. “At the moment our commandos are approaching to the spot,” Tymchuk
wrote on his Facebook page. “But there is the fact that (gas production)
station for unknown reason wasn’t guarded."
This incident sparked an angry reaction of Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
which called on Russia immediately to leave the occupied territory of
Kherson Oblast.
“Ukraine Foreign Ministry declares the military invasion by Russia and
demands the Russian side to immediately withdraw its military forces from
the territory of Ukraine,” Ministry said in a statement.
“Ukraine reserves the right to use all necessary measures to stop the
military invasion by Russia,” it added.
==============================
-----Original Message-----
From: [email protected]
Sent: Saturday, March 15, 2014 9:28 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [politics] BAD NEWS -- Russians attacked again and seized the
Gas Pumping Station in Kherson Oblast
18:10
More on the Russian military incursion in Strelkova. This
from AFP:
KYIV, March 15, 2014 (AFP) -- Ukraine accused Russian forces
on Saturday of invading a region in the southeast of the
country neighbouring Crimea and vowed to use "all necessary
measures" to ward off the attack.
The Ukraine foreign ministry said Russia's forces had seized
the village of Strilkove off the northeastern edge of the
Crimean peninsula and said the country "reserves the right
to use all necessary measures to stop the military invasion
by Russia".
Here's a link to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry statement.
[email protected] wrote:
>
>
> http://www.rferl.org/contentlive/live-blog-crisis-in-ukraine/25287590.html
>
> 18:01
>
> New reports coming in about the Russian military incursion
> outside Crimea. This, from AP:
>
> SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine (AP) -- A Ukrainian official said Russian
> forces seized a natural gas distribution station near Crimea
> on Saturday, the eve of a referendum on whether the region
> should seek annexation by Moscow.
>
> The action in Strelkova appeared to be the first move outside
> Crimea, where Russian forces have been in effective control
> since late last month. Border guard spokesman Oleg Slobodyan
> told The Associated Press that a contingent of about 120 troops
> occupied the station in Strelkova, about 10 kilometers outside
> Crimea.
>
> The Defense Ministry earlier reported that a Russian attempt
> to take the station had been repelled, but Slobodyan said that
> information was outdated.
>
> As Crimea prepares for Sunday's referendum, dozens of billboards
> throughout the regional capital proclaim "Together With Russia."
> But a few have been hit by spray-painters who scrawled out
> "Russia" and replaced it with "Ukraine."
>
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