Russian response Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

request ( ultimatum ) council of ministers of crimea ukrainian 55th anti-aircraft artillery regiment in yevpatoria lay down arms under control of russian black sea fleet period of crimean referendum

in poll published on 24 february state-owned russian public opinion research center, 15% of russians polled said yes question: should russia react overthrow of legally elected authorities in ukraine?

the state duma committee on commonwealth of independent states affairs, headed leonid slutsky, visited simferopol on 25 february 2014 , said: if parliament of crimean autonomy or residents express wish join russian federation, russia prepared consider sort of application. examining situation , doing fast. stated in event of referendum crimea region joining russian federation consider results fast . later slutsky announced misunderstood crimean press , no decision regarding simplifying process of acquiring russian citizenship people in crimea has been made yet. , added if fellow russian citizens in jeopardy understand not stay away . on 25 february, in meeting crimean politicians stated viktor yanukovych still legitimate president of ukraine. same day in russian duma, announced determining measures russians in ukraine did not want break russian world acquire russian citizenship.

on 26 february, russian president vladimir putin ordered russian armed forces put on alert in western military district units stationed 2nd army central military district command involved in aerospace defence, airborne troops , long-range military transport. despite media speculation in reaction events in ukraine russian defence minister sergei shoigu said in separate consideration unrest in ukraine. on 27 february 2014, russian government dismissed accusations violation russian side of basic agreements in regards of black sea fleet: movements of armored vehicles undertaken in full compliance basic agreements , did not require approvals .

on 27 february, russian governing agencies presented new law project on granting citizenship.

the russian ministry of foreign affairs called on west , particularly nato abandon provocative statements , respect neutral status of ukraine . in statement ministry claims agreement on settlement of crisis signed on 21 february , witnessed foreign ministries germany, poland , france has date, not been implemented (vladimir lukin russia had not signed it).

on 28 february, according itar-tass, russian ministry of transport discontinued further talks ukraine in regards kerch strait bridge project. however, on 3 march dmitry medvedev, prime minister of russia, signed decree creating subsidiary of russian highways (avtodor) build bridge @ unspecified location along kerch strait.

at least 30,000 people @ 15 march protests, named march of peace, took place in moscow day before crimean referendum.

on russian social networks there movement gather volunteers served in russian army go ukraine.

on 28 february president putin stated of extreme importance of not allowing further escalation of violence , necessity of rapid normalisation of situation in ukraine in telephone calls key eu leaders. on 19 february russian ministry of foreign affairs referred euromaidan revolution brown revolution .

the federation council approved russia may introduce limited contingent of russian troops in crimea security of black sea fleet , russians.

in moscow, on 2 march, estimated 27,000 rallied in support of russian government s decision intervene in ukraine. rallies received considerable attention on russian state tv , officially sanctioned government.

meanwhile, on 1 march, 5 people picketing next federation council building against invasion of ukraine arrested. next day 200 people protested @ building of russian ministry of defence in moscow against russian military involvement. 500 people gathered protest on manezhnaya square in moscow , same number of people on saint isaac s square in saint petersburg. on 2 march, eleven protesters demonstrated in yekaterinburg against russian involvement, wrapped in ukrainian flag. protests held in chelyabinsk on same day. opposition military intervention expressed rock musician andrey makarevich, wrote in particular: want war ukraine? not way abkhazia: folks on maidan have been hardened , know fighting – country, independence. […] have live them. still neighborly. , preferably in friendship. s them how want live . professor of department of philosophy @ moscow state institute of international relations andrey zubov fired article in vedomosti, criticising russian military intervention.

on 2 march, 1 moscow resident protested against russian intervention holding stop war banner, harassed passers-by , when police arresting him, woman offered them fabricating serious charge (beating child) against him; however, proposal rejected police. andrei zubov, professor @ moscow state institute of international relations, compared russian actions in crimea anschluss of austria, threatened. akexander chuyev, leader of pro-kremlin spravedlivaya rossiya party, objected russian intervention in ukraine. boris akunin, popular russian writer, predicted russia s moves lead political , economic isolation.

russian president vladimir putin (seated, middle) speaks press on 4 march 2014, denouncing events in kiev unconstitutional coup , , insisting moscow has right protect russians in ukraine.

president putin s approval rating among russian public has increased 10% since crisis began, 71.6%, highest in 3 years, according poll conducted all-russian center public opinion research, released on 19 march. additionally, same poll showed more 90% of russians supported unification crimean republic.

on 4 march, @ press conference in novo-ogaryovo president putin expressed view on situation if revolution took place in ukraine, new country russia did not conclude treaties. brought analogy events of 1917 in russia, when result of revolution russian empire fell apart , new state created. however, stated ukraine still have honour debts.

around 100,000 people gathered in crimean sevastopol @ victory day parade

russian politicians have speculated there 143,000 ukrainian refugees in russia. ukrainian ministry of foreign affairs refuted claims of refugees increase in russia. @ briefing on 4 march 2014, director of department of information policy of ministry of foreign affairs of ukraine yevhen perebiynis said russia misinforming own citizens entire international community justify own actions in crimea.

on 5 march, anchor of russian-owned international news channel rt america, abby martin, in interview piers morgan, said did not agree how employer rt covering ukrainian crisis, claims rt still supports despite differences of opinion. on 5 march 2014, rt america anchor, liz wahl, of network s washington, dc bureau, resigned on air, explaining not part of network whitewashes actions of putin , citing hungarian ancestry , memory of soviet repression of hungarian uprising factor in decision.

in march, igor andreyev, 75-year-old survivor of siege of leningrad, attended anti-war rally against russian intervention in crimea , holding sign read peace world . riot police arrested him , local pro-government lawyer accused him of being supporter of fascism . retiree, lived on 6,500-ruble monthly pension, fined 10,000 rubles.

prominent dissident mikhail khodorkovsky said crimea should stay within ukraine broader autonomy.

tatarstan, republic within russia populated volga tatars, has sought alleviate concerns treatment of tatars russia, tatarstan gas-rich , economically successful republic in russia. on 5 march, president of tatarstan rustam minnikhanov signed agreement on co-operation between tatarstan , aksyonov government in crimea implied collaboration between ten government institutions significant financial aid crimea tatarstan businesses. on 11 march, minnikhanov in crimea on second visit , attended guest present in crimean parliament chamber during vote on declaration of sovereignty pending 16 march referendum. tatarstan s mufti kamil samigullin invited crimean tatars study in madrasas in kazan , declared support brothers in faith , blood . mustafa dzhemilev, former leader of crimean tatar majlis believes forces suspected russian forces should leave crimean peninsula, , has asked un security council send peacekeepers region.

on 13 march, russian president vladimir putin made comparison between crimea , kosovo in phone call president barack obama.

on 15 march, thousands of protesters (estimates varying 3,000 official sources 50,000 claimed opposition) in moscow marched against russian involvement in ukraine, many waving ukrainian flags. @ same time pro government (and pro-referendum) rally, occurred across street, counted thousands (officials claiming 27,000 opposition claiming 10,000).

in february 2015, leading independent russian newspaper novaya gazeta reported obtained documents, allegedly written oligarch konstantin malofayev , others, provided russian government strategy in event of viktor yanukovych s removal power , break-up of ukraine, considered likely. documents outline plans annexation of crimea , eastern portions of country, closely describing events followed after yanukovych s fall. documents describe plans public relations campaign seek justify russian actions.

in june 2015 mikhail kasyanov stated russian duma decisions on crimea annexation illegal international point of view , annexation provoked false accusations of discrimination of russian nationals in ukraine.