Ukraine crisis: Russian troops fire warning shots in standoff with Ukrainians

 
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Russian troops fired warning shots in a dramatic confrontation with unarmed Ukrainian soldiers today.

Shots were fired in the air as 300 troops from the Ukrainian forces marched up to a Russian barricade and demanded possession of the key base at Belbek in Crimea.

In extraordinary scenes, the column of men marching behind their country’s flag, some with family members, found themselves surrounded by heavily-armed men. The Ukrainians were forced to retreat.

The incident came as Russian president Vladimir Putin gave a speech claiming the current government of Ukraine was “illegitimate”. Mr Putin boasted: “The situation in Crimea is not requiring military involvement. I’m sure Ukrainian military and Russian military are not going to be on different sides of the barricades.” He insisted force was “a last resort”.

His words were calculated to calm the immediate crisis. At the same time he ordered his forces on a training exercise in Russia close to the Ukraine border back to their bases.

Threats: Colonel Yuli Mamchor leads a column of hundreds of unarmed Ukrainian troops to retake the strategic Belbek airbase in Crimea

He denied Russian troops had besieged Ukrainian based in Crimea — they were pro-Russian “self-defence” forces. Mr Putin called the toppling of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych in the capital Kiev — which sparked the crisis in Crimea — an “anti-constitutional coup and armed seizure of power”.

Mr Putin did not rule out military action elsewhere in the Ukraine, but he added: “That’s why I think, we hope, we are not going to be doing anything like that in eastern Ukraine.”

He said that Kiev had been subject to “an unconstitutional takeover”.

The Russian leader insists he is merely acting to safeguard human rights for Russian speakers in Crimea. But his speech looked like a confident assertion that he is in control there.

In other dramatic developments, it was claimed that Russian troops were planting mines on Ukrainian ships at Sevastopol to prevent their use.

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Moscow also flexed its muscle by threatening Washington with an economic crisis if financial sanctions were imposed.

Confident: President Putin speaking today at his residence outside Moscow. He said that Russia would not be taking military action in eastern Ukraine

Europe and America were markedly divided on how to respond, with the US more hawkish about punishing Russia and countries like Germany urging restraint.

The accidental revelation of a secret briefing document by one of the Prime Minister’s security advisers revealed that Britain is opposing trade sanctions and is keen to safeguard the City.

Yesterday the Ukrainian government claimed Moscow had already deployed 16,000 soldiers in the region of Crimea.

The stand-off at Belbek began when outnumbered and out-gunned Ukrainians defied a supposed Russian demand to disarm yesterday. As the supposed deadline approached Ukrainians at the base claimed a Black Sea Fleet officer had visited to warn them time was running out.

The night passed without an assault and today Ukrainian troops led by Colonel Yuli Mamchor went to confront the Russians, who then fired warning shots over their heads.

Pictures from the base show the two sides eventually talking, with negotiations continuing this morning. One Ukrainian said: “They had been behaving very aggressively, using some quite harsh language.

“But [the Russians] seemed to have calmed down a bit ... this is what we had wanted, things to be settled without bloodshed.” In the Crimean port-city of Sevastopol, Ukrainian commander’s assistant Maryna Kanalyuk said: “Nobody can enter or leave the territory. Vessels at pier No 15 are being mined at the moment. That is why the situation is escalating.”

This morning a Kremlin aide was also quoted saying that if Barack Obama imposed sanctions on Russia, Moscow might drop the dollar as a reserve currency and refuse to pay off loans to US banks.

Sergei Glazyev said Moscow could recommend all holders of US treasuries to sell them if Washington freezes accounts of Russian businesses and individuals.

The Kremlin also announced the Russian navy would buy three new large landing ships next year to complement the 19 already in service. The Interfax news agency reported that Mr Putin ordered troops on military exercises near the Ukraine border to return to bases.

It comes after he launched massive exercises involving land, sea and air forces, stoking fears he might seize extensive territory in eastern Ukraine. President Obama is consulting advisers on sanctioning Russia and individuals involved in Mr Putin’s regime.

David Cameron also said the world should send a “clear message” over the Ukraine crisis. But the briefing paper, photographed outside Downing Street, stated: “UK should not support, for now, trade sanctions ... or close London’s financial centre to Russians.”

It did however back visa restrictions and travel bans. The paper, believed to have been in the hands of deputy national security adviser Hugh Powell, also confirmed the desire to stop discussion of any “contingency military preparations”.

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