Visitors and Tourists to Crimea are not safe. A London Telegraph correspondent Roland Oliphant reports a group of armed men have stormed a hotel in Simferopol, Ukraine.
Later the Crimea defense minister says troops at Simferopol hotel are responding to a threat made by the Kiev government as part of its information war against Crimea. It’s now said masked gunmen are part of the Crimea defense force and not Russians military.
Simferopol is the administrative center of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine. As the capital of Crimea, Simferopol is an important political, economic, and transport center of the peninsula.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, Simferopol became the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea within newly independent Ukraine. Today, the city has a population of 340,600 (2006) most of whom are ethnic Russians, with the rest being Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar minorities.
After the Crimean Tatars were allowed to return from exile in the 1990s, several new Crimean Tatar suburbs were constructed, as many more Tatars returned to the city compared to number exiled in 1944. Land ownership between the current residents and returning Crimean Tatars is a major area of conflict today with the Tatars requesting the return of lands seized after their deportation.
As of February 27th 2014 the town has been occupied by Russian military troops. Its future political status remains uncertain.
In other news Russian forces backed by helicopter gunships and armored vehicles Saturday took control of a village near the border with Crimea on the eve of a referendum on whether the region should seek annexation by Moscow, Ukrainian officials told AP.
The action in Strilkove appeared to be the first move outside Crimea, where Russian forces have been in effective control since late last month. There were no reports of gunfire or injuries. The incident raises tensions already at a high level before Sunday’s referendum.
Other developments in the Eastern Ukrainian City of Donetsk report: Thousands have gathered in the city of Donetsk, picketing the Security Council building. The protesters called for the current Kiev authorities to release the local governor and pro-Russian activists detained earlier, threatening to storm the building.
The protesters blocked the Security Council building trying to break the doors and smashing windows on Saturday afternoon. Activists removed the Ukrainian flag from the top of the building, hoisting a Russian tricolor.
The protesters were demanding the release of local governor Pavel Gubarev and 70 pro-Russian activists previously detained by the current Kiev authorities. They also urged local law enforcement to take their side.
The local head of the Security Council has promised the protesters to release the activists and Gubarev, according to Life news. He then reportedly escaped through the back door of the building.
Initially the rally in support of the Crimea referendum was to be held at the city’s main square. However the protesters marched from the square to the Security Council building picketing in front of it.
The local demonstrators also want to hold a separate referendum on the region’s accession to Russia. During the rally the people were carrying Russian flags chanting “Donbass is Russia” and “Referendum
