Fresh clashes in Ukraine: Russian activists attack pro-Kyiv rally in Crimean port …

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    Pro-Russian and pro-Ukraine rallies come to blows in Sevastopol

  • Pro-Russians gather in Donetsk to demand a referendum for their region
  • Ukraine PM vows: ‘This is our land and we won’t budge a centimetre’
  • America and Europe threaten to impose sanctions on Russia
  • William Hague says Vladimir Putin has made a miscalculation
  • Hundreds take part in Kyiv rally to mark 200th birthday of national poet

By
Leon Watson


PUBLISHED:

16:54 GMT, 9 March 2014


|
UPDATED:

17:14 GMT, 9 March 2014

Fresh clashes were seen in Crimea today as separatists kept up the pressure for unification with Moscow.

Pro-Russian ‘self defence’ activists attacked a pro-Kyiv rally in Sevastopol, in Crimea, with clubs and whips as thousands took to the streets in rival demonstrations, escalating separatist tensions in the troubled ex-Soviet state.

In Donetsk pro-Russians have set up a round-the-clock picket on the square under a red Soviet flag with the hammer and sickle and they are calling for a secession referendum like the one planned in Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula.

Police detain a man after clashes of pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists during a rally in Sevastopol, Crimea

Police detain a man after clashes of pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian activists during a rally in Sevastopol, Crimea

A pro-Russian supporter points his finger at pro-Ukrainian supporters at a rally in Sevastopol

A pro-Russian supporter points his finger at pro-Ukrainian supporters at a rally in Sevastopol

Pro-Russian activists attacked a pro-Kyiv rally in Crimea with clubs and whips on as thousands took to the streets across Ukraine in rival demonstrations, escalating separatist tensions in the troubled ex-Soviet state

Pro-Russian activists attacked a pro-Kyiv rally in Crimea with clubs and whips on as thousands took to the streets across Ukraine in rival demonstrations, escalating separatist tensions in the troubled ex-Soviet state

Pro-Russian 'self-defence' activists use a bat and a whip to beat a pro-Ukrainian supporter during clashes in Sevastopol

Pro-Russian ‘self-defence’ activists use a bat and a whip to beat a pro-Ukrainian supporter during clashes in Sevastopol

Pro-Russian (left) and pro-Ukrainian activists argue during a rally in Sevastopol

Pro-Russian (left) and pro-Ukrainian activists argue during a rally in Sevastopol

Meanwhile, in the Crimean capital of Simferopol thousands of Russians gathered for a rally.

It happened as Ukraine solemnly commemorated
the 200th anniversary of the birth of its greatest poet, with the prime
minister vowing not to give up ‘a single centimeter’ of Ukrainian
territory.

‘This is our land,’ Arseniy Yatsenyuk told a crowd gathered at the Kyiv statue to writer and nationalist Taras Shevchenko.

‘Our fathers and grandfathers have spilled their blood for this land. And we won’t budge a single centimeter from Ukrainian land. Let Russia and its president know this.’

‘We’re one country, one family and we’re here together with our kobzar (bard) Taras,’ said acting President Oleksandr Turchynov.

In the afternoon, Ukrainians in the tens of thousands massed in their capital city’s downtown for a multi-faith prayer meeting to show their unity and honor Shevchenko, a son of peasant serfs who is considered the father of modern Ukrainian literature and is a national hero.

One of the speakers, former imprisoned Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, almost burst into tears as he implored the crowd to believe that not all Russians support their country’s recent actions in Ukraine.

A member of the Russian Song and Dance Ensemble of the Black Sea Fleet performs during a pro-Russian rally in Simferopol

A member of the Russian Song and Dance Ensemble of the Black Sea Fleet performs during a pro-Russian rally in Simferopol

Russian forces tightened their grip on Crimea today despite a U.S. warning to Moscow that annexing the southern Ukrainian region would close the door to diplomacy in a tense East-West standoff

Russian forces tightened their grip on Crimea today despite a U.S. warning to Moscow that annexing the southern Ukrainian region would close the door to diplomacy in a tense East-West standoff

In Simferopol, the Crimean capital, a crowd of more than 4,000 people turned out Sunday to endorse unification with Russia

In Simferopol, the Crimean capital, a crowd of more than 4,000 people turned out Sunday to endorse unification with Russia

On Lenin Square, a naval band played World War II songs as old women sang along, and dozens of tricolor Russian flags fluttered in the cold wind

On Lenin Square, a naval band played World War II songs as old women sang along, and dozens of tricolor Russian flags fluttered in the cold wind

‘I want you to know there is a completely different Russia,’ Khodorkovsky said.

But in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin made it clear that he supports the March 16 referendum the regional parliament in Crimea plans to hold on leaving Ukraine to join Russia.

In phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Minister David Cameron on Sunday, Putin defended the situation in Crimea, where Russia reinforced its armed presence this weekend, the Kremlin said.

Pro-Russian supporters take part in a rally in the centre of Donetsk today

Pro-Russian supporters take part in a rally in the centre of Donetsk today

Pro-Russian activists have set up a round-the-clock picket on the square under a red Soviet flag

Pro-Russian activists have set up a round-the-clock picket on the square under a red Soviet flag

Pro-Russian supporter holds placard reading 'For future of the Crimea!' during their meeting in Sevastopol

Pro-Russian supporter holds placard reading ‘For future of the Crimea!’ during their meeting in Sevastopol

‘The steps taken by the legitimate
leadership of Crimea are based on the norms of international law and aim
to ensure the legal interests of the population of the peninsula,’ said
Putin, according to the Kremlin.

Following an extraordinary meeting of the Ukrainian government in Kyiv on Sunday, Yatsenyuk announced that he will fly to the United States this week for high-level talks on ‘resolution of the situation in Ukraine,’ the Interfax news agency reported.

‘Our country and our people are facing the biggest challenges in the history of modern independent Ukraine,’ the prime minister said earlier in the day.

Demonstrators gather outside the Russian Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, to protest against Russian intervention in Ukraine

Demonstrators gather outside the Russian Embassy in Vilnius, Lithuania, to protest against Russian intervention in Ukraine

As separatists in Crimea kept up pressure for unification with Moscow, Ukraine solemnly commemorated the 200th anniversary of the birth of its greatest poet writer and nationalist Taras Shevchenko

As separatists in Crimea kept up pressure for unification with Moscow, Ukraine solemnly commemorated the 200th anniversary of the birth of its greatest poet writer and nationalist Taras Shevchenko

RUSSIA HAS MADE ‘BIG MISTAKE’

William Hague appearing on BBC1's current affairs programme, The Andrew Marr Show

Russia’s occupation of Crimea will prove a ‘big miscalculation’ in the long-term, William Hague said as he sought to keep up pressure for a diplomatic solution.

The Foreign Secretary conceded that none of the sanctions being threatened by the West could remove Moscow’s military forces from the Ukrainian peninsula.

But he said there would be ‘very significant’ consequences for Russia’s future global influence if it refused to enter talks with Kyiv over the stand-off.

The population of the key strategic region is due to vote in a referendum on becoming part of Russia in a week’s time after pro-Russian forces seized control of key military and other facilities.

‘It would be wrong to conclude that Russia has won in some sense. I think this will turn out over time to be quite a big miscalculation,’ he told BBC1’s Andrew Marr Show.

‘The long-term consequences will be very significant for Russia.’

‘Will we be able to deal with these challenges? There should only be one answer to this question and that is: yes.’

Crimea, a strategic peninsula in southern Ukraine, has become the flashpoint in the battle for Ukraine, where three months of protests sparked by President Victor Yanukovych’s decision to ditch a significant treaty with the 28-nation European Union after strong pressure from Russia led to his downfall.

A majority of people in Crimea identify with Russia, and Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet is based in Sevastopol, as is Ukraine’s.

This weekend, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov ruled out any dialogue with Ukraine’s new authorities, whom he dismissed as the puppets of extremists.

Senior lawmakers in Moscow have said they will support Ukraine’s March 16 referendum, ignoring sanctions threats and warnings from President Barack Obama that the vote would violate international law.

In Simferopol, the Crimean capital, a crowd of more than 4,000 people turned out Sunday to endorse unification with Russia.

On Lenin Square, a naval band played World War II songs as old women sang along, and dozens of tricolor Russian flags fluttered in the cold wind.

Meanwhile, it was announced that U.S. President Barack Obama will meet with Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, at the White House on Wednesday.

Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken said the president would consult with Yatsenyuk and that the meeting demonstrated U.S. support for Ukraine.

Blinken says the White House strategy is to mobilize the international community behind Ukraine, isolate Russia for its actions and reassure U.S. allies and partners.

Obama is in Key Largo, Florida, with his family for the weekend, but on Saturday spoke individually with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and French President Francois Hollande and collectively with the presidents of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.

Blinken made his comments on NBC’s Meet the Press.

BBC presenter Ben Brown revealed on Twitter how he was ‘seconds away from being beaten up’ in Sevastopol today.

The 53-year-old, in Ukraine reporting for the corporation, said his camera team were threatened in the Crimean port city after witnessing a Ukrainian man being whipper and kicked by pro-Russian activists.

It happened during a pro-Ukrainian rally he described as ‘terrifying’.

BBC presenter Ben Brown revealed on Twitter how he was 'seconds away from being beaten up' in Sevastopol

BBC presenter Ben Brown revealed on Twitter how he was ‘seconds away from being beaten up’ in Sevastopol

 


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