One of the justifications for Russia’s decision to send troops into Ukraine was a statement by the Speaker of the Federation Council, Valentyna Matviyenko, about victims among Russian citizens in Crimea.
General Consul of Russia in Crimea, Vyacheslav Svetlichniy, does not confirm Matviyenko’s statement about victims in Crimea, which served as a basis for the decision to deploy troops in Ukraine.
“There is no information on casualties or injuries. There was an attempt to instal Ihor Ovrutskiy, who was appointed by Kyiv as the head of Main Directorate of the Ministry Internal Affairs. A group of armed men arrived with him. Because the building had been blocked by self-defence forces, there was a conflict that involved a mutual show of force. Several shots were fired into the air,” said Svetlichniy, as reported by LB.ua.
At the same time, the Consul General has no information on casualties or injuries either among Russian citizens or citizens of Ukraine.
Also today, a member of the Human Rights Council under the President of Russia, Moscow Helsinki group expert Andrei Yurov, declared that there were no reasons for sending Russian troops into Ukraine.
Recall that today the Federation Council approved the entry of the Russian army into the territory of Ukraine. Previously, Russian President Vladimir Putin approached the Federation Council for appropriate sanctions. He referred to the “extraordinary situation” in Ukraine, threat to the lives of Russian citizens and military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.
Earlier, protest rallies were held in a number of regions of Ukraine calling for people to join Russia. Among the organizers of the protests were marginalized pro-Russian organizations. In addition, as it turned out, citizens of Russia were involved in the provocations and storming of public buildings.
Members of NATO expressed the need for an emergency meeting on Russia’s actions against Ukraine. At the moment, the need has been expressed by United Kingdom and Lithuania. NATO Secretary-General called on Russia to abandon its encroachment on Ukraine. Defence Ministers of the EU and the United States have held urgent negotiations. United States President Barack Obama spoke with Vladimir Putin for an hour and a half in an attempt to convince him to abandon his plans, warning of international isolation.
Translated by Resha Vasko
Edited by Lesia Stangret
