What to make of the appearance at two airports in Crimea of armed men wearing uniforms without insignia? The airports are strategically placed – Belbek near Sevastopol, and the main airport outside Simferopol, the regional capital. Obviously, an airport is a vital piece of local infrastructure that provides an entry point for reinforcement and supply; their possible seizure by unidentified troops is a very serious business.
Authorities in Crimea insist that the armed personnel belong to the Russian Black Sea fleet, and that this is a ‘military invasion and occupation’. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Russian Black Sea fleet has issued this communiqué:
‘No subdivision of the Black Sea Fleet has been advanced into the Belbek area, let alone involved in blocking it. Given the unstable situation around the Black Sea Fleet bases in the Crimea, and the places where our service members live with their families, security has been stepped up by the Black Sea Fleet’s anti-terror units.’
Irrespective of whether or not a ‘subdivision’ of the fleet has been deployed, the statement contains an obvious rationale to justify escalation: protection and self-defence.
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