March 2, 10:01 a.m. Arsen Avakov, People’s deputy of “Batkivshchyna” [“The Fatherland”] party
I consider it necessary to inform:
1. All over the territory of Crimea the emissaries and military officials of the Russian Federation are arriving in the internal troops units with a proposal to take out Russian citizenship and immediately receive Russian passports. This appeal has been sent to the highest and middle officer corps of the troops.
In all cases of appeals (5 appeals in 5 units), emissaries have been “sent”.
2. The groups of Russian military men have arrived in all military units of internal troops. According to them, they have come to protect military units from the “extremists.”
They have asked to stay overnight and have access to water, toilets, etc. in the unit territory since they “have been sent hurryingly, and did not have normal “living conditions”. Then they “have been sent back”. The Russian military men were addressed with a statement saying that Ukrainian military units did not require their “protection from the extremists.” They are warned that in case of unauthorized entry into the territory of the military unit by the Russian military men, the weapon will be used in accordance with the Charter of Guard Service.
3. Since two days all Crimean military units are in a regime of high alert.
Given the provocation to conflict, including those of information nature, I declare that the internal forces of Ukraine in the Crimea are on full combat alert, however, I EMPHASIZE, they are fully focused on preventing a military conflict with the use of military weapon. If the Ukrainian military men are to be attacked, all responsibility for the consequences of such provocation shall be borne by the attacking party.
4. In the Crimean territory there are no regular Ukrainian army forces or the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which are threatening the citizens of the Russian Federation” or “Russian-speaking population.” Also there are no self-defense units of Maidan, who supposedly arrived from Kyiv. The source and encouragers of all destabilization in the Crimea are located in Russia.
