Russia Reform Monitor: No. 1878

February 28:

The Los Angeles Times reports that Russian gunmen have taken up positions at the international airport in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea. The men, wearing military uniforms devoid of national markings, reportedly number in the dozens, and control the parking lot and entrance of the facility, which serves as the main aerial hub of the Russian-speaking Ukrainian territory. Russian naval forces are rumored to have also taken over the military airport at nearby Sevastopol, where Moscow holds a long-term lease for maritime basing rights.

The Kremlin publicly confirmed that it has moved Russian forces into Crimea, London’s Telegraph reports. The mission of the forces is to “protect [the] Black Sea Fleet’s positions,” according to the Russian Foreign Ministry. “The Ukrainian side was also passed a note regarding the movement of armoured vehicles of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, which is happening in full accordance with the foundation Russian-Ukrainian agreement on the Black Sea Fleet,” the Ministry elaborated in a formal statement. Moscow, however, has refused “bilateral consultations” with the new government in Kyiv over the unfolding events in Crimea, which Ukrainian officials have dubbed an “armed intervention” by Russia.

March 1:

The Associated Press reports that Russian troops have taken over the Crimean Peninsula. The takeover, facilitated by formal approval from Russia’s parliament for the use of force in Ukraine, was carried out rapidly and peacefully. It could, however, be just the beginning; "Vladimir Putin emphasized that, in the case of a further spread in violence in eastern regions (of Ukraine) and Crimea, Russia maintains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population that lives there," the Kremlin said in a formal statement.

March 2:

A day after Russia’s military incursion into Crimea, the United States and the six other countries of the G-7 have announced that they are suspending preparations to participate in the planned June G-8 summit in Sochi, Russia. In a joint statement, the G-7 countries termed Russia’s actions to be a “clear violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,” and deemed them to be in violation of the “principles and values” of the G-8. But, Reuters reports, Europe might not be so quick to follow the G-7’s lead, for economic as well as practical reasons. “Russia is the EU’s most important trading partner after the United States and China, with 123-billion Euros ($170-billion U.S.) of goods exported there in 2012,” the news agency reports. “It is also the EU’s most important single supplier of energy products, accounting for more than a quarter of all EU consumption of oil and gas.”

March 3:

Amid demonstrations in Eastern and Southern Ukraine calling for Russian intervention, reports from the region have suggested that the protests are actually being staged and instigated by ethnic Russians. According to the New York Times, busloads of activists have been seen arriving from Russia itself, and a number of demonstrators involved in recent protest activities have been found to be Russian nationals.

March 4:

In his most detailed comments to date, Russian president Vladimir Putin has laid out the rationale behind his government’s intervention in Ukraine. In a press gathering translated to English and posted on the Kremlin website, Putin termed the recent ouster of pro-Kremlin president Viktor Yanukovych at the hands of opposition demonstrators an “anti-constitutional takeover, an armed seizure of power.” He also questioned the legitimacy of the current transitional government in Kyiv: “The Parliament is partially, but all the others are not. The current Acting President is definitely not legitimate. There is only one legitimate President, from a legal standpoint.” The comments suggest that Putin believes the “Maidan” movement that deposed Yanukovych to have been entirely illegitimate, and that Moscow would be on the side of the law if it restored Yanukovych to power.