Russia Shows Its Muscle As Crimea Breaks Away

Whatever the government in Ukraine says or does, events on the ground suggest that Crimea has already for all intents and purposes broken away; certainly Kiev's orders no longer stretch as far as this region.

Unidentified gunmen have taken over the parliament and the region's main airports in the space of twenty four hours.

They would not answer when I questioned them and asked if they had been sent by Moscow.

In many ways it did not matter - their appearance pretty much gave the game away.

They carried Kalashnikovs, they spoke Russian and their combat fatigues looked suspiciously like Russian issue - albeit without insignia.

The way they moved and patrolled the airports suggested too that this was no dad's army but a well-trained unit doing a professional job.

At times as they stomped up and down ostentatiously it seemed as though they were there just for the cameras.

It was perhaps a signal from the Kremlin that it could put its men on the ground whenever it wanted and there was nothing anyone else could do.

It was a projection of power and reach.

Elsewhere images were captured of Russian helicopters flying into the airport at Sevastopol: yet another direct challenge to the authority of the government in Kiev.

The acting interior minister called the action an invasion and an occupation.

Moscow denies that it has violated Ukrainian sovereignty - officially at least it says it respects its neighbour's borders.

But the pro-European government setting itself up in Kiev is seen as a threat by Moscow.

Ukraine has always been viewed by the Russian ruling elite as part of its sphere of influence.

Moscow may have lost the Western part of Ukraine (for now?) but you can bet it will not allow the same thing to happen in the south and the eastern parts of the country.

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Obama Warns Russia Against Crimea Invasion

US President Barack Obama has warned Moscow that any military intervention in Ukraine would be "deeply destabilising", as Kiev claims Russian troops have invaded.

He said: "The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.

"We are now deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine."

US officials say Mr Obama may cancel plans to attend the G8 summit in June if it is proved that Russia has sent troops into the Crimea.

Men claiming to be members of a local militia at a checkpoint

Russian President Vladimir Putin is scheduled to host the economic meeting in Sochi, the site of the recent Winter Olympics.

The administration official said the US was in discussions about the summit with European partners, adding that it was difficult to see how leaders would attend if Russia had forces in Crimea.

The US has also warned that discussions on deepening trade ties with Moscow may be halted in response to any Russian aggression.

Armed men outside Simferopol airport

Mr Obama's warnings come after Ukraine's Acting President appealed to Russia to stop "naked aggression" in the Crimean peninsula amid claims from Kiev 2,000 Russian troops have invaded.

Oleksandr Turchynov said: "I personally appeal to President Putin to immediately stop military provocation and to withdraw from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea ... It's a naked aggression against Ukraine."

Speaking after a private meeting at the United Nations, Ukraine's ambassador to the UN, Yuriy Sergeyev, said there was an "external presence" in Crimea "encouraging separatism".

He added he had told the council about "unspecified and armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine".

After unrest in Kiev, tensions have shifted to the Crimea region

US officials have told Fox News they see "evidence of air and maritime movement into and out of Crimea by Russian forces".

When asked about the claims, Russia's envoy to the United Nations, Vitaly Churkin, said Moscow was complying with agreements with Ukraine.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague will visit the country on Sunday and hold talks with Ukraine's new leaders.

Earlier on Friday, armed forces seized two airports in the region, but Moscow denies being behind the takeovers.

Russia denies being behind the seizure of the airports

Ukrainian security sources claim they have regained control of Simferopol and Sevastopol airports amid earlier reports Russian forces tried to seize them.

Armed men were seen patrolling the perimeter at Simferopol, a civilian airport, and there were also reports Russian forces were blocking Sevastopol's military airport.

Despite the claims from Kiev, a military source quoted by the Interfax news agency said the armed men at Sevastopol had extended their control by taking over the runway.

Ukraine's State Border Guard Service said about 30 Russian marines from the country's Black Sea Fleet had taken up position outside the coast guard base in Sevastopol.

Moscow has said armoured vehicles were moving around Crimea for "security reasons".

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Ukraine Treasury 'Stripped' By Ousted Regime

Toppled Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and his regime have been accused of robbing the cash-stricken nation to the tune of tens of billions of dollars.

It came amid escalating tensions, with fighter jets being put on combat alert by Russia along its border with Ukraine, while armed men seized the parliament building and the regional government headquarters in the southern Ukrainian region of Crimea, and hoisted Russian flags.

It is also being reported Mr Yanukovych has been spotted in a luxury five-star hotel and spa outside Moscow, in an exclusive enclave favoured by Russia's super-rich.

Police outside the Crimean parliament after it was stormed by armed men

Breaking his silence for the first time since fleeing the capital Kiev, the 63-year-old fugitive, who is wanted in Ukraine on charges of mass murder after police opened fire on demonstrators, released a statement insisting he is still president.

Mr Yanukovych has also reportedly announced he will hold a press conference on Friday in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don.

Back at home he and his government are facing charges of stripping the country's coffers bare.

Mr Yatseniuk with boxer and protest leader Vitali Klitschko in parliament

Shortly before being appointed as head of the crisis-hit country's national unity government, Arseny Yatseniuk said $37bn (£22bn) had disappeared in an "unknown direction", while $70bn (£42bn) had been siphoned out of the economy into offshore accounts.

Taking up his new post as prime minister, Mr Yatseniuk, who was a prominent protest leader, told parliament: "I want to report to you - the state treasury has been robbed and is empty."

The parliament building has been seized in Simferopol

Debt-hit Ukraine has said it needs $35bn (£21bn) over the next two years to avoid bankruptcy.

Mr Yatseniuk warned that given the perilous state of the nation's finances there was no other alternative but to take "extraordinarily unpopular measures".

The country is set to hold talks with the International Monetary Fund over a financial bail-out package, which is seen as vital for the country to be able to stabilise the currency.

Barricades have been erected by the gunmen

Ukraine's new prime minister said the country's future lies in the European Union but with friendly relations with Russia.

But Russia has questioned the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities, and has pledged to defend the rights of its "compatriots".

Crimea's parliament, which is currently being controlled by pro-Russian gunmen, has voted to hold a referendum on May 25 on the region's status.

A dawn raid on the region's capital of Simferopol saw up to 50 men in combat fatigues storm the official buildings, erect barricades, and put up signs saying "Crimea is Russian".

Russia has put the military on alert for major exercises

Crimea is an autonomous republic in the south of Ukraine, around 500 miles from the capital Kiev.

There have been mounting signs of separatism in the region, which has strong ties to Moscow and where the majority of the population are Russian speakers.

Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov, who is heading to Simferopol, has appealed for calm, and branded the armed raiders as "criminals in military fatigues".

He warned that any move by Russian troops off of their base in Crimea "will be considered a military aggression."

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered massive military exercises involving most of the military units in western Russia.

Later, US Secretary of State John Kerry said Russia had insisted that military exercises on the Ukraine border had previously been scheduled and were not related to Ukraine.

Russia has been warned against any military intervention over Ukraine

US defence secretary Chuck Hagel has warned Russia that it must be transparent about the military exercises and not do anything that could be misinterpreted or "lead to miscalculation during a delicate time".

Moscow said it is prepared to work with the West on resolving the crisis in Ukraine, but that the interests of all Ukrainians must be taken into account.

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Pistorius At Gun Range: Exclusive Pictures

By Alex Crawford, Special Correspondent, in Johannesburg

Pictures have emerged of the Paralympian Oscar Pistorius demonstrating his prowess at a gun range, months before he shot dead his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp at his home.

The athlete will appear in court on Monday accused of her murder in a case which will make South African history as the first to be broadcast live for millions around the world to follow.

A series of still photographs show the double amputee runner firing the same silver 9mm pistol he used when he shot Ms Steenkamp on Valentine's Day last year.

The athlete is accused of deliberately targeted his girlfriend after a jealous row. But the runner says he shot her after mistaking her for a burglar.

Pistorius is a well-known gun enthusiast. He went to gun ranges regularly and the pictures illustrate not only his familiarity with weapons but also how much of a marksman he is.

He is seen firing at a water melon which explodes as the athlete hits it right in the centre.

A voice which sounds very much like Pistorius' is heard remarking afterwards: "It's not as soft as brains but f*** it is a zombie stopper", as his friends shriek in delight.

In other rare footage, the Paralympian is seen as a 17-year-old schoolboy larking around with his fellow pupils.

He had taken up running with blades a few month earlier and had gone on to compete in the 2004 Athens Paralympics, bringing back a gold medal.

But the young man with an incredible talent for running is self-effacing and sweetly innocent, thanking his "dorm buddie" for all their support.

Pistorius is a well-known gun enthusiast

He goes on to speculate what it would have been like to have had legs. Pistorius' legs were amputated below the knee just before he turned one, after it was discovered he had been born without a fibula in either limb.

But at 17, Pistorius says: "Everything happens for a reason. I wouldn't have taken up running if I'd had legs."

The athlete's knowledge of guns and weapons will be examined at his trial.

He says he has a strong fear of intruders after previous burglaries and "death threats" and he kept his 9mm pistol underneath his bed because of this fear - despite living on a residential estate with 24-hour security.

It was this pistol he reached for in the early hours of Valentine's Day when he says he heard a noise from the bathroom area and thought it was an intruder.

In a sworn affidavit, he said the bedroom was "pitch dark" so he failed to see his girlfriend was not in the bed.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot at Pistorius' home in Pretoria

He says he ran towards the bathroom and then fired four shots at the toilet cubicle, where unbeknown to him, his girlfriend had gone to relieve herself.

Three of the bullets hit his lover. Pistorius says she died in his arms. The prosecution says he intended to kill her after the couple had a jealous row.

In the pictures on the gun range, he is also seen shooting alongside the South African Springbok rugby star Francois Hougaard, who was romantically linked with Ms Steenkamp at the same time she was dating Pistorius.

The two men appear to be good friends, both enjoying a pastime popular with many well-to-do South Africans.

The trial is scheduled to go on for three weeks.

:: Sky News will have live coverage of the trial from Monday, with a special highlights programme at 9.30pm.

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US and EU Urged To Halt Weapon Sales To Israel

By Tom Rayner, Middle East News Editor

Amnesty International has called on the US and EU governments to suspend all supplies of crowd-control "weapons and devices" to Israel, until the country reigns in its use of force against Palestinians on the West Bank.

In the report "Trigger Happy: Israel's Use of Excessive Force on the West Bank", the organisation criticises what it calls Israel's "callous disregard for human life" in its handling of Palestinian protests against occupation.

It points to an increase in the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces - with 27 people killed last year, in comparison to eight in 2012 and 10 in 2011, according to figures from the UN.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) say the report "wholly ignores the substantial increase in Palestinian violence initiated over the past year".

However, Amnesty International claims in all the cases it investigated, it found no evidence to suggest those killed were posing a "direct and immediate threat" to the lives of the Israeli forces - a key criteria in the UN Basic Principles of the Use of Force and Firearms.

Amnesty's Middle East and North Africa Director Philip Luther said the failure to properly investigate and punish such acts means those responsible were acting with impunity.

"The report presents a body of evidence that shows a harrowing pattern of unlawful killings and unwarranted injuries of Palestinian civilians by Israeli forces in the West Bank.

"If the Israeli authorities wish to prove to the world they are committed to democratic principles and international human rights standards, unlawful killings and unnecessary use of force must stop now.

"The current Israeli system has proved woefully inadequate. It is neither independent nor impartial and completely lacks transparency."

Palestinian-Israeli clashes in Jenin in the West Bank

One case highlighted is that of 16-year-old Samir Awad, from the village of Bordrus near Ramallah, who was shot dead last January.

Accounts collected by Amnesty suggest he had walked into the "no man's land" near the separation barrier which runs through the village, as part of a protest with school friends.

When soldiers shouted at him and fired warning shots in the air the teenager started to run away, but he was hit by three bullets in the leg, shoulder and then in the back of the head.

He was pronounced dead 40 minutes after arriving at Ramallah Hospital.

At the time Israeli media reported statements from a military spokesman claiming force had been used to prevent an "infiltration attempt".

The office of the Military Advocate General opened an investigation, and requested Military Police conduct further inquiries, but as yet the findings have not been released.

Amnesty claims that since 2011 the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division has opened investigations into 24 Palestinians killed in 20 different incidents, but only one so far has resulted in prosecution and conviction of a soldier for unlawful killing.

The report claims the case of Samir Awad is just one example of forces resorting to lethal or less lethal means to crack down on protests and "low-level violence", such as stone-throwing, when there was no direct threat to the lives of the soldiers involved.

Among its recommendations, the report calls on Western governments, including EU member states, to stop sending crowd-control equipment, such as tear gas, stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets to Israel, until steps are taken to "achieve accountability for previous violations" and "effective mechanisms" are established to ensure against further violations.

"This recommendation is particular relevant to the USA" the report states, "as the largest foreign source of supply of weapons, munitions, police equipment and military aid to Israel."

The US State Department said they would not comment on the report at this time.

The West Bank was captured by Israel in the Six Day War in 1967

Last year, following the deaths of two young people in the Bethlehem area, the UK government made representations to the Israeli authorities regarding what it described as its "longstanding concerns about the manner in which the IDF polices non-violent protests and the border areas, including use of live ammunition".

Responding to Amnesty's latest report, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: "To date, we have no evidence of the use of UK manufactured munitions, weapons, or related equipment by the Israeli military forces to commit or facilitate violations of international human rights law or international humanitarian law.

"We will continue to monitor the situation carefully, and ensure that all our licensing decisions remain consistent with our human rights commitments and all applicable criteria.

"We continue to call on Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, including the appropriate use of force by Israeli military forces."

In a statement, a spokesperson for the IDF accused Amnesty of ignoring the "operational challenges" faced by its forces in "containing Palestinian-incited violence" in the West Bank.

"2013 saw a sharp increase in rock hurling incidents, gravely jeopardising the lives of civilians and military personnel.

"132 Israelis were injured during that year alone, almost double the year previous, which is no surprise considering that over 5,000 incidents of rock hurling took place, half of which were towards main roads.

"Sadly, rock throwing and violent demonstrations present only part of the operational challenges posed to the IDF by Palestinian violence in Judea and Samaria. 

"Indeed in 2013 there were 66 further terror attacks which included shootings, the planting of IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices), blunt weapon attacks and the abduction and murder of a soldier."

"The IDF holds itself to the highest of professional standards and trains and equips itself as such. When there is any suspicion of wrong doing, or breach of discipline, the IDF reviews, investigates and takes action where appropriate."

The report concludes by calling on Israel to swiftly implement the recommendations of the Israeli-appointed Turkel Committee - which investigated the IDF's deadly sea raid on the Turkish Mavi Marmara ship in 2010, as it tried to break the maritime blockade of Gaza.

The Turkel Committee concluded that "direct criminal responsibility" should be put on commanders and civilian superiors for violations of law committed by subordinates, and recommended judicial investigations into such incidents should be conducted independently of the military's own operational investigations.

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Ukraine: US In Fresh Warning To Russia

The United States has issued a fresh warning against Russian military intervention in Ukraine after it emerged troops were on alert for an urgent drill to test their readiness for combat.

Secretary of State John Kerry said any action would be a "grave mistake" - a remark that was set to fuel already-heightened Russian suspicions over Western intentions.

Kerry says it would be hypocritical of Russia to send troops into Ukraine

He said it would be hypocritical for Moscow to send troops into another country after spending the last several years opposing foreign military action in the likes of Libya and Syria.

Russia's foreign minister Sergei Lavrov

"Any kind of military intervention that would violate the sovereign territorial integrity of Ukraine would be a huge, a grave mistake," he said.

Mr Kerry, who also announced that the Obama administration was planning $1bn in loan guarantees for Ukraine and would consider additional direct assistance in the future, insisted that US policy toward Ukraine was not aimed at reducing Russia's influence.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's ex-president Viktor Yanukovych - who has been put on the international wanted list - remains in the country, according to the deputy general prosecutor.

Mykola Golomcha said: "We have information indicating Yanukovych is still in Ukraine."

He did not give further details of the whereabouts of the leader who has been missing since Friday when he fled Kiev. He is wanted by police in the country on charges of mass murder.

Ukraine's pro-European protest leader Arseniy Yatsenyuk has now been nominated as premier until presidential elections are held in May.

Members of Ukraine's Berkut riot police unit

The appointment came amid rising tensions in Crimea. Pro-Russia separatists and supporters of Ukraine's new leaders came head to head outside Crimea's regional parliament before a key debate.

Around 2,000 people, many of them ethnic Tatars who are the indigenous group on the Black Sea peninsula, gathered in Sevastopol in support of the 'Euro-Maidan' movement.

In Kiev, several hundred pro-Russia demonstrators chanted their loyalty to Moscow and denounced the "bandits" who had seized power in the Ukrainian capital.

Those who died in the Kiev clashes are being mourned

Isolated skirmishes could be seen among the crowds and there were reports of missiles being hurled, but police appeared to be holding the two sides apart as the emergency session took place inside the parliament to discuss the crisis.

Crimea was gifted to Ukraine in 1954 in the Soviet-era by then Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev. With a part of Russia's Black Sea fleet based in the port of Sevastopol, it remains the only region of Ukraine where ethnic Russians dominate in numbers.

Russia's foreign minister said the "nationalist and neo-fascist" sentiment in western Ukraine must be "decisively condemned".

Sergei Lavrov's warning came as Ukraine's acting interior minister said he had disbanded the elite Berkut riot police that protesters blamed for scores of deaths in last week's clashes.

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US Pair Brave Ukraine To Adopt Four Children

Money Talks In Battle For Control Of Ukraine

Updated: 11:21am UK, Monday 24 February 2014

By Tim Marshall, Diplomatic Editor

Money talks and the EU, the US, and Russia are all shouting.

Having overthrown the government of Viktor Yanukovych, the new powers in Kiev are not about to receive the $15bn bailout Moscow had offered to keep Ukraine leaning eastwards.

President Putin might also decide that the 30% discount he gave Ukraine for Russian gas last year might have been a little generous.

The new Ukrainian Speaker of Parliament may have made him think it was way too generous with a statement about "returning to the path of European integration".

With Ukraine's economy on the brink of default and its foreign reserves draining away, the EU has re-entered the game.

The deal probably being put on the table is for up to $20bn in return for Kiev signing the trade deal it rejected late last year.

Hence the arrival of the EU foreign policy chief Baroness Ashton.

The Americans made sure they are noticed by sending along Ambassador Geoffrey Pyatt to meet the new government, have his photo taken, and issue a statement that the US will be pressing the IMF to make emergency loans.

Ukraine's debt is $73bn and it needs to pay $12bn of that this year.

The Russians are not out of the game. They would have taken Friday's EU-brokered deal which left Yanukovych in power for the rest of the year, but now they must fall back on Plan B.

Assuming Plan B does not involve military manoeuvres (still unclear) then they can now still offer some funds in order to keep influence on Kiev, and shore up the pro-Russian support in  parts of eastern and southern Ukraine.

The senior figure in the new government is the newly released from jail Yulia Tymoshenko.

She may have been imprisoned by the Yanukovych government, but it was on charges of improperly overseeing the original Russia/Ukraine gas deal when she was Prime Minister.

She has cordial relations with President Putin whereas Yanukovych is reportedly held in disdain by the Russian strongman.

The Ukrainian economy is weak. Corruption and misrule, involving members of successive governments has meant that while its neighbours to the west, who escaped the Soviet Union 20 years ago, have become more prosperous, it has lagged behind.

Per capita economic output is about $7,300, next door in Poland it is $22,000.

Ukraine has an educated population of 46 million people and the potential to become a far more prosperous country.

Those who believe its future is linked to closer ties with the EU believe they are on the right track, those who look to the Russian and Kazakhstan markets disagree. 

Down in the Russian-speaking Crimea a few town halls area are already flying Russian flags, although this is localized and not an official decision at regional level.

All talk of economic development would be meaningless if wide-scale violence breaks out and the country is dismembered.

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Ukraine: Russia Warns Of 'Dangerous' Dilemma

Yanukovych Survived One Revolution But Not Two

Updated: 11:00pm UK, Monday 24 February 2014

Former President Viktor Yanukovych built a reputation as a political street fighter throughout his career.

While he may have survived one revolution, the second has dealt him the final blow.

Mr Yanukovych's dramatic ousting is in many ways a fitting end to a career littered with controversy.

Long plagued by allegations of corruption and a love of luxury, the former president was said to have mastered the art of political survival.

Mr Yanukovych was first deposed after winning a presidential vote in 2004, only to be re-elected six years later. 

His rise to power was equally meteoric.

Hailing from Ukraine's industrial Donetsk region, Mr Yanukovych has previously said his childhood was mired by poverty.

Orphaned at the age of two and raised by his grandmother, he has recalled running around the streets barefooted. 

He fell in with a local street gang in the late 1960s and was convicted of robbery in 1967 and assault in 1970. He served prison sentences for both crimes, although his criminal record has since been inexplicably cleared.

The former leader cut his teeth in politics in his native Donetsk in the 1990s. He served as governor of Donetsk Oblast from 1997 until 2002, when he was appointed prime minister.

His first run at the presidency was in 2004.

He "won" the election, only to be promptly deposed following mass protests, which bore startling similarities to those which would follow 10 years later.

Allegations of fraud and voter intimidation in the second-round ballot promoted the occupation of Kiev's Independence Square, or Maidan, where protesters have returned recent months.

The movement, known as the Orange Revolution, forced the Ukrainian Supreme Court to order a re-run of the vote. 

Mr Yanukovych lost to his Western-backed opponent Viktor Yushchenko, but managed to retain leadership of his Party of the Regions.

He was not out of favour for long, and was again appointed prime minister in 2006.

Four years later, his campaign for Ukraine's top job proved more successful and he defeated Orange Revolution leader and long-time opponent Yulia Tymoshenko by 3.48% of the vote.

Shortly afterwards Ms Tymoshenko was imprisoned for abuse of power; a move which many suggest was orchestrated by Mr Yanukovych.

The Tymoshenko case and successive allegations of corruption earned him considerable criticism from opponents and western leaders during his time in office. 

But it was his decision to pull out of a long-awaited free trade deal with the European Union which sparked the mass protests which led to his downfall. 

The former president is now in hiding, with an arrest warrant out against him.

He stands accused of "mass murder" over the death of dozens of protesters.

Nevertheless, in a move typical of his political career, Mr Yanukovych is yet to formally admit defeat, denouncing the revolution against him as a political "coup".

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