Ukraine officer 'killed in attack on Crimea base' - BBC - 18Mar2014

From: Stefan Lemieszewski ([email protected])
Date: Tue Mar 18 2014 - 12:47:08 EST


http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-26637296
BBC
18Mar2014
Ukraine officer 'killed in attack on Crimea base'

GRAPHIC - VIDEO

Ukraine's military says an officer has been killed in an attack on a base in Crimea, the first such death since pro-Russia forces took control in February.

It said all its troops at the Simferopol base had been arrested.

The attack came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Crimea signed a bill to absorb the peninsula into Russia.

Western powers condemned the treaty and a G7 and EU crisis meeting has been called for next week in The Hague.

The Ukrainian defence ministry said a warrant officer who was on duty in a park inside the Simferopol base had been killed and another serviceman injured.

Spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by "unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered".

The Ukrainians had their IDs, weapons and money confiscated, he said.

Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told an emergency government meeting: "The conflict is shifting from a political to a military stage.

"Russian soldiers have started shooting at Ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime."

Reports from the Crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russian defence force member had also been shot dead in a separate incident in Simferopol, but this has not been verified.

'Glory to Russia'
Earlier, Mr Putin told Russia's parliament that Crimea had "always been part of Russia" and in signing the treaty he was righting a "historical injustice".

US Vice-President Joe Biden, speaking earlier in Poland, said Russia's involvement in Crimea was "a brazen military incursion" and its annexation of the territory was "nothing more than a land grab" by Moscow.

The Ukrainian foreign ministry said: "We do not recognise and never will recognise the so-called independence or the so-called agreement on Crimea joining the Russian Federation."

Germany and France quickly condemned the Russia-Crimea treaty.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron said: "It is completely unacceptable for Russia to use force to change borders on the basis of a sham referendum held at the barrel of a Russian gun."

Mr Putin later appeared before crowds in Moscow's Red Square, telling them: "Crimea and Sevastopol are returning to... their home shores, to their home port, to Russia!"

He shouted "Glory to Russia" as the crowds chanted "Putin!"

The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned an EU deal in favour of stronger ties with Russia. He fled Ukraine on 22 February after deadly protests.

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