Armed standoff at Ukrainian base ends peacefully

BBC reports that an armed standoff ended peacefully earlier today at a Ukrainian facility near Sevastopol, described as ‘missile defence base A2355.’ According to earlier reports, a truck drove through the base’s gates, and around 20 attackers rushed through and threw stun grenades. The Ukrainian troops retreated to a bunker on the base’s grounds, and the base commander negotiated with the group of attackers until they agreed to leave. Journalists who attempted to cover the event were reportedly beaten by some of the attackers.

It is unclear whether the attackers were Russian troops, or a paramilitary gang. I am also trying to confirm if base A2355 is one of the S-300 surface to air missile batteries that defend Sevastopol.

Crimea Update, March 6, 2014

Many news sources report that the regional Crimean parliament voted to make the region part of Russia. A popular referendum is scheduled for March 16. The Ukrainian government says the vote and the referendum are illegal. Samantha Power, US Ambassador to the United Nations, said the international community would respond with “…broad condemnation and the establishment of the illegality and illegitimacy of such a vote.”

Meanwhile in Sevastopol Harbor, the New York Times reports that a Russian minesweeper and two tugs are blockading the Ukrainian Navy flagship, the frigate Hetman Sahaidachny, and two other vessels. Some sources report that the flagship defected to the Russian side, but as of this writing, that claim appears to be false.

The Russian Navy also reportedly scuttled the hulk of the old cruiser Ochakov, to block the entrance to Donuzlav bay, bottling up some other Ukrainian Navy ships.