Armed men seize two airports in Ukraine’s Crimea, Russia denies involvement

SIMFEROPOL: Armed men took control of two airports in the Crimea region on Friday in what Ukraine’s government described as an invasion and occupation by Russian forces, stoking tension between Moscow and the West.
But Russia’s Black Sea fleet, which is based in the region, denied its forces were involved in seizing one of the airports, Interfax news agency reported, while a man who said he was helping the armed group at the other site described them as simple people from the “People’s Militia of Crimea”.
Interior Minister Arsen Avakov said Russian naval forces had taken over the military airport near the port of Sevastopol, where the Russian navy has its base, and other Russian forces had taken over Simferopol international airport.
This met with a Russian denial of involvement in the military airport action. “No Black Sea Fleet units have moved toward (the airport), let alone taking any part in blockading it,” Interfax quoted a spokesman for the fleet as saying.
Earlier, Avakov said tension was rising on the Black Sea peninsula, the only Ukrainian region that has an ethnic Russian majority and the last major bastion of resistance to the overthrow of Viktor Yanukovich as president almost a week go.
“I consider what has happened to be an armed invasion and occupation in violation of all international agreements and norms,” Avakov said on his Facebook page, describing it as a “provocation” and calling for talks.
Yanukovich is expected to appear before reporters in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don later today, although President Vladimir Putin has not said whether Moscow will harbour the former leader who is on the run and wanted for mass murder.
The United States has told Russia to demonstrate in the next few days that it is sincere about a promise not to intervene in Ukraine, saying using force would be a grave mistake.
“We believe that everybody now needs to take a step back and avoid any kind of provocations,” US Secretary of State John Kerry told a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. “We want to see in the next days ahead that the choices Russia makes conform to this affirmation we received today.”
The Kremlin said Putin had ordered his government to continue talks with Ukraine on economic and trade relations and to consult foreign partners including the International Monetary Fund on financial aid.
It also said Putin ordered the government to consider a request from Crimea for humanitarian aid but made no direct reference to the latest events.
Yanukovich provoked protests in Ukraine in November by backing out of plans to sign landmark deals with the European Union and instead saying Kiev would seek closer economic and trade ties with its former Soviet master Russia. In December, Putin promised Yanukovich a 15 billion dollars bailout, but Russia has put the deal on hold after releasing an initial instalment, saying it wants more clarity about the new government and its policies. (Reuters)