Russia circles as tensions in Ukraine build
ESCALATING tensions in Ukraine worsened yesterday, as separatist groups seized control of Crimea’s parliament building and troops gathered near the Ukraine-Russia border.
The raid came as new Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk admitted the country was in dire financial straits, saying that loans worth $37bn (£22.17bn) were missing from the treasury. The Ukrainian hyrvnia has fallen five per cent against the dollar this week, hitting a record low of 10.66 yesterday. And the Russian rouble sank to a five-year low of 36.11 versus the dollar
Early in the day, armed men took over the Crimean parliament, raising the Russian flag. The autonomous peninsula in the south of Ukraine has an ethnic Russian majority, and Russia’s black sea fleet is stationed in the region. Ukrainian President Oleksander Turchinov warned the fleet not to leave its naval base, saying that “any movements beyond the boundaries of this territory” would be interpreted as aggression.
The country’s former President Viktor Yanukovich, who is wanted for mass murder by the new government, finally surfaced in Russia yesterday. Domestic media said that he would hold a press conference today in the town of Rostov, and was claiming to still be the country’s legitimate president.
The International Monetary Fund, which has been asked for emergency assistance, announced that they would send a fact-finding team to assess the situation.