The Crimean War Again?

 

 

The Crimean War Again? Russia and the Ottoman Empire went to war in October 1853 over Russia's rights to protect Orthodox Christians. Russia gained the upper hand after destroying the Ottoman fleet at the Black Sea port of Sinope; to stop Russia's conquest France and Britain entered in March 1854. Most of the fighting took place for control of the Black Sea, with land battles on the Crimean peninsula in southern Russia. The Russians held their great fortress at Sevastopol for over a year. After it fell, peace became possible, and was arranged at Paris in March 1856. The religion issue had already been resolved. The main results were that the Black Sea was neutralised—Russia would not have any warships there—and the two provinces of Wallachia and Moldavia became largely independent under nominal Ottoman rule. There were smaller campaigns in eastern Anatolia, Caucasus, the Baltic Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the White Sea. In Russia, this war is also known as the "Eastern War" (Russian: Восточная война, Vostochnaya Voina). The war transformed the region. Because of battles, population exchanges, and nationalist movements incited by the war, the present-day states of Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, and regions such as Crimea and the Caucasus all changed in small or large ways due to this conflict. The Crimean War is notorious for logistical, medical and tactical failure on both sides. The naval side saw both a successful Allied campaign which eliminated most of the ships of the Russian Navy in the Black Sea, and a successful blockade by the Royal Navy in the Baltic. It was one of the first "modern" wars because it saw the first use of major technologies, such as railways and telegraphs. It is also famous for the work of Florence Nightingaleand Mary Seacole, who pioneered contrasting modern medical practices while treating the wounded. The Crimean War was one of the first wars to be documented extensively in written reports and photographs: notably by William Russell (writing for The Times newspaper) and the photographs of Roger Fenton.[8]:306–309 News from war correspondents reached all nations involved in the war and kept the public citizenry of those nations better informed of the day-to-day events of the war than had been the case in any other war to that date. The British public was very well informed regarding the day-to-day realities of the war in the Crimea. After the French extended the telegraph to the coast of the Black Sea during the winter of 1854, the news reached London in two days. When the British laid an underwater cable to the Crimean peninsula in April 1855, news reached London in a few hours. The daily news reports energised public opinion, which brought down the Aberdeen government and carried Lord Palmerston into office as prime minister.   For over 200 years, Russia had been expanding in a southerly direction toward the warm water ports of the Black Sea. Warm water ports that did not freeze over in the winter were essential for the development of Russian year-round trade and development of a strong navy.[8]:11 This brought the emerging Russian state into conflict with the Ukrainian Cossacks and then with the Ukrainian Tatars.[14] When Russia conquered these groups and gained possession of the Ukraine, the Ottoman Empire lost its buffer zone against Russian expansion, and Russia and the Ottoman Empire fell into direct conflict. The conflict with the Ottoman Empire also presented a religious issue of importance, as Russia saw itself as the protector of Orthodox Christians, many of whom lived under Ottoman control.[8](ch 1) The immediate causes of the war[edit] The immediate chain of events leading to France and Britain declaring war on Russia on 27 and 28 March 1854 came from the ambition of the French emperor Napoleon III to restore the grandeur of France. He wanted Catholic support that would come his way if he attacked Eastern Orthodoxy, as sponsored by Russia.[8]:103 The Marquis Charles de La Valette was a zealous Catholic and a leading member of the "clerical party" which demanded French protection of the Roman Catholic rights to the holy places in Palestine. Napoleon appointed La Valette in May 1851 as his ambassador to the Porte (the Ottoman Empire).[8]:7–9 The appointment was made with the intent to force the Ottomans to recognise France as the "sovereign authority" over the Christian population.[12]:19 Russia disputed this attempted change in authority. Pointing to two more treaties, one in 1757 and the 1774 Treaty of Küçük Kaynarca, the Ottomans reversed their earlier decision, renouncing the French treaty and insisting that Russia was the protector of the Orthodox Christians in the Ottoman Empire. Napoleon III responded with a show of force, sending the ship of the line Charlemagne to the Black Sea. This action was a violation of the London Straits Convention. However, the Ottomans knew that the Charlemagne sailed at a speed of 8½ knots and could defeat the technologically inferior Russian and Ottoman navies combined.[8]:104 Thus, France's show of force presented a real threat, and when combined with aggressive diplomacy and money, induced Sultan Abdülmecid I to accept a new treaty, confirming France and the Roman Catholic Church as the supreme Christian authority with control over the Roman Catholic holy places and possession of the keys to the Church of the Nativity, previously held by the Greek Orthodox Church.[12]:20 Tsar Nicholas I then deployed his 4th and 5th army corps along the River Danube, and had Count Karl Nesselrode, his foreign minister, undertake talks with the Ottomans. Nesselrode confided to Sir George Hamilton Seymour, the British ambassador in Saint Petersburg: [The dispute over the holy places] had assumed a new character—that the acts of injustice towards the Greek church which it had been desired to prevent had been perpetrated and consequently that now the object must be to find a remedy for these wrongs. The success of French negotiations at Constantinople was to be ascribed solely to intrigue and violence—violence which had been supposed to be the ultima ratio of kings, being, it had been seen, the means which the present ruler of France was in the habit of employing in the first instance.[12]:21 As conflict emerged over the issue of the holy places, Nicholas I and his foreign minister, Karl Nesselrode, began a diplomatic offensive, which they hoped would prevent either Britain's or France's interfering in any conflict between Russia and the Ottomans, as well as to prevent their allying. Cornet assistant surgeon Henry Wilkin, 11th Hussars. He survived the Charge of the Light Brigade. Photo: Roger Fenton. Nicholas began courting Britain by means of conversations with the British ambassador, George Hamilton Seymour, in January and February 1853.[8]:105 Nicholas insisted that he no longer wished to expand Imperial Russia[8]:105 but that he had an obligation to the Christian communities in the Ottoman Empire.[8]:105 The Tsar next dispatched a diplomat, Prince Menshikov, on a special mission to the Ottoman Sublime Porte in February 1853.[8]:107 By previous treaties, the sultan was committed "to protect the (Eastern Orthodox) Christian religion and its churches". Menshikov attempted to negotiate a new sened, a formal convention with the power of an international treaty, under which the Ottomans would allow to Russia the same rights of intervention in the affairs of the Orthodox religion as recently allowed France with respect to Catholic churches and churchmen.[15] Such a treaty would allow Russia to control the Orthodox Church's hierarchy in the Ottoman Empire. Menshikov arrived at Istanbul on 16 February 1853, on the steam-powered warship Gromovnik (Thunderer).[16]:4–5 The ship (Thunderer) that Menshikov sailed to Constantinople aboard was aptly named.[8]:108 Once in Constantinople, Menshikov proceeded to break protocol at the Porte. At his first meeting with the sultan, he insulted the Turks by appearing in civilian clothes rather than customary and traditional military uniform for his official welcome to the Porte.[8]:109 He then proceeded to condemn the Ottomans' concessions to the French. Menshikov also began demanding the replacement of highly placed Ottoman civil servants—particularly Fuad Efendi the Ottoman foreign minister.[8]:109 Since the departure in January 1853 of Stratford Canning, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, the British embassy at Constantinople had been run by Hugh Rose,chargé d'affaires for the British.[8]:110 Using his abundant resources within the Ottoman Empire, Rose gathered intelligence on Russian troop movements along the Danube frontier, and became concerned about the extent of Menshikov's mission to the Porte. On 8 March 1853, Rose, using his authority as the British representative to the Ottomans, ordered Vice-Admiral Sir James Whitley Deans Dundas, stationed on the island of Malta, to bring a British squadron of warships to Urla, İzmir, on the Ionian coast of Turkey.[16]:5However, Sir James Dundas refused to leave Malta[16]:5 and resented the diplomat (Rose) for believing he could interfere in the Admiralty's business. Within a week, Rose's actions were cancelled.[17] The French fleet sailed from Toulon on 22 March 1853, and headed for the Bosporus.[8]:112 Their intent was to head off any naval attack on Constantinople on the west side of the narrows at Bosporus. Thus, only the French sent a naval task force to support the Ottomans. First hostilities Battle of Sinope, by Ivan Aivazovsky In February 1853, the British government of Lord Aberdeen, the prime minister, re-appointed Stratford Canning as British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire.[8]:110Having resigned the ambassadorship in January, he had been replaced by Baron Strathnairn. Lord Stratford then turned around and sailed back to Constantinople, arriving there on 5 April 1853. There he convinced the Sultan to reject the Russian treaty proposal, as compromising the independence of the Turks. The Leader of the Opposition in the British House of Commons, Benjamin Disraeli, blamed Aberdeen and Stratford's actions for making war inevitable, thus starting the process which would eventually force the Aberdeen government to resign in January 1855, over the war. Shortly after he learned of the failure of Menshikov's diplomacy toward the end of June 1853, the Tsar sent armies under the commands of Field Marshall Ivan Paskevichand General Mikhail Gorchakov across the Pruth River into the Ottoman-controlled Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Fewer than half of the 80,000 Russian soldiers who crossed the Pruth in 1853 survived. By far, most of the deaths would result from sickness rather than combat,[8]:118–119 for the Russian army still suffered from medical service that ranged from bad to none. Russia had previously obtained from the Ottoman Empire recognition of the Tsar's role as special guardian of the Orthodox Christians in Moldavia and Wallachia. Now Russia used the Sultan's failure to resolve the issue of the protection of the Christian sites in the Holy Land as a pretext for Russian occupation of these Danubian provinces. Nicholas believed that the European powers, especially Austria, would not object strongly to the annexation of a few neighbouring Ottoman provinces, especially considering that Russia had assisted Austria's efforts in suppressing the Hungarian Revolution in 1849. Russo-French skirmish during Crimean War In July 1853, the Tsar sent his troops into the Danubian Principalities. Britain, hoping to maintain the Ottoman Empire as a bulwark against the expansion of Russian power in Asia, sent a fleet to the Dardanelles, where it joined another fleet sent by France.[18] At the same time, however, the European powers hoped for a diplomatic compromise. The representatives of the four neutral Great Powers—Britain, France, Austria and Prussia—met in Vienna, where they drafted a note which they hoped would be acceptable to both the Russians and the Ottomans. The peace terms arrived at by the four powers at theVienna Conference were delivered to the Russians by the Austrian Foreign Minister Count Karl Von Buol on 5 December 1853. The note met with the approval of Nicholas I; however, Abdülmecid I rejected the proposal, feeling that the document's poor phrasing left it open to many different interpretations. Britain, France, and Austria united in proposing amendments to mollify the Sultan, but the court of St Petersburg ignored their suggestions.[8]:143 Britain and France set aside the idea of continuing negotiations, but Austria and Prussia did not believe that the rejection of the proposed amendments justified the abandonment of the diplomatic process. Nonetheless, the Sultan formally declared war on Russia on 23 October 1853,[7] and proceeded to the attack, his armies moving on the Russian army near the Danube later that month. Russia and the Ottoman empire massed forces on two main fronts, the Caucasus and the Danube. Ottoman leader Omar Pasha managed to achieve some victories on the Danubian front.[19]In the Caucasus, the Ottomans were able to stand ground with the help of Chechen Muslims led by Imam Shamil.[20] Nicholas responded by dispatching warships, which in the Battle of Sinop on 30 November 1853 destroyed a patrol squadron of Ottoman frigates and corvettes while they were anchored in port in northern Anatolia. The destruction of the Ottoman ships provided Britain and France with the casus belli ("cause of war") for declaring war against Russia on the side of the Ottoman Empire. By 28 March 1854, after Russia ignored an Anglo-French ultimatum to withdraw from the Danubian Principalities, Britain and France formally declared war.[21] Peace attempts[edit] Nicholas felt that because of Russian assistance in suppressing the Hungarian revolution of 1848, Austria would side with him, or at the very least remain neutral. Austria, however, felt threatened by the Russian troops. When Britain and France demanded the withdrawal of Russian forces from the principalities, Austria supported them and, though it did not immediately declare war on Russia, it refused to guarantee its neutrality. Russia then withdrew its troops from the Danubian principalities, which were then occupied by Austria for the duration of the war. This removed the original grounds for war, but Britain and France continued with hostilities. Determined to address the Eastern Question by putting an end to the Russian threat to the Ottoman Empire, the allies proposed several conditions for a peaceful resolution, including: Russia was to give up its protectorate over the Danubian Principalities; It was to abandon any claim granting it the right to interfere in Ottoman affairs on behalf of Orthodox Christians; The Straits Convention of 1841 was to be revised; All nations were to be granted access to the River Danube. When the Tsar refused to comply with these Four Points, the Crimean War commenced.     James Olley of the 4th Light Dragoons, wrote a moving first-hand account detailing the Charge of the Light Brigade They rode 'into the jaws of Death, into the mouth of Hell', wrote Tennyson in his poem commemorating the suicidal Charge of the Light Brigade. Now a remarkable account from one of the soldiers involved in the carnage has surfaced to provide a graphic insight into one of the most glorious failures in British military history. Private James Olley, who was just 16 at the time of the Crimean War charge, described how he fought on despite being shot in the eye and having his skull split by a Russian sabre as comrades fell around him. The three-page manuscript, owned by a private collector, is expected to fetch thousands of pounds when it is auctioned tomorrow. Private Olley wrote: 'My horse was shot down - I caught one of the horses which was coming back without its rider who had been shot out of his saddle. 'I turned it round facing the enemy - I mounted it and rode down to the Guns, when I was attacked by a Russian Gunner who I cut down with my sword. 'I received a severe wound on my forehead which went through the skull bone.' Later, he recalled how a bullet from the Russians 'took away' his left eye, adding: 'I still rode on and fought through the lines of the enemy.' The Charge of the Light Brigade took place in October 1854 during the Crimean War. An appalling series of misunderstandings led to the Brigade advancing down a different valley from the one commander-in-chief, Lord Raglan, had intended when he dictated ambiguous orders for Lord Lucan, the cavalry commander. The soldier's handwritten account of the military disaster is expected to fetch thousands at auction Despite the fact that the order seemed to demand the cavalry to attack the Russian artillery without infantry support - in contravention of all accepted laws of military practice - an incredulous Lucan passed the instructions on to the Earl of Cardigan, who commanded the Light Brigade, and the troops advanced. Private Olley described how he was just yards away as Lucan checked the instructions with messenger Captain Louis Edward Nolan. His account went on: ' "He may advance but what can we do," said the Earl. "There is the Enemy and there are the Guns," replied Nolan, pointing to the Russian Squadrons. The Earl of Lucan forwarded the Order by Captain Nolan to the Earl of Cardigan - he got the order to advance down the valley.' The battle was immortalised in the 1968 film The Charge of the Light Brigade Private Olley's compelling description was neatly penned on black-edged paper and signed and dated in 1879. It will be auctioned at Ludlow Racecourse and is expected to fetch between £1,500 and £2,000. Richard Westwood-Brookes, of Mullocks auctioneers, said the Charge of the Light Brigade was 'a spectacular example of dreadful leadership and lack of communication'. He added: 'Crucial to the disaster was the interpretation of the orders from Lord Raglan. What makes this manuscript so important is that Olley was present when those crucial orders were delivered.' The letters are believed to be the first account from a soldier involved in the war Despite his own horrific injuries Private Olley, from Holt, Norfolk, survived, but he endured terrible hardship on his return to England. He wound up begging with a placard around his neck in the streets of Knapton, one of many towns and villages he moved between in his native county. He was saved by Mr H M Robinson, who wrote in a local newspaper imploring the public to donate to a fund to put Olley 'into some little business'. Mr Westwood-Brookes said: 'As a result Olley lived out his life in better circumstances, but it is incredible that the ordinary soldier seemed to be so dreadfully treated having given his all for his country.' Mr Olley died in 1920 at the age of 82. Newspaper reports at the time claimed he was the last of the soldiers who survived the Charge. An extract from Private Olley's letters                            'I was outposted to see an army of Russians - I rode into the main body of the Guard and gave the alarm. 'We retired leaving the Turks 'We went and joined our Regiment which was lying on the Plains of Balaclava - every man was called to his horse. 'All the Light Brigade were soon in their saddles ready to do their duty or die- order was given to advance and back up the Turks. 'We then received orders to take our position at the mouth of the next valley after we had done so, we could see the Russians forming up at the other end of the valley... 'We had not gone far before we received the order to charge and take the Guns, which were placed across the valley - about halfway down the man that was riding next to me was shot and fell onto my right leg. 'A little further on my horse was shot down - I caught one of the horses, which was coming back without its rider who had been shot out of his saddle. 'I turned it round facing the enemy - I mounted it and rode down to the Guns, when I was attacked by a Russian Gunner who I cut down with my sword. 'I received a severe wound on my forehead which went through the skull bone. 'The man I cut down - we cleared the Guns of the enemy. 'After a  time we prepared to return when, to our surprise  we found that we were overpowered by the enemy. 'Just as we saw the Russians a bullet from the enemy took away my left eye - I still rode on and fought through the lines of the enemy. 'When we got through we rode into our encampment what few there were left of us.'     Hero: Captain Smith in 1917, more than 60 years after the Battle of Balaclava Charging with the Light Brigade into the valley of death, Lieutenant Percy Shawe Smith was risking more than most. Because unlike his comrades, he was not carrying a weapon. Lt Smith, who had an injured hand, awoke that morning to find the metal arm support he needed to let him hold a sword was missing. But, undeterred, he surged into battle unarmed – and survived while scores were slaughtered. His extraordinary tale of heroism during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War has only come to wider attention now his medals have been donated to a museum by his great-grandson. On the day of the most celebrated cavalry charge in history, October 25, 1854, Lt Smith reached enemy lines and found himself surrounded by three Russian lancers. He was ‘scratched’ by one and hit in the chest by the point of another lance as he leapt off his horse. According to one account of the battle, ‘as he was mounted on a good hunter he jumped right on his assailant. The lance-point luckily hit on a bone and came out as the Russian went down’. Comrades then came to Lt Smith’s rescue and he was able to remount and return to base – the only officer in his regiment to return on his own horse. In the valley of death: The charge was immortalised by the poet Tennyson He had suffered a serious injury to his right hand in a shotgun accident before the war. This meant he relied on a metal support, fixed to his arm, to hold a weapon. But on the morning of the Charge of the Light Brigade, he could not find the support in the darkness of his tent and had to leave for the battlefield without it. Gary Locker, a regimental expert and retired captain, said: ‘The arm was useless, but he had feeling in it and had been passed fit for service. The arm support was like a splint and without it he couldn’t hold his sabre. ‘He would have thought to himself “this is the biggest charge of my life and I need to be with my men”.’ A communication mix-up among top brass sent more than 600 men into an unwinnable battle immortalised by the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, who wrote of the ‘noble six hundred’. The Light Brigade rode into the valley and were blasted on both sides and from the front by Russian guns. Around 113 died and 250 were wounded The death toll of horses was put at 475. Lt Smith’s valour earned him a promotion to captain. He eventually left the Army in 1858. Six years later he married his wife Annette, and they had a son. He died at 88 in 1917. But his descendants knew little about his role until his medals were found in an old family chest. Handing them to the museum of Lt Smith’s regiment, the 13th Light Dragoons, in a ceremony yesterday, the soldier’s great-grandson Tony Kent said: ‘He was a very brave man and we have letters saying he should have been nominated for a VC.’ Private William Pearson survived the deadly Charge of the Light Brigade thanks to two trusty helpers: his faithful horse, and legendary nurse Florence Nightingale. The young soldier, one of the 17th Lancers, was one of the brave 600 who rode into the 'Valley of Death' during the Battle of Balaclava in 1854. He was one of the very few soldiers to return from the ill-fated charge, led by Lord Cardigan, after fighting off four Cossack soldiers.   Hero: Trumpeter William Pearson, pictured in youth and in old age, was one of few survivors from the famous Charge of the Light Brigade Now Pte Pearson's medals, including one for his bravery during the Crimean War, have been sold at auction for £11,000. He was born in Doncaster in February 1825 and enlisted in the 17th Lancers, nicknamed the 'Death or Glory Boys', in 1848. His regiment was dispatched to the Crimea in 1854 where he found himself in the midst of the action, and he was one of the trumpeters who sounded the charge that has gone down in history thanks to Tennyson's famous poem. After over-running the Russian guns, the Light Brigade found themselves cut off from the British lines, with Pte Pearson surrounded by three Cossack horsemen. He beat off all three with his lance, but a fourth Cossack appeared right across his path and it was then that his horse saved his life. Medals: Pte Pearson's collection has just been auctioned off by his family for £11,000 Nursed: After taking part in the Charge, the memorial to which is pictured left, Pte Pearson was treated by Florence Nightingale, right, in the Scudari Hospital Pte Pearson had taught his horse to do certain tricks, and in response to his command he reared up and seemed as if he was about to come down on the Cossack with his forelegs. The Cossack swerved and in a flash Pte Pearson rode clear, but not before one of the other Russians jabbed him in the side with his lance. It penetrated his left lung but he clung onto his horse and managed to reach the British lines in safety. His commanding officer, Colonel White, and another officer were standing near where he pulled up. He heard the colonel say, 'Here's another back.' Then Col White called out, 'Are you hurt my man?' Pearson replied: 'No, sir,' not realising he was wounded, then fell off his horse. Proud: Pte Pearson, left, was treated as a war hero on his return to England following the Crimean War Carnage: The Charge of the Light Brigade, in 1854, is one of Britain's most notorious military disasters Pte Pearson ended up at Scutari Hospital where he came under the personal supervision of Florence Nightingale. As well as nursing him she provided him with clothes for the journey home. He returned to England a hero, and was discharged in 1861 after serving 12 years in the Army. When he retired from the Army he became a jailer at York Castle before his death aged 84 in 1909. The medals were put up for auction by Pte Pearson's descendents. Christopher Hill, director at specialist medal auctioneers Dix Noonan Webb, said: 'We keep the memories of these men who helped make our history. 'They were sold with the original parchment certificate of his discharge, a small coloured Crimean War period ambrotype of Pte Pearson in uniform and two portrait photographs of him in later life wearing his medals.' Archaeologists say they have discovered the wreck of HMS Prince, a British naval vessel which sank near the port of Balaclava during the Crimean War. Some 144 men on board the ship were killed after it sank during a storm in November 1854 and thousands of badly needed winter uniforms were also lost. Although underwater expeditions have previously found parts of the ship, this is the first positive identification of the vessel. Wreck: The HMS Prince sank in a storm near the port of Balaclava during the Crimean War in 1854, killing 144 of its crew Sergei Voronov, of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, said divers had discovered a plate fragment from the captain's mess last summer. After months of meticulous cleaning, the fragment revealed the name of the company which owned HMS Prince before it was hired by the Royal Navy - the General Screw Steam Shipping Company. Mr Voronov and his colleagues are hoping to attract international support to explore another ship which also sank during the Crimean War. HMS Prince was lost during a hurricane force winter storm during the historic siege of Sevastopol, which was then part of the Russian Empire. Only six of her crew survived. The 2,700 ton ship was at deep water anchor outside the port  when high waves tore it from its anchor and it was dashed on to rocks. The sinking caused outrage in Britain with soldiers suffering from the extreme cold and widespread disease in what is now the Ukraine. The Crimean War, which lasted from October 1853 to February 1856, saw the Russian Empire against an alliance of the British, French, the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Sardinia. It was during the war, at the Battle of Balaclava, that the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade took place where 272 British soldiers died. The Crimean War was the first to include the tactical use of railways and telegraphs. A total of 374,600 people died during the conflict, many of them from disease. It also led to the establishment of the Victoria Cross in 1856, the British Army's first universal award for valour.   PRESENT DAY CRIMEA Ukraine has put its armed forces on full combat alert and warned Russia that military intervention would lead to war. The warning comes after Putin was granted permission from his parliament to send Russian troops into the country. It is a move that has alarmed the world's diplomatic leaders, prompting US President Barack Obama to call the Kremlin and urge Putin to back down. Scroll down for videos +44 'Occupied': An unidentified armed man stands over a crowd of people outside the regional parliament building in Simferopol. A member of the crowd is holding a Russian flag +44 Escalating: Holding automatic weapons, the armed men, thought to be Russian, patrol the area, where Russian sympathies are strong +44 'Invasion': These troops, amassed outside the Crimean town of Balaclava, have been decried by the Ukrainian government as an occupying force +44 Threatening: This heavily-armed soldier keeps watch in Simferopol, Crimea +44 A couple stands next to armed servicemen outside a Ukrainian border guard post in the Crimean town of Balaclava on Saturday Ukraine's new interim president Oleksander Turchynov warned his country was threatened with a 'military invasion and occupation'. Mr Obama spent 90 minutes on the phone telling his Russian counter that sending forces into Crimea is a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and warned of consequences. He added that the United States will suspend participation in preparatory meetings for the G8 summit in Sochi until a solution is reached. 'The United States condemns Russia's military intervention into Ukrainian territory,' the White House said in a statement outlining what was discussed. But Putin retorted that Russia retains the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers from violence in Ukraine. Tonight, tensions rose alarmingly as two Russian anti-submarine warships were reported to appear off the coast of Ukraine's Crimea region, violating an agreement on Moscow's lease of a naval base. After more than three hours discussing the escalation with security and defence chiefs, acting President Oleksander Turchinov and Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said there was no justification for what they branded Russian aggression against their country. +44 Hotline: Obama had a 90 minute phone call with Putin to discuss the situation this morning +44 Yatseniuk said he had called for talks with his Russian counterpart, and urged the country to return its troops to base in the Crimea region. 'Military intervention would be the beginning of war and the end of any relations between Ukraine and Russia,' Yatseniuk told reporters. Speaking live on Ukrainian TV, Oleksandr Turchynov said he had also ordered stepped up security at nuclear power plants, airports and other strategic infrastructure. Tensions have mounted after a Ukrainian military source said the two vessels, part of Russia's Baltic Fleet, had been sighted in a bay at Sevastopol, where Moscow's Black Sea Fleet has a base, according to Interfax news agency. Minutes later, President Putin spoke with President Obama, telling him Russia retains its right to protect the country and Russian speakers from violence in Ukraine. The UN is now holding an open meeting after struggling to reach an agreement during a closed-door summit called for by David Cameron. Some members wanted open, or public consultations, on Ukraine, which Russia initially opposed. As a permanent member, Russia has veto power on any council resolution. +44 Wounded protesters: Pro-European activists were bloodied today after clashes with activists who favour closer ties with Russia +44 Under attack: This supporter of the newly-established government was hurt at a demonstration in Karkiv in the north-east of the country +44 Attacks: Supporters of Russia smashed into this regional government building in the Kharkiv protests today Pro-Russian protesters storm administration building in Ukraine +44 A wounded supporter of Ukraine's new government stood back from the crowds of pro-Russian protesters The US has called for the meeting to sanction envoys to go to Ukraine as Russia's military action is 'without legal basis'. Britain contacted the Security Council in light of the 'serious and concerning events' which David Cameron claims have escalated beyond reason. 'There can be no excuse for outside military intervention in Ukraine - a point I made to President Putin when we spoke yesterday,' he said. 'Everyone must think carefully about their actions and work to lower, not escalate tension. The world is watching.' It was the second closed-door UN Security Council meeting in two consecutive days as clashes continue across Ukraine and Crimea between pro-EU and pro-Russia supporters. The council also held closed-door consultations on Friday at the request of Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev who referred to 'the deterioration of the situation' in the Crimean Peninsula which he said 'threatens the territorial integrity of Ukraine.' In a statement issued during the talks, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that he is 'gravely concerned about the deterioration of the situation' in Ukraine. He spoke later by telephone with Putin. +44 Clash: At least 5,000 Pro-Putin protesters have taken to the streets of Dontesk marching to parliament +44 The thousands of pro-Russia demonstrators were demanding the non-recognition of Ukraine's parliament Ban's statement called for 'full respect for and preservation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine' and demanded the 'immediate restoration of calm and direct dialogue between all concerned.' British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the meeting is to determine 'what justification Russia claims to have' for its de facto military takeover of the strategic Crimea region. Without a resolution, NATO will on Sunday to discuss options. France and Germany have also issued calls for de-escalation in Crimea hours after U.S. President Barack Obama warned that military intervention in the region would be deeply destabilising and 'carry costs'. The Kremlin insists a decision has not been made on whether military action will be taken, but forces took to the streets of Crimea today. Ukrainian officials have branded the move an armed occupation using the strategic region between the two countries. +44 Clutching wooden batons and Russia flags, demonstrators shouted and chanted as they clashed with anti-Putin protesters +44 Hours after the military took over Crimea, Ukrainian flags had been torn down and Russian flags paraded around +44 Residents carry Russian flags and shout slogans rallying through the streets of Crimean capital Simferopol It came as supporters of Russia and the new Ukrainian government clashed elsewhere in the country, with bloodied protesters visible on the streets of Kharkiv after a show of strength from pro-Russian activists. In the motion to the Russian parliament's upper house, Mr Putin wrote: 'I'm submitting a request for using the armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine pending the normalization of the socio-political situation in that country.' The motion was approved within hours. However, the Kremlin attempted to calm matters later by saying that Putin had not yet decided whether to use the troops, and that Russia hoped there would be 'no further escalation of events'. CRISIS TALKS: INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL SUMMIT +44 Talks: A resolution was not reached as Russia's Vitaly Churkin had the power to veto Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations asked an emergency session of the Security Council on Saturday 'to do everything possible now' to stop Russian 'aggression' as Russian troops took over the strategic Crimea region. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call to 'urgently engage in direct dialogue with the authorities' in Kiev. Calling the situation in Ukraine 'as dangerous as it is destabilizing,' U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power told the council: 'It is time for the Russian military intervention in Ukraine to end.' Power and other members of the council called for sending international monitors to Ukraine as soon as possible to observe the situation, and Power warned that 'Russia's provocative actions could easily push the situation beyond the breaking point.' She also mentioned work on an international mediation mission to send to Ukraine. The Security Council met in emergency session for the second straight day on the rapidly developing events in Ukraine. It met briefly in an open, televised session, despite initial objections from Russia, then resumed meeting behind closed doors. The council took no action. As a permanent member of the council, Russia has veto power and can block the U.N.'s most powerful body from adopting any resolution criticizing or sanctioning Moscow. In Crimea, the pro-Russian prime minister who took office after gunmen seized the regional parliament claimed control of the military and police there and asked Putin for help in keeping peace, sharpening the discord between the two neighboring Slavic countries. Ukraine's acting president Oleksandr Turchynov said the election of the election of Sergei Aksyonov as prime minister of Crimea was invalid. Meanwhile dozens of people were hurt in clashes on Saturday when pro-Russia activists stormed the regional government's headquarters in Kharkiv, eastern Ukraine, and raised the Russian flag, local media said. The UNIAN news agency said thousands of people had gathered outside the building during a protest against the country's new leaders who ousted President Viktor Yanukovich a week ago. Pro-European activists were seen trying to recover after being overpowered by supporters of Russia after clashes at the local administration building in the northeastern city, which is mostly Russian-speaking. The violence and tensions have prompted statements from senior diplomatic figures across the world including the leaders of NATO, the UN, and the EU. The White House said President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by telephone as the U.S. reviews Russia's military moves in Ukraine. Obama also spoke with French President Francois Hollande. +44 Meanwhile, thousands gathered in Kiev's Independence Square for the funeral of a protester who died in the clashes +44 Families, friends and other members of the public cried and clutched candles as clashes continue across the country It followed a high-level meeting at the White House with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, CIA Director John Brennan, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Putin told Obama that Moscow reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers in Ukraine, the Kremlin said. In a statement posted online, the Kremlin said Obama had expressed concern about the possibility of Russian military intervention in Ukraine. 'In response to the concern shown by Obama about the plans for the possible use of Russia's armed forces on the territory of Ukraine, Putin drew attention to the provocative, criminal actions by ultra-nationalists, in essence encouraged by the current authorities in Kiev.' 'The Russian President underlined that there are real threats to the life and health of Russian citizens and compatriots on Ukrainian territory. Vladimir Putin stressed that if violence spread further in the eastern regions of Ukraine and in Crimea, Russia reserves the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers living there.' The Russian Ambassador, Alexander Yakovenko, was summoned at the request of the Foreign Secretary to meet Political Director Simon Gass. A spokesman said: 'The Political Director expressed deep concern at the Russian Parliament's decision to authorise military action in Ukraine against the wishes of the Ukrainian Government. 'The Political Director asked the Ambassador to urge his government to respect the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine.' The spokesman added that the Foreign Secretary will travel to Kiev tomorrow. The EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton has also weighed in on the conflict, saying a decision by the Russian parliament to authorise the use of Russian forces in neighbouring Ukraine was an unwarranted escalation of tensions. 'I therefore call upon the Russian Federation not to dispatch such troops but to promote its views through peaceful means,' Ashton said in a written statement on Saturday. +44 People sang the Ukrainian national anthem with hands on hearts as the UN announces another closed-door conference on the diplomatic tensions +44 Discussions are under way over whether Russia will advance troops to the square where mourners now stand Ashton added that she would meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov after Monday's extraordinary meeting of EU foreign ministers to discuss the bloc's response to the situation in Ukraine. Foreign Secretary William Hague said today that Russian action was a 'potentially grave threat' to Ukraine's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Mr Hague, who is due to have discussions in Kiev tomorrow with interim leaders, spoke to his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov today to call for calm as tensions heighten over the strategic region. He tweeted: 'Have spoken to Foreign Minister Lavrov to call for de-escalation in Crimea and respect for sovereignty and independence of #Ukraine.' Mr Hague had already spoken to German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier to discuss international diplomatic action. He has already assured Ukraine's acting president Oleksander Turchynov that Britain supports the country's new government. UKRAINE'S FURY OVER 'RUSSIAN MILITARY INTERVENTION' WHICH THREATENS NEW REGIME The developments in the Crimea in recent days are the latest stage of the tug-of-war over Ukraine's future. Since president Viktor Yanukovych was forced out of Kiev last week an interim leader has taken over and formed a new government after weeks of bloody protests. But the new regime has already run into difficulty due to the unrest in Crimea, where most people are ethnically Russian. After the armed men stormed the parliament, a new pro-Russian prime minister for the Crimean region was elected. Sergei Aksenov has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin for help keeping the peace. The development marks a sharp divide between the Crimean region and the rest of Ukraine. Meanwhile, troops thought to be under Russian control have seized airports and border points. Some fear it could be the beginnings of an attempt to annex the region, which was once part of the Soviet Union. The new Ukrainian government has characterised the moves as an 'armed invasion' which violates international agreements. Mr Hague said: 'I am deeply concerned at the escalation of tensions in Ukraine, and the decision of the Russian parliament to authorise military action on Ukrainian soil against the wishes of the Ukrainian government. 'This action is a potentially grave threat to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine. We condemn any act of aggression against Ukraine. 'I spoke today to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov to urge steps to calm this dangerous situation. I told Minister Lavrov that Britain supports the Ukrainian government's request for urgent consultations in accordance with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum signed by the UK, US, Russia and Ukraine. 'In the light of President Putin's request to the Federation Council, we have now summoned the Russian Ambassador to the Foreign Office to register our deep concerns. 'I also spoke this afternoon to German Foreign Minister Steinmeier where we agreed on the need for international diplomatic action to address the crisis. 'The UK supports the proposed emergency meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, and we have already called an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council for this afternoon in New York. He added: 'I will visit Ukraine on Sunday to discuss these issues directly with the Ukrainian government. I will reiterate the UK's support for the territorial integrity of Ukraine. I will also discuss how the UK can support the Ukrainian government in recovering improperly acquired assets. 'The EU must agree urgently an asset freezing regime to target those suspected of laundering the proceeds of corruption. 'On my instructions, the British Embassy in Kiev has told the Ukrainian government that we stand ready to provide Ukraine with technical advice on asset recovery.' French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said in a statement: 'France is extremely concerned by the reports from Crimea, which describe significant troop movements. 'We call on the parties to abstain from acts that could raise tensions and affect Ukraine's territorial unity.' President Francois Hollande issued a statement urging European countries to take swift and decisive action to find a way out of the crisis in Crimea when their foreign ministers meet in Brussels on Monday. 'Everything must be done to avoid outside intervention and the risk of a highly dangerous escalation,' Hollande's office said in a statement. Hollande had spoken to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and both expressed alarm over situation, which the statement said posed a 'real threat to Ukraine's territorial unity and sovereignty'. NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has also tweeted urging Russia to respect Ukraine's sovereignty. 'Urgent need for de-escalation in Crimea. NATO allies continue to coordinate closely,' Rasmussen said. And Canada says it is pulling its ambassador from Moscow over the crisis in Ukraine. A statement issued by Prime Minister Stephen Harper after an emergency Cabinet meeting says Canada also is pulling out of the G8 process being chaired by Russia for an international economic summit in June. Harper strongly condemns Russia's military intervention in Ukraine and urges President Vladimir Putin to withdraw his troops. Ukrainian military were put on high alert this morning in the region, as defence minister Ihor Tenyukh accused Russia of moving 6,000 additional troops into the country. The government has accused Moscow of deploying troops in Crimea, where Russia's Black Sea fleet has a base, but Russia insists that the manoeuvres are covered by an agreement with Ukraine covering its use of the base. +44 Pro-Russian activists clash with Maidan near the regional government building in Kharkiv +44 They stormed the regional building using metal implements, furniture and fire extinguishers to break the door Shootout takes place near Crimean government building The Russian government was warned yesterday by President Obama against intervening in the region, which he said must be allowed to choose its own fate. The disorder in the region escalated this morning as the Russian-supporting prime minister of the Crimea region, which was already partly autonomous, claimed control of all military, police and other security services in the region. He also issued a direct appeal to Mr Putin for assistance. In a statement reported by Russian news agencies, Mr Aksenov declared that the armed forces, the police, the national security service and border guards will answer only to his orders. He said any commanders who don't agree should leave their posts. The development comes after more armed men, thought to be Russian, took control of key airports and a communications center in the Crimea. The Ukrainian government has accused Russia of a 'military invasion and occupation' - a claim that brought an alarming new dimension to the crisis, and raised fears that Moscow is moving to annex a strategic peninsula where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based. +44 Patrols: Armed men were seen outside the parliament building this morning as well, from where the regional prime minister claimed control of the military and police in the region +44 Dug in: These men have taken position outside the parliament with makeshift machine gun emplacements +44 Unrest: The regional prime minister of the Crimea today claimed power over security forces and asked for Russian help +44 Claimed control: Sergei Aksyonov, the pro-Russian prime minister of the Crimea, claimed control of security forces today, though the Ukrainian government has said his election on Thursday is invalid Ukraine's population is divided in loyalties between Russia and the West, with much of western Ukraine advocating closer ties with the European Union while eastern and southern regions, such as the Crimea, look to Russia for support. He said: 'Any violation of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity would be deeply destabilizing'. The President added that action by Russia would not help the Ukrainian people, Russia or Europe, Obama, and would represent a 'profound interference' in matters that must be decided by the Ukrainian people. 'Just days after the world came to Russia for the Olympic Games, that would invite the condemnation of nations around the world,' Mr Obama said. 'The United States will stand with the international community in affirming that there will be costs for any military intervention in Ukraine.' He did not say what those costs might be. Mr Obama has called on Russia to respect the independence and territory of Ukraine and not try to take advantage of its neighbor, which is undergoing political upheaval. Russia's upper house recommended that Moscow recall its ambassador from Washington over Mr Obama's comments. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel spoke on Saturday with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu, as Russian President Vladimir Putin secured his parliament's authority to invade Ukraine. An official in the department insisted the U.S. focus was still on diplomatic options. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt wrote on Twitter that it was 'obvious that there is Russian military intervention in Ukraine. Likely immediate aim is to set up puppet pro-Russian semi-state in Crimea.' DRAMATIC CCTV EMERGES OF HEAVILY-ARMED MEN STORMING CRIMEAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING The images show the dramatic moment armed men stormed a Ukrainian government building amid soaring tensions in the country's Crimea region. Masked soldiers, said to be under Russian instruction, gather outside the door before forcing their way in to the regional parliament building in the Crimean city of Simferopol. +44 Stormed: The armed men gather outside the regional parliament building in Simferopol before battering down the door Smoke canisters can be seen exploding inside the building as the men, holding silenced machine guns, usher out security personal in what appears to be an early-morning raid. The footage, dated from Thursday, emerges today after armed men seized airports and set up road blocks around the vital city amid soaring tensions between the new Ukrainian authorities and Russia. 'These are separate groups ... [are] commanded by the Kremlin,' Mr Parubiy, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, told a news briefing in Kiev. +44 Smoke attack: The armed men threw canisters in before entering the parliament +44 Charge in: The armed men burst into the building in the footage, which emerged today The moment armed men storm Crimea government building +44 Armed men took control of two airports in the Crimea region on Friday in what Ukraine's government described as an invasion and occupation by Russian forces, stoking tension between Moscow and the West +44 A Russian soldier on an armoured personnel carrier halted on a road in Ukraine around 20 miles from Sebastapol, where there is a large Russian military presence. British civilians have been told by the Foreign Office to leave Crimea immediately, although an evacuation has not been arranged. +44 Armed men took control of two airports in the Crimea region on Friday in what Ukraine's government described as an invasion and occupation by Russian forces, stoking tension between Moscow and the West Crimea, a southeastern peninsula of Ukraine that has semi-autonomous status, was seized by Russian forces in the 18th century under Catherine the Great. It became part of Ukraine in 1954 when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred jurisdiction from Russia, a move that was a mere formality until the 1991 Soviet collapse, which left the region part of an independent Ukraine. US warns Russia: Stay out of the Ukraine +44 +44 John Kerry, left and right President Putin. Speaking at a news conference with the foreign minister of Colombia, Kerry said he had raised the issue of the airports as well as reports of Russian armored vehicles and personnel in Ukraine with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Earlier yesterday, Ukraine's fugitive president resurfaced in Russia to deliver a defiant attack on what he described as the 'bandit coup' which ousted him. Appearing for the first time since fleeing Ukraine last week, Viktor Yanukovych vowed to 'keep fighting for the future of Ukraine,' but ruled out seeking Russian military help. 'Any military action in this situation is unacceptable,' Yanukovych told reporters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the border with Ukraine. He tried to reinforce his point by snapping a pen, but wasn't able to break it. Meanwhile at the United Nations, the Ukrainian ambassador, Yuriy Sergeyev, said that 10 Russian transport aircraft and 11 attack helicopters had arrived in Crimea illegally, and that Russian troops had taken control of two airports in Crimea. He described the gunmen posted outside the two airports as Russian armed forces as well as 'unspecified' units. +44 Ukraine's ex-President Yanukovych has made his first public appearance since being ousted, telling a news conference that he was going to fight for his country's future +44 +44 This afternoon Yanukovych told a news conference in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don:  'I intend to keep fighting for the future of Ukraine against those who are using fear and terror to seize the country' +44 Mr Sergeyev said 'Some of them identified themselves as Russians. We know specifically some of the units.' He also said the Russians had captured the main air traffic control center on Crimea. A spokesman for the Ukrainian border service, said eight Russian transport planes landed in the Crimea Peninsula with unknown cargo. According to the agency, the Il-76 planes arrived unexpectedly and were given permission to land, one after the other, at Gvardeiskoye air base, north of the regional capital, Simferopol. The spokesman said the people in the planes refused to identify themselves and waved off customs officials, saying they didn't require their services. Earlier on Friday, reporters in Crimea saw a convoy of nine Russian armored personnel carriers on a road between the port city of Sevastopol, where the Russian base is, and Simferopol. Later in the day, the airspace was closed over the peninsula, apparently due to tensions at the two airports. Oleksandr Turchynov, who stepped in as president after Yanukovych fled Kiev last weekend, urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop 'provocations' in Crimea and pull back military forces from the peninsula. +44 Russian military forces are blockading an airport in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol in Crimea, an act Ukraine's new interior minister has announced branded an 'armed invasion' +44 As events in the Crimea region heighten tensions with neighboring Russia, this morning armed men also took over the other main Crimean airport, Simferopol, according to a Facebook post by Mr Avakov +44 Dozens of armed men in military uniforms without markings were seen patrolling the airport in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea +44 The move came as U.S. Vice President Joe Biden told Ukraine's new prime minister that the U.S. welcomes the formation of the country's new government Turchynov said the Ukrainian military would fulfill its duty but would not be drawn into provocations. In Kiev, Ukraine's newly named interior minister accused Russia of military aggression. 'I can only describe this as a military invasion and occupation,' Arsen Avakov wrote in a Facebook post. In recent conversations between U.S. and Russian officials, including a lengthy telephone conversation between Mr Obama and Mr Putin just last week, Mr Obama said the U.S. has made clear that Russia can be part of an international community's effort to support the stability and success of Ukraine. But, he said on Friday that he was 'deeply concerned by reports of military movements taken by the Russian Federation inside of Ukraine'. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power told reporters that the United States was proposing an urgent mediation mission to help resolve the crisis. Russia is supposed to notify Ukraine of any troop movements outside the Black Sea Fleet naval base it maintains in Sevastopol under a lease agreement with Ukraine. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the military vehicles were deployed to ensure the security of its base, which didn't contradict the lease terms. +44 The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had no information about the vehicles' movements. Reporters approaching the Sevastopol airport found the road leading to it blocked by two military trucks and a handful of gunmen wearing camouflage uniforms and carrying assault rifles. A car with Russian military plates was stopped at the roadblock. A man wearing a military uniform with a Russian flag on his sleeve got out of the car and was allowed to enter on foot after a brief discussion with the gunmen. Meanwhile, Ukraine International Airlines said it had canceled flights to and from the Simferopol airport on Friday evening and Saturday because of the closure of the airspace over Crimea. The announcement did not say who had ordered the closure. At the airport, dozens of armed men in military uniforms without markings patrolled the area. They didn't stop or search people leaving or entering, and refused to talk to journalists. One man who identified himself only as Vladimir said the men were part of the Crimean People's Brigade, which he described as a self-defense unit ensuring that no 'radicals and fascists' arrive from other parts of Ukraine. There was no way to verify his account. In Kiev, the prosecutor-general's office said it would seek Yanukovych's extradition to Ukraine, where he is wanted on suspicion of mass murder in violent clashes last week between protesters and police that left more than 80 people dead. Meanwhile, Ukraine's telecom provider, Ukrtelecom JSC, said unknown people seized several communications centers in the Crimea late Friday, knocking out the company's ability to connect the peninsula with the rest of the country. The statement on the company's website said there were almost no landline, Internet or mobile services operating in the Crimea.   Prominent politicians from both sides blasted President Barack Obama's 'weak' response to Russia military incursions into Ukraine Secretary of State John Kerry called for an immediate de-escalation of hostilities and withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukraine President Obama had a 90 minute phone call Saturday with Russian President Vladimir Putin Obama condemned the presence of Russian troops in Ukraine and pulled the US out of preparatory meetings for an upcoming G-8 summit in Sochi The UN Security Council held open hearings on the growing crisis where the revocation of trade deals was discussed Senior US politicians from both parties criticized President Barack Obama's threats to Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for immediate sanctions if troops are not immediately withdrawn from Ukraine Republican Senators John McCain (AZ), Marco Rubio (FL) and Bob Corker (TN) and others, as well as some Democrats, reached across the aisle to call for immediate sanctions against Russia and aid to Ukraine before Putin becomes even more emboldened. McCain was quick to criticize the president's threats in an interview with the Daily Beast, calling them 'laughable' and partly blaming former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for thinking she and Obama could 'reset' relations with Russia back in 2009. 'She believed that somehow there would be a reset with a guy who was a KGB colonel who always had ambitions to restore the Russian empire,' said McCain. 'That’s what this is all about.' +12 Stern warning: President Barack Obama threatened sanctions while talking Saturday on the phone from the Oval Office with Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation in Ukraine The Senator called for the Obama administration to more liberally enforce the Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law and Accountability Act, which has allowed the US government to sanction Russian officials for human rights violations since being signed into law in 2009. On Sunday morning, Secretary of State John Kerry called Russia's military incursion into Ukraine 'an incredible act of aggression' and said President Vladimir Putin has made 'a stunning, willful' choice to invade another country. Kerry says Russia should respect the democratic process through which the Ukrainian people ousted their pro-Russian president and assembled a new government. Kerry is raising the possibility of boycotting the June meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrialized countries in Sochi, Russia. He's also discussing visa bans, asset freezes, and trade and investment penalties. Kerry said he spoke with foreign ministers for G-8 and other nations on Saturday, and says everyone is prepared 'to go to the hilt' to isolate Russia. Any Russian officials, Putin included, involved in sending troops to Ukraine should be sanctioned, McCain argued - such action would result in asset freezing, visa bans and a wagging of the collective international finger, Daily Beast noted. 'We must consider legislation to respond to this,' McCain continued. 'The Magnitsky bill can be expanded for holding people responsible for these acts of aggression.' The longtime Senator also called for economic sanctions and other actions against Russia. Corker also hammered away at the situation, calling Russia 'a nation still smarting from the breakup of the Soviet Union with a leader who is nothing but an autocrat' and called for immediate sanctions during a CNN interview. 'We need to do everything we can to isolate them,' Corker continued. 'We’ve got to work with [Europe] to do the necessary things… to mitigate conduct.’ He later said in a statement 'Vladimir Putin is seizing a neighboring territory — again — so President Obama must lead a meaningful, unified response.' +12 On the defensive: Ukraine's U.N. Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev speaks to the media Saturday following an U.N. Security Council meeting on his country's crisis Rubio called for Obama to deploy Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel to the Ukrainian capital, according to USA Today. He also called for a prohibition of Russian officials traveling to the US, and to convene an emergency meeting of NATO to allow Georgia into the fold. Kerry, in a statement, said the 'United States condemns the Russian Federation's invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory... we call for Russia to withdraw its forces back to bases [and] refrain from interference elsewhere in Ukraine.' Unless immediate and concrete steps are taken by Russia to deescalate tensions, the effect on U.S.-Russian relations and on Russia’s international standing will be profound,' Kerry threatened. The president also informed Putin that the US has pulled out of preparatory meetings for an upcoming G-8 summit in Sochi, as the UN mulled over possible sanctions and Ukraine warned that it's troops are 'at the ready,' a government official told CNN. 'The United States condemns Russia’s military intervention into Ukrainian territory,' a White House statement said. New York Democratic Rep Eliot Engel called for a 'robust international economic assistance package' including loan guarantees for Ukraine in a statement released Saturday. Arkansas Republican Rep Tom Cotton demanded the president recall the US Ambassador to Russia from Moscow and revoke visas and freeze the assets of Putin's cronies, provide military assistance to Ukraine and sack Russia from the G-8 group of nations, according to USA Today. Russia has military bases in Crimea, but those personnel are in violation of international law by entering Ukraine despite Russia's Duma willfully granting Putin permission to deploy troops into Ukraine as the country grows further divided. It appears further liberties were already being taken by Russian troops early Sunday morning, they took weapons from a Ukraine radar facility near Crimea and urged people there to side with 'legitimate leaders,' iTV reported, citing Interfax. Former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra told Newsmax only hours earlier that 'there's not a whole lot the United States can do' to bring Putin and Russia in line. +12 Condemnation: United States U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power speaks Saturday during an U.N. Security Council meeting on the Ukraine +12 On watch: Armed men take up positions Saturday around the regional parliament building in the Crimean city of Simferopol only 30 miles from the country's southern border with Ukraine +12 Inching closer: A man waves a Russian Navy flag Saturday as he stands among pro-Russian armed men blocking access to the Ukrainian frontier guard base in Balaklava, a small city not far from Sevastopol Putin expressed his concern for the Russian citizens in Russia and said that the deployment of troops into the country was to protect them, according to a Kremlin statement. 'Vladimir Putin stressed that in case of any further spread of violence to Eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Russia retains the right to protect its interests and the Russian-speaking population of those areas,' the statement said. Obama strongly urged Putin to immediately de-escalate and to use peaceful means to address concerns including through talks with the new Ukrainian government or through the US of international observers sent under the UN umbrella, the White House countered. The president also offered to broker talks between Russian and the Ukraine to prevent the countries from war as the former Soviet bloc country's new government warned it is being 'provoked' by Russia's actions. A Ukraine government spokesperson told CNN there are an estimated 15,000 troops in Crimea, a small country separating mainland Ukraine from Sevastopol. 'The troops are already there, and their number is increasing every hour,' the spokesperson explained. +12 Calls for peace: President Obama urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate immediately +12 Where this is all happening: The above map shows the precarious position both Crimea, where thousands of Russian troops are ready to be deployed, and Sevastopol - the Ukrainian city where both Russia and Ukraine have naval bases Russia has also maintained a naval base in Sevastopol per a 1997 treaty signed shortly after Ukraine gained independence. The Ukrainian city sits on a small peninsula that is not connected to the rest country, making it particularly vulnerable to the kind of military action undertaken by Russia. Putin further blamed ultra-nationalists in the Ukraine for Russia's further encroachment into Ukrainian sovereign territory, according to the Kremlin. Eastern Ukraine leans more heavily towards Russia than the western part of the country, whee the capital Kiev is located. Many international observers fear the country will plunge into a civil war that might break it up into two or more countries if conditions further deteriorate. The dramatic eleventh-hour call came as the United Nations Security Council met in an emergency session less than a week after the Sochi Olympics to mull over possible economic sanctions to enact against the rogue permanet Security Council member. +12 Locked and loaded: Armed servicemen wait Saturday in Russian army vehicles outside a Ukranian border guard post in the Crimean town of Balaclava After meeting behind closed doors, the council agreed to hold the open, televised meeting despite objections from permanent member Russia. Ukraine has accused Russia of 'a military invasion and occupation' of strategic points in the Crimean peninsula. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin scoffed at the notion, saying the US and other European nations are overreacting and that his country cannot agree to end all military actions. Some reports have suggested Russia may even recall its ambassador to the US in protest of western involvement in the crisis. Ukraine has asked the other four permanent council members — the U.S., Britain, France and China — for help in stopping Russia's 'aggression.' Ukrainian Ambassador to the UN Yuriy Sergeyev said Russia has rejected Ukraine's proposal to hold immediate bilateral consultations, and vowed his country would not be drawn into military conflict. 'Ukraine will not be provoked, we will not use force, we demand that the government of the Russian Federation immediately withdraw its troops and return to their home bases,' he said. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said earlier Saturday that he is 'gravely concerned about the deterioration of the situation' in Ukraine. He spoke later by telephone with Putin. 'I am gravely concerned by some of the recent events in particular those that could in any way compromise the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of the [Ukraine],' Ban said in a statement about the call. 'It is crucial to restore calm and proceed to an immediate de-escalation of the situation,' Ban continued. 'Cool heads must prevail and dialogue must be the only tool in ending this crisis.' +12 In control: Unidentified gunmen wearing camouflage uniforms block the road toward the military airport at the Black Sea port of Sevastopol +12 Shocking sight: A crowd gathers Saturday as unidentified men in military fatigues block a base of the Ukrainian frontier guard unit in Balaklava A Ban spokesman delivered the statement Saturday afternoon as members of the Security Council met in an emergency closed-door session for the second straight day on the rapidly developing events in Ukraine's Crimea region. Obama later spoke with President Francois Hollande and Australian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the White House announced. All three 'leaders agreed that Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected, and expressed their grave concern over Russia’s intervention in Ukraine,' said a separate White House statement. 'The leaders affirmed the importance of unity within the international community in support of international law, and the future of Ukraine and its democracy.' The Security Council decided to hold the open meeting after struggling behind closed doors to reach agreement on how to meet. Some members wanted open, or public consultations, on Ukraine, which Russia initially opposed. +12 No one in, no one out: Unidentified armed individuals with armoured vehicles block the base of the Ukrainian border guard service Saturday in Sevastopol +12 Scorched: The House of Trade Unions, in Kiev, shows it's blackened walls Saturday after burning during the protests Ban's statement called for 'full respect for and preservation of the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine' and demanded the 'immediate restoration of calm and direct dialogue between all concerned.' British Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said the meeting is to determine 'what justification Russia claims to have' for its de facto military takeover of the strategic Crimea region. As a permanent member of the Security Council, Russia has veto power and can block the U.N.'s most powerful body from adopting any resolution criticizing or sanctioning Moscow. Outside the council chamber, Ukraine's U.N. ambassador called on countries to do everything possible to stop Russia's "aggression." 'The Russian Federation brutally violated the basic principles of the Charter of the United Nations,' Sergeyev told reporters.. During a break, an exasperated Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters, 'We are ready for serious discussions.' Ban was flying to Geneva on Saturday where he planned to meet the following day with his special envoy Robert Serry, the Netherlands' first ambassador to Ukraine. After Friday's closed-door Security Council consultations, Ban asked Serry to go to Crimea as part of a fact-finding mission. However, after consulting with authorities in the autonomous region, Serry decided that a visit to Crimea was not possible and headed to Geneva.           Back in the days when British schools taught history and poetry properly, every child knew about the Charge of the Light Brigade. The epitome of military foolishness, when the flower of the British cavalry attacked Russia’s  artillery batteries in the Battle of Balaclava in 1854. The blundering diplomacy which caused that war is less well known. Alfred, Lord Tennyson, whose poem immortalised the fiasco, would have struggled to versify the complex Anglo-French attempts to shore up the Ottoman empire, amid an obscure squabble about religious privileges in the Holy Land. The Crimea, setting for that most infamous calamity, is a peninsula with a blood-soaked and tragic history. Long contested by the great powers, it has been the crucible of many wars. Now it threatens to be the flashpoint for another one. The Crimea has long been contested by the powers and has been the crucible of many wars, Lucas writes Indeed, broadly speaking, the issues that led Queen Victoria’s government to dispatch an army are eerily similar today. Once again, a wider struggle between a resurgent Russian empire and its fragile neighbours is being played out in the streets of this long-neglected province. Few may know or care about the intricacies of the region’s history – the long-forgotten Scythians, or the mighty Crimean Tartar Khanate, which ruled the northern Black Sea region for three centuries until it came under Russian rule in 1783. But what is becoming blindingly clear is that on Crimea’s fate hangs Ukraine’s. And on Ukraine’s fate depends the whole edifice of European security, built up since the collapse of the Soviet Empire in 1991. Crimea in the modern age has rarely determined its own future. For a few months following the Bolshevik Revolution, the indigenous Tartars, freed from the yoke of Tsarist rule, enjoyed a brief period of independence – a laudable but doomed attempt to establish a secular, modern-minded Muslim state. For four brutal and chaotic years, control of this scenic sliver of land flip-flopped between German, Ukrainian, Bolshevik and ‘White’ (monarchist) Russian forces. But under Soviet rule from 1921, communism was ruthlessly enforced. Like their Ukrainian neighbours to the north, Crimea’s Tartars were a particular object of Stalin’s wrath for their ‘bourgeois-nationalist’ outlook, foreign ties, and pious peasant values. A deliberately engineered famine in the 1930s killed millions, amid heart-breaking suffering and grotesque scenes of cannibalism. When Hitler attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Crimean Tartars and Ukrainians, like many others who had experienced the horror of Soviet rule, believed life could only be better under their new Nazi masters. They were to pay cruelly for that deluded choice. The peninsula was the scene of some of the fiercest battles of the Second World War. The Germans wrested control from the Soviets in 1942, only to be driven out by the Red Army in 1944. Stalin’s revenge on the Tartars – only weeks later – stirs bitter resentment to this day. Nearly 200,000 people, mainly old men, women and children, were given 30 minutes to pack, and were deported to the wastes of Central Asia. Nearly half of them died, many from hunger, thirst and exposure. 'Putin’s Russia has seized Crimea under our noses. The dismemberment of Ukraine is under way.' Edward Lucas Their descendants returned to Crimea as Soviet rule loosened. They found the place names changed, their cemeteries obliterated, and their houses occupied by strangers. In four decades, the Soviet Union had wiped out centuries of history. The new majority of the inhabitants of Crimea were Russians – mainly military veterans fiercely loyal to the Kremlin. Which is why the Tartars are now a minority in their own land, living in poverty in makeshift encampments, lacking compensation, land, jobs or even recognition of their suffering. For them, the only hope of justice is a strong and successful Ukraine; their nightmare is a return to Kremlin rule. For the Russians in Crimea, the Tartars are  despicable traitors. These Russians also care little for Ukraine – for understandable reasons. In a strange quirk of history, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea from Russia to Ukraine in 1954. But it meant little. Russia, Ukraine and the other Soviet Socialist Republics were of only nominal importance: real power lay with the Kremlin, the Communist Party and the KGB. When that system collapsed in 1991, though, Khrushchev’s impetuous decision meant that Crimea was part of a newly independent state. The Tartars were jubilant, but the Russians living on the peninsula were bemused and sceptical. The new leaders of Ukraine trod cautiously. Russian was and is spoken freely in the east and south of the country. Since Vladimir Putin's rise to power, Russia has systematically undermined Ukraine's security - the writer argues Ukraine could be a success story, its leaders reckoned – a place like Switzerland or Belgium, where different languages, religions and cultures exist side-by-side. But only if outsiders refrained from meddling. To ensure that, they struck a deal with Britain, America and Russia to guarantee their country’s borders, and its freedom from threats or coercion. In the Budapest Memorandum of 1994, Ukraine agreed to give up its share of the Soviet nuclear arsenal, in return for solemn pledges regarding its security. Nobody then could have foreseen that a quiet ex-KGB officer in St Petersburg, burning with resentment at the collapse of the Soviet Union, would one day come to power in the Kremlin and seek to restore its lost realms. But since Vladimir Putin’s rise to power, Russia has systematically undermined Ukraine’s security, with a mixture of blackmail over energy supplies, economic sanctions and subversion. It has not been hard: Ukraine is woefully ill-run and corrupt. Western efforts to help have been haphazard and ineffective. Our promises in that accord of 20 years ago have proven shamefully hollow – no more effective than the ones we made to protect Belgium in 1914 or Poland in 1939. Now we are reaping the harvest of our cowardice and complacency. Putin’s Russia has seized Crimea under our noses. The dismemberment of Ukraine is under way. The security arrangements which have kept Europe peaceful and prosperous since 1991 are perishing in Crimea right now – just as much of the Light Brigade did 160 years ago.

Russian troops are massing close to the Ukrainian border Ukrainian acting prime minister says that the country is on brink of disaster Russian troops remove weapons from Ukrainian military installations 'Most serious crisis since end of Cold War' - Sir Malcolm Rifkind Britain has pulled out of G8 talks over Russia's military action U.S Secretary of State John Kerry threatens Russia with sanctions As Ukraine and Russia inch towards all-out war, hundreds of unidentified gunmen were pictured surrounding a Ukrainian infantry base, with outnumbered troops on the inside guarding the entrance with a tank. On Sunday morning Russian forces moved deeper into Crimea and amassed on the Ukrainian border, while Ukrainian leaders mobilised all its forces and placed them in a state of combat-readiness. Ukraine called on Sunday for 'real steps' by world leaders for help. Ukrainian prime minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said 'we are on the brink of disaster' and the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin were said to amount to a declaration of war. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS +35 Ukrainian soldiers guard a gate of an infantry base in Privolnoye, Crimea, which has been surrounded by hundreds of unidentified gunmen, believed to be Russian +35 On the brink: The situation at the base in Privolnoye remained very tense on Sunday +35 Carrying on as normal: A woman walks past the unidentified gunmen surrounding the base in Privolnoye +35 Surrounded: Unidentified armed men prepare their camp in front of Ukraine's infantry base in Privolnoye +35 Soldiers who were among several hundred that took up positions around a Ukrainian military base walk towards their parked vehicles on Sunday +35 The soldiers that took up position around the Ukrainian infantry base appeared to be relaxed, but were very heavily armed and wore full body armour +35 Ominous advance: A convoy of Russian troops pictured moving towards the Crimean regional capital of Sinferopol on Sunday morning 'Any attempt to attack military installations is in fact direct military aggression against our country and the Russian military and the Russian leadership will be held responsible,' Acting President Oleksander Turchinov said. Crimea is now effectively controlled by Russia directly or with the help of so-called self defence units, which in reality include Russian troops and GRU intelligence personnel. The new government in Kiev has been powerless to react, but the Defence Ministry was ordered to conduct a call-up of reserves - theoretically all men up to 40 in a country with universal male conscription, though Ukraine would struggle to find extra guns or uniforms for significant numbers of them. Ukraine's reserves are thought to number around one million and regular army 135,000, but Russia can call upon 845,000 professional soldiers and two million reservists. On Sunday morning Russian troops in 12 vehicles moved across Crimea from Sevastopol - their Black Sea base - to regional capital Simferopol, in a significant and ominous advance. Meanwhile, hundreds of unidentified gunmen arrived in a convoy outside Ukraine's infantry base in Privolnoye in its Crimea region. +35 Gearing up for war: A man walks out of a district army recruiting office in Kiev on Sunday as another man enters +35 A woman sweeps away broken glass as two unidentified armed men guard the entrance to the local government building in downtown Simferopol, Ukraine, on Sunday +35 +35 Ominous: Heavily-armed troops displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants stand guard outside a local government building on Sunday in Simferopol, as reports emerged on Russian troops massing on Ukraine's borders +35 Plea: The new government of Ukraine has appealed to the United Nations Security Council for help against growing Russian intervention in Crimea The convoy included at least 13 troop vehicles each containing 30 soldiers and four armoured vehicles with mounted machine guns. The vehicles - which have Russian licence plates - have surrounded the base and are blocking Ukrainian soldiers from entering or leaving it. Ukrainian soldiers, with clips in their weapons, have positioned a tank at the gate. Russian forces are seeking to disarm Ukrainian military facilities on the peninsula without a fight. They have taken weapons from a radar base and naval training facility in Ukraine's Crimea region and urged personnel to side with the peninsula's 'legitimate' leaders, Interfax news agency said on Sunday. It quoted a Ukrainian Defence Ministry source as saying the Russian servicemen had taken pistols, rifles and ammunition cartridges from the radar post near in the town of Sudak and taken them away by car. Another group of Russian military had also removed weapons from a Ukrainian navy training centre in the port city of Sevastopol, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet also has a base. They are, however, setting deadlines of various times on Sunday after which they will use force. For example, Ukrainian marines - 'steadfast to the last' - in Feodasia pleaded for journalists to come and witness an expected Russian storming today. Many soldiers have simply switched to the Russian side. +35 Build-up: An unidentified military ship is seen off the coast of Sevastopol, Crimea, on Sunday +35 Military might: As well as massing naval vessels like these, seen off the coast of Sevastopol, Crimea, Russia has been advanced thousands of troops into the region +35 Military personnel stand next to an armoured personnel carrier in the Crimean port city of Feodosiya on Sunday +35 Ukraine mobilised on Sunday for war and called up its reserves, after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to invade in the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War 'Ukrainian servicemen are tendering their resignations and coming over to the side of the new Crimean authorities en masse,' reported Interfax today. Much more significantly, Russian troops are massing close to the Ukrainian borders across a wide area. For example, heavily armoured forces from Samara are heading for the border with the Kharkiv region. The same is seen at the border with Chernigov, which is only 120 miles from Kiev. A huge deployment of armoured vehicles and troops are in the Russian port of Novorossiysk from where they could be speedily shipped to Crimea. +35 Standing firm against Russia: Ukraine's Acting President Oleksander Turchinov (left), Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk (right) and Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh pictured addressing journalists in Kiev on Saturday +35 On the move: A huge convoy of Russian soldiers was seen heading towards Crimea's regional capital +35 Pro-Russian militants station themselves behind a row of shields near a local government building and a statue of Lenin on Sunday in Simferopol, Ukraine +35 Pro-Russian militants in Crimea, where ethnic Russians make up about 60 per cent of the population HOW THE WEST CAN ONLY WATCH RUSSIA FLEX ITS MILITARY MIGHT With Western powers increasingly concluding Ukraine has lost Crimea to Russia, the U.S. and its allies face few viable options and serious questions over future relations. In ignoring President Barack Obama's Friday warning to keep out of Ukraine, Russia looks to be precipitating the greatest crisis in Russia-Western relations since at least the fall of the Berlin Wall. How events play out in the next few days could help shape the geopolitical map for years to come. Any Western direct military action would risk a war between nuclear superpowers. Ukraine's relatively small and underequipped forces could take action but would risk inciting a much wider Russian invasion that could overrun the country. Obama in particular faces some domestic calls to support Ukraine, although appetite for military involvement appears almost entirely absent. On Saturday, the Pentagon said there had been no change to its military deployments. ‘For the West, it's a very difficult position,’ said Nikolas Gvosdev, professor of national security at the US Naval War College. ‘Obama effectively set down the US red lines,’ he said. 'Putin has gone right through them.’ Russian sources are also complaining of 'provocations' in both Ukraine and Russia by 'unknown armed men': doubtless these are a useful pretext for Russian action. Ukraine has put its armed forces on full combat alert. There has been no sign of ethnic Russians facing attacks in Crimea, where they make up about 60 per cent of the population, or elsewhere in Ukraine. Developments in the Ukraine have alarmed the world's diplomatic leaders, prompting US President Barack Obama to call the Kremlin and urge Putin to back down. Foreign Secretary William Hague will travel to Kiev today to meet Ukraine's interim leaders as the crisis in the former Soviet country escalates ever closer to war. Britain has pulled out of preparatory talks due to be held in the coming days for the G8 summit in Sochi over Russia's decision to take military action in Ukraine. William Hague said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine had been ‘violated’ and called for Moscow to speak directly to the nation's new leaders. Nato's top official says Russia's military intervention in Ukraine is in violation of the U.N. charter and threatens peace and security in Europe. Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke Sunday before going into a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the alliance's political decision-making body. ‘What Russia is doing now in Ukraine violates the principles of the United Nations charter. It threatens peace and security in Europe. Russia must stop its military activities and threats,’ he said. The Nato secretary general said he called the meeting ‘because of Russia's military action in Ukraine and because of President (Vladimir) Putin's threats against this sovereign nation.’ Rasmussen said officials will discuss Russia's activities in the Crimean Peninsula and ‘their implications for European peace and security and for Nato's relationship with Russia.’  U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday condemned Russia's ‘incredible act of aggression’ in Ukraine and threatened ‘very serious repercussions’ from the United States and other countries including sanctions to isolate Russia economically. ‘You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on a completely trumped up pre-text,’ Kerry told the CBS program Face the Nation. Kerry, however, added that Russia still has ‘a right set of choices’ that can be made to defuse the crisis. +35 Defiant: Putin said that Russia retains the right to protect its interests in Ukraine Ukraine's new interim president Oleksander Turchynov warned his country was threatened with a 'military invasion and occupation'. Mr Obama spent 90 minutes on the phone on Saturday telling his Russian counter that sending forces into Crimea is a clear violation of Ukrainian sovereignty and warned of consequences. He added that the United States will suspend participation in preparatory meetings for the G8 summit in Sochi until a solution is reached. 'The United States condemns Russia's military intervention into Ukrainian territory,' the White House said in a statement outlining what was discussed. But Putin retorted that Russia retains the right to protect its interests and those of Russian speakers from violence in Ukraine. After more than three hours discussing the escalation with security and defence chiefs, acting President Oleksander Turchinov and Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk said there was no justification for what they branded Russian aggression against their country. +35 Police detain a protester demonstrating against the Russian military's actions in Crimea and developments in Russian-Ukrainian relations during an unsanctioned rally in St.Petersburg, Russia on Sunday +35 An anti-Yanukovych protester sets a European Union flag on top of a tent in Kiev's Independence Square, the epicenter of the country's current unrest +35 People applaud as the European Union flag held by a protester arrives at the Independence square during a rally in Kiev on Sunday +35 A United Nations Security Council meeting on Saturday, which was convened in light of the crisis in Ukraine +35 Hotline: Obama had a 90 minute phone call with Putin to discuss the situation this morning +35 Yatseniuk said he had called for talks with his Russian counterpart, and urged the country to return its troops to base in the Crimea region. 'Military intervention would be the beginning of war and the end of any relations between Ukraine and Russia,' Yatseniuk told reporters. Speaking live on Ukrainian TV, Oleksandr Turchynov said he had also ordered stepped up security at nuclear power plants, airports and other strategic infrastructure. Tensions mounted significantly after a Ukrainian military source said two anti-submarine warships, part of Russia's Baltic Fleet, had been sighted in a bay at Sevastopol, where Moscow's Black Sea Fleet has a base, according to Interfax news agency. Minutes later, President Putin spoke with President Obama. The UN held an open meeting after struggling to reach an agreement during a closed-door summit called for by David Cameron. Some members wanted open, or public consultations, on Ukraine, which Russia initially opposed. As a permanent member, Russia has veto power on any council resolution. +35 A group of armed unidentified gunmen cut electric power to the General Headquarters of the Ukrainian Naval forces in Sevastopol on Sunday +35 Unidentified masked individuals hold a Russian flag as they block Trade Union building in Simferopol on Saturday +35 Masked individuals outside Trade Union building on Sunday, pictured as tension over the crisis mounts considerably Pro-Russian protesters storm administration building in Ukraine UKRAINE'S FURY OVER 'RUSSIAN MILITARY INTERVENTION' WHICH THREATENS NEW REGIME The developments in the Crimea in recent days are the latest stage of the tug-of-war over Ukraine's future. Since president Viktor Yanukovych was forced out of Kiev last week an interim leader has taken over and formed a new government after weeks of bloody protests. But the new regime has already run into difficulty due to the unrest in Crimea, where most people are ethnically Russian. After the armed men stormed the parliament, a new pro-Russian prime minister for the Crimean region was elected. Sergei Aksenov has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin for help keeping the peace. The development marks a sharp divide between the Crimean region and the rest of Ukraine. Meanwhile, troops thought to be under Russian control have seized airports and border points. Some fear it could be the beginnings of an attempt to annex the region, which was once part of the Soviet Union. The new Ukrainian government has characterised the moves as an 'armed invasion' which violates international agreements. Labour leader Ed Miliband said ‘all economic and diplomatic’ options should be looked at but not military force. Asked about the possibility of UN troops being deployed, he told Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics: ‘I don’t think anyone’s talking about that and I don’t think they should be.’ Mr Miliband said a ‘clear and uncompromising message’ must be sent to Moscow. ‘There isn’t a simple answer to this situation but I think that swiftness of response is very important by the international community, showing how we regard Russia’s actions is very, very important and looking at all economic and diplomatic measures to convey a sense of what the international community thinks about what is happening in Ukraine and its wish to see the protection of the sovereignty of Ukraine.’ Former Liberal Democrat leader and special forces veteran Paddy Ashdown warned tense times were ahead. ‘We are one pace away from catastrophe at the moment - it would require one foolish act, a trigger happy Russian soldier, a Ukrainian guard who acts aggressively at one of these institutions taken over by Russian supporters, a foolish act now could tip us over the edge,’ he told the Sky News Murnaghan programme. ‘The good news is it is still possible Russia’s aims are limited - I think increasingly unlikely but still possible. They have legitimate rights under international treaty to the port of Sevastopol for the Black Sea Fleet. They may be posturing, over-reacting or at least using muscle to preserve that right. ‘We still have to test out what are Russia’s aims. If the evidence before us is to be believed then it looks to me they are going further than limited aims, they have already made a power grab in Crimea and are now preparing to make another. ‘The one thing which is absolutely essential now is that the West speaks with a single voice... only in the face of that can we exercise diplomatic leverage. ‘Putin has used force, he knows that’s going further than any of us are prepared to go, he is calling our bluff. The only response is diplomacy.’ Lord Ashdown said German chancellor Angela Merkel should go to Moscow for talks, saying she would be ‘the most important international visitor’. ‘Only if you take those high level moves could we restrain Russia from an act which would be clearly illegal and create a circumstance which we could begin to pull back from this,’ he said. ‘Absent that, the smallest tremor, the smallest act now could take us over the edge. ‘President Putin has taken the view if he uses the military card we will not out trump him. And he’s right, we will not respond in the military fashion... I’m not privy to all the information here but one has to presume that. ‘The only option left is the diplomatic option.’ CRISIS TALKS: INSIDE THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL SUMMIT +35 Talks: A resolution was not reached as Russia's Vitaly Churkin had the power to veto Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations asked an emergency session of the Security Council on Saturday 'to do everything possible now' to stop Russian 'aggression' as Russian troops took over the strategic Crimea region. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call to 'urgently engage in direct dialogue with the authorities' in Kiev. Calling the situation in Ukraine 'as dangerous as it is destabilizing,' U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power told the council: 'It is time for the Russian military intervention in Ukraine to end.' Power and other members of the council called for sending international monitors to Ukraine as soon as possible to observe the situation, and Power warned that 'Russia's provocative actions could easily push the situation beyond the breaking point.' She also mentioned work on an international mediation mission to send to Ukraine. The Security Council met in emergency session for the second straight day on the rapidly developing events in Ukraine. It met briefly in an open, televised session, despite initial objections from Russia, then resumed meeting behind closed doors. The council took no action. As a permanent member of the council, Russia has veto power and can block the U.N.'s most powerful body from adopting any resolution criticizing or sanctioning Moscow. Shootout takes place near Crimean government building DRAMATIC CCTV EMERGES OF HEAVILY-ARMED MEN STORMING CRIMEAN PARLIAMENT BUILDING The images show the dramatic moment armed men stormed a Ukrainian government building amid soaring tensions in the country's Crimea region. Masked soldiers, said to be under Russian instruction, gather outside the door before forcing their way in to the regional parliament building in the Crimean city of Simferopol. +35 Stormed: The armed men gather outside the regional parliament building in Simferopol before battering down the door Smoke canisters can be seen exploding inside the building as the men, holding silenced machine guns, usher out security personal in what appears to be an early-morning raid. The footage, dated from Thursday, emerges today after armed men seized airports and set up road blocks around the vital city amid soaring tensions between the new Ukrainian authorities and Russia. 'These are separate groups ... [are] commanded by the Kremlin,' Mr Parubiy, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, told a news briefing in Kiev. +35 Smoke attack: The armed men threw canisters in before entering the parliament +35 Charge in: The armed men burst into the building in the footage, which emerged today The moment armed men storm Crimea government building Speaking on the same programme, former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said: ‘There is no doubt this is probably the most serious crisis since the end of the Cold War. Here we have in our own European back country, military troops of Russia going across the international border into another country. ‘That is desperately serious, that has not happened for a very many years - even at the height of the Bosnian conflict, Milosevic was terribly involved in that, never sent his own troops into Bosnia to directly interfere. ‘This needs to be a defining moment and Putin needs to understand this... in the West’s relationship with Russia. This is of particular importance to Ukrainians but there are very serious implications for the whole of Europe. ‘We’re not going to go to war with Russia, we are not going to send our troops into this, that must be right. But diplomacy sounds as if it just means talking and talking with a man like Putin is no doubt desirable, it has to happen, but by itself it will not carry much weight. ‘He is looking to see whether he can get away cost free with this kind of behaviour. So I think it will have to be made clear unless he takes the right action in the next couple of days... that what he is risking is Russia’s whole relationship with the West that has built up since 1990. ‘There are a whole range of ways, beyond just diplomacy, beyond just talking, whereby Russia can be made to realise if it takes this extraordinarily dangerous step of believing it can send its troops into another European country because it is displeased with what is happening, there is a very serious price to pay.’ Crimea, a southeastern peninsula of Ukraine that has semi-autonomous status, was seized by Russian forces in the 18th century under Catherine the Great. It became part of Ukraine in 1954 when Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred jurisdiction from Russia, a move that was a mere formality until the 1991 Soviet collapse, which left the region part of an independent Ukraine. +35 Orthodox priests stand among pro-Russian armed men blocking access to the Ukrainian frontier guard base in Balaklava, a small city not far from Sevastopol, on Saturday US warns Russia: Stay out of the Ukraine Earlier on Saturday, Ukraine's fugitive president resurfaced in Russia to deliver a defiant attack on what he described as the 'bandit coup' which ousted him. Appearing for the first time since fleeing Ukraine last week, Viktor Yanukovych vowed to 'keep fighting for the future of Ukraine,' but ruled out seeking Russian military help. 'Any military action in this situation is unacceptable,' Yanukovych told reporters in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don, near the border with Ukraine. He tried to reinforce his point by snapping a pen, but wasn't able to break it.           Danube campaign Mahmudiye (1829) participated in numerous important naval battles, including the Siege of Sevastopol Map of Crimean War French zouaves and Russian soldiers engaged in hand-to-hand combat atMalakhov Kurgan The Danube campaign opened when the Russians occupied the Danubian Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia in May 1853, bringing their forces to the north bank of the river Danube. In response, the Ottoman Empire also moved its forces up to the river. It established strongholds at Vidin in the west, and Silistra,[8]:172–84 which was located in the east, near the mouth of the Danube. The Turkish/Ottoman move up the Danube River was also of concern to the Austrians, who moved forces into Transylvania in response. However, the Austrians had begun to fear the Russians more than the Turks. Indeed, like the British, the Austrians were now coming to see that an intact Ottoman Empire was necessary as a bulwark against the Russians. Accordingly, the Austrians resisted Russian diplomatic attempts to join the war on the Russian side. Austria remained neutral in the Crimean War.[22] Following the Ottoman ultimatum in September 1853, forces under the Ottoman general Omar Pasha crossed the Danube at Vidin and captured Kalafat in October 1853. Simultaneously, in the east, the Ottomans crossed the Danube at Silistra and attacked the Russians at Oltenitza. The resulting Battle of Oltenitza was the first engagement following the declaration of war. The Russians counterattacked, but were beaten back. On 31 December 1853, the Ottoman forces at Kalafat moved against the Russian force at Chetatea or Cetate, a small village nine miles north of Kalafat, and engaged them on 6 January 1854. The battle began when the Russians made a move to recapture Kalafat. Most of the heavy fighting, however, took place in and around Chetatea until the Russians were driven out of the village. Despite the setback at Chetatea, on 28 January 1854, Russian forces laid siege to Kalafat. The siege would continue until May 1854 when the Russians lifted the siege. The Ottomans would also later beat the Russians in battle at Caracal.[8]:130–43 In the spring of 1854 the Russians again advanced, crossing the Danube River into the Turkish province of Bulgaria. Soon they occupied the whole of the Bulgarian district of Dobruja. By April 1854, the Russians had reached the lines of Trajan's Wall where they were finally halted. In the center, the Russian forces crossed the Danube and laid siege to Silistra from 14 April until 23 June 1854.[24] In the west, the Russians were dissuaded from attacking Vidin by the presence of the Austrian forces, which had swelled to 280,000 men. On 28 May 1854 a protocol of the Vienna Conference was signed by Austria and Russia. One of the aims of the Russian advance had been to encourage the Orthodox Christian Serbs and Bulgarians living under Ottoman rule to rebel. However, when the Russian troops actually crossed the River Pruth into Wallachia, the Orthodox Christians still showed no interest in rising up against the Turks.[8]:131, 137 Adding to the worries of Nicolas I was the concern that Austria would enter the war against the Russians and attack his armies on the western flank. Indeed, after attempting to mediate a peaceful settlement between Russia and Turkey, the Austrians entered the war on the side of Turkey with an attack against the Russians in the Principalities which threatened to cut off the Russian supply lines. Accordingly, the Russians were forced to raise the siege of Silistra on 23 June 1854, and begin abandoning the Principalities. In June 1854 the Allied expeditionary force landed at Varna, but made little advance from their base there.[8]:175–176 In July 1854, the Turks under Omar Pasha crossed the Danube into Wallachia and on 7 July 1854, engaged the Russians in the village of Giurgevo and conquered that village. The capture of Giurgevo by the Turks immediately threatened Bucharest in Wallachia with capture by the same Turk army. On 26 July 1854, Tsar Nicolas I ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Principalities. Also in late July 1854, following up on the Russian retreat, the French staged an expedition against the Russian forces still in Dobruja, but this was a failure.[8]:188–190 By then the Russian withdrawal was complete, except for the fortress towns of northern Dobruja, while their place in the Principalities was taken by the Austrians, as a neutral peacekeeping force.[8]:189 There was little further action on this front after the autumn of 1854 and in September the allied force boarded ships at Varna to move up the Dardanelles to the Black Sea to invade the Crimean Peninsula.[8]:198 Black Sea theater[edit] The naval operations of the Crimean war commenced with the dispatch, in summer of 1853, of the French and British fleets to the Black Sea region, to support the Ottomans and to dissuade the Russians from encroachment. By June 1853 both fleets were stationed at Besikas bay, outside the Dardanelles. With the Russian occupation of the Danube Principalities in October they moved to the Bosphorus and in November entered the Black Sea. During this period the Russian Black Sea Fleet was operating against Ottoman coastal traffic between Istanbul and the Caucasus ports, while the Ottoman fleet sought to protect this supply line. The clash came on 30 November 1853 when a Russian fleet attacked an Ottoman force in the harbor at Sinop, and destroyed it.[25] There was little additional naval action until March 1854 when on the declaration of war the British frigate Furious was fired on outside Odessa harbour. In response the British fleet bombarded the port, causing much damage to the town. In June the fleets transported the Allied expeditionary forces to Varna, in support of the Ottoman operations on the Danube; in September they again transported the armies, this time to the Crimea. The Russian fleet during this time declined to engage the allies, preferring to maintain a "fleet in being"; this strategy failed when Sevastopol, the main port and where most of the Black Sea fleet was based, came under siege. The Russians were reduced to scuttling their warships as blockships, after stripping them of their guns and men to reinforce batteries on shore. During the siege, the Russians lost four 110- or 120-gun, 3-decker ships of the line, twelve 84-gun 2-deckers and four 60-gun frigates in the Black Sea, plus a large number of smaller vessels.During the rest of the campaign the allied fleets remained in control of the Black Sea, ensuring the various fronts were kept supplied. In April 1855 they supported an invasion of Kerch and operated against Taganrog in the Sea of Azov. In September they moved against Russian installations in the Dnieper estuary, attacking Kinburn in the first use of ironclad ships in naval warfare. Crimean campaign[edit] Main article: Siege of Sevastopol (1854–1855) The final assault of the French brought about thecapture of Sevastopol after one of the most memorable sieges of the 19th century. The Russians evacuated Wallachia and Moldavia in late July 1854. With the evacuation of the Danubian Principalities the immediate cause of war was withdrawn and the war might have ended at this time.[8]:192 However, war fever among the public in both Britain and France had been whipped up by the press in both countries to the degree that politicians found it untenable to propose ending the war at this point. Indeed the Peelite Government of George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen fell on 30 January 1855 on a no-confidence vote[26] because Aberdeen was reluctant to sign on to a plan of extending the war.[8]:311 Accordingly, allied troops sailed from Varna, on the coast of the Turkish province of Bulgaria to land in the Crimea, with the intent of besieging the city of Sevastopol, home of the Tsar's Black Sea Fleet. In the eyes of the British and the French, the Russian fleet was a threat to the Mediterranean. The British and the French both wished to keep the Russians an effectively landlocked power for as long as possible. If the Russian Black Sea Fleet were allowed through the Straits of the Dardanelles, the Mediterranean might then effectively be under contested control between British, French, and Russian interests. Additionally, Russian maritime and military access to the Mediterranean meant that the balance of power in Europe might thereafter be forever changed to the detriment of the Western European powers. Seeing this as an unacceptable outcome of a Russian victory in their war with the Turks—as the war had indeed begun, and which the Turks, whom the Allies came to aid, had started. Russo-British skirmish during Crimean War The Crimean campaign opened in September 1854 with the landing of the allied expeditionary force on the sandy beaches of Calamita Bay on the south west coast of the Crimean Peninsula.[8]:201 Their main strategic goal was to capture the Russian fortresses at Sevastopol located to the south of Calamita Bay.[8]:194 However, to protect the allies' left flank from attack by the Russians, the allied armies first moved north and west along the coast of the Peninsula to occupy the city of Eupatoria.[8]:201 After the crossing the Alma River on 30 September 1854,[27] the allies moved on to invest Sevastopol. The Russian army retreated to the interior. A Russian assault on the allied supply base at Balaclava was rebuffed on 25 October 1854.[28]:521–527 The Battle of Balaclava is noteworthy for the bravery of two British units. The 93rd Highlanders stood solidly against repeated attacks by a larger Russian force.[28]:523 This stand led the 93rd Highlanders to be remembered in history as the "Thin Red Line". The second British unit to gain immortality in the Battle of Balaclava was the Light Cavalry Brigade under the command of the Earl of Cardigan. An extremely ambiguous order sent the brigade on the near suicidal charge of the Light Brigade into the north Valley of the Balaclava battlefield.[28]:524 The heights around the north Valley were brimming with Russian artillery which bombarded the Light Brigade. Of the original nearly 700-man strength of the Light Brigade, 278 were killed or wounded. The Light Brigade was memorialised in the famous poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson called the "Charge of the Light Brigade". Although traditionally, the charge of the Light Brigade was looked upon as a glorious but wasted sacrifice of good men and horses, recent historians have revised this conclusion somewhat by stating that the charge of the Light Brigade did succeed in at least some of its objectives.[8]:252 The aim of any cavalry charge is to scatter the enemy lines and frighten the enemy off the battlefield. In this regard, even the Russians admitted that the charge of Light Brigade had so un-nerved the Russian cavalry, which had previously been routed by the Heavy Brigade, that the Russian Cavalry was set to full-scale flight by the subsequent charge of the Light Brigade.[8]:252 Thus, the charge of the Light Brigade is now viewed in some circles as having achieved at least part of its objective. Russian defence line in Sevastopol in 1854. The failure of the British and French to follow up on the Battle of Balaclava led directly to another and much more bloody battle—the Battle of Inkerman.[28]:526 On 5 November 1854, the Russians attempted to raise the siege at Sevastopol with an attack against the allies near the town of Inkerman which resulted in another allied victory.[29] Meanwhile at Sevastopol, the allies had surrounded the city with entrenchments and, in October 1854, unleashed an all–out bombardment (the first of many) against the city's defences. Winter, and a deteriorating supply situation on both sides, led to a halt in ground operations. Sevastopol remained invested by the allies, while the allied armies were hemmed in by the Russian army in the interior. In February 1855 the Russians attacked the allied base at Eupatoria,[8]:321–322 where an Ottoman army had built up and was threatening Russian supply routes. The battle saw the Russians defeated[8]:321 and led to a change in command. The strain of directing the war had taken its toll on the health of Tsar Nicolas.[30]:96 With his resistance down, Nicolas caught a cold in February 1855. On 8 February 1855, the Tsar's cold developed into influenza.[8]:321 News of the Russian defeat at Eupatoria reached the Tsar in St. Petersburg on 16 February 1855 and depressed him more than before. The Tsar's condition worsened and he caught pneumonia.[8]:322 He died on 18 February 1855 according to the Julian calendar.[30]:98 On the allied side the emphasis of the siege at Sevastopol shifted to the right-hand sector of the lines, against the fortifications on Malakoff hill.[8]:339 In March there was fighting by the French over the fort atMamelon, located on a hill in front of the Malakoff. Several weeks of fighting saw little change in the front line, and the Mamelon remained in Russian hands. Monument to Sevastopol, Halifax, Nova Scotia—the only Crimean War Monument in North America In April 1855, the allies staged a second all-out bombardment, leading to an artillery duel with the Russian guns,[8]:340 but no ground assault followed.[8]:341 On 24 May 1855, sixty ships containing 7,000 French, 5,000 Turkish and 3,000 British troops set off for a raid on the city of Kerch east of Sevastopol in an attempt to open another front on the Crimean peninsula and to cut off Russian supplies.[8]:344 The allies landed the force at Kerch. The plan was to outflank the Russian army. The landings were successful, but the force made little progress thereafter. In June a third bombardment was followed by a successful attack on the Mamelon, but a follow-up assault on the Malakoff failed with heavy losses. During this time the garrison commander, Admiral Nakhimov, suffered a fatal bullet wound to the head and died on 30 June 1855.[8]:378 In August the Russians again made an attack on the base at Balaclava. The resulting battle of Tchernaya was a defeat for the Russians, who suffered heavy casualties. September saw the final assault. On 5 September another French bombardment (the sixth) was followed by an assault by the French Army on 8 September resulting in the capture of the Malakoff by the French, and the collapse of the Russian defences. Meanwhile the British captured the Great Redan, just south of the city of Sevastopol. The city fell on 9 September 1855 after a year-long siege.[30]:106 At this point both sides were exhausted, and there were no further military operations in the Crimea before the onset of winter. Azov campaign[edit] Main article: Siege of Taganrog In spring 1855, the allied British–French commanders decided to send an Anglo-French naval squadron into the Azov Sea to undermine Russian communications and supplies to besieged Sevastopol. On 12 May 1855, British–French warships entered the Kerch Strait and destroyed the coast battery of the Kamishevaya Bay. On 21 May 1855 the gunboats and armed steamers attacked the seaport of Taganrog, the most important hub in proximity to Rostov on Don. The vast amounts of food, especially bread, wheat, barley, and rye that were amassed in the city after the outbreak of war were prevented from being exported. Bombardment of Taganrog from a British raft during the first siege attempt The Governor of Taganrog, Yegor Tolstoy, and lieutenant-general Ivan Krasnov refused the ultimatum, responding that "Russians never surrender their cities". The British–French squadron bombarded Taganrog for 6½ hours and landed 300 troops near the Old Stairway in downtown Taganrog, but they were thrown back by Don Cossacks and a volunteer corps. In July 1855 the allied squadron tried to go past Taganrog to Rostov on Don, entering the Don River through the Mius River. On 12 July 1855 HMS Jasper grounded near Taganrog thanks to a fisherman who repositioned the buoys into shallow waters. The Cossacks captured the gunboat with all of its guns and blew it up. The third siege attempt was made 19–31 August 1855, but the city was already fortified and the squadron could not approach close enough for landing operations. The allied fleet left theGulf of Taganrog on 2 September 1855, with minor military operations along the Azov Sea coast continuing until late autumn 1855. Caucasus theater[edit] The Caucasus was already a scene of confrontation for the Russians and the Ottomans, as both had sought to extend their influence in the region. Russian expansion into the region had been resisted by local peoples in Chechnya, Dagestan, and Circassia. In the region the Russians were opposed by Circassiansand Muridists of the Caucasian Imamate, but were grudgingly supported by Georgians and Kakhetians, who valued their independence, but were at odds with their neighbours. In 1853 the leader of the mountain peoples, Imam Shamil, staged an insurrection against the occupying Russian forces.   His forces fought the Russians at Zaqatala, and Meselderg, but were beaten back by the Russian forces. In 1854 he tried again, advancing on Tiflis before being defeated at Shulda. The Armenian front during the Crimean War In summer of 1853 the Ottoman forces held strongholds at Kars, Batum, and Erzurum, with lesser forts at Ardahan and Bayazid. The Ottoman forces planned an invasion of Georgia but after some initial success were unable to maintain this and were forced to retreat. Russian forces in the region were spread thinly, due to the demands of holding down the region against insurrection, but during 1853 were reinforced. In September 1853 there were a number of clashes between Russian and Ottoman forces. Additionally, there were later battles at Fort St. Nicolas in October 1853 and twice at Alexandropol in October 1853 and again in December 1853. On 26 November 1853, the Russians beat the Ottoman armed forces at the battle of Akhaltsikh. On 1 December General Bebutov led 10,000 soldiers and 32 guns to win a victory over a 36,000-man Ottoman Army under Ahmed Pasha at the battle of Bashkadiklar.[31] In the spring of 1854 the Russians planned an invasion of Ottoman territory. On 16 June Prince Andronikov with 10,000 soldiers and 18 guns achieved a victory over a 34,000-man Ottoman Army at the Cholok river; on 31 July Russian forces seized Bayazid; on 5 August General Bebutov with 18,000 men and 64 guns had successfully waged the battle of Kurekdere, 11 miles from Kars. Following these encounters there was little further action that year. In 1855 both sides returned to the offensive; after initial maneuverings the Russians staged two assaults on Kars, beginning from 16 June and then on 29 September, which were beaten back with huge losses. However they settled down to a siege on 18 June, which had became almost total from the middle of August. The siege had been successful and Kars surrendered on 28 November 1855. Commander of its garrison Mehmet Vasif Pasha had yielded the fortress keys, 12 Ottoman banners and 18,500 soldiers as captives. As a result of this operation the Russian Army assumed control not merely over the forts and city, but also over the whole area including Ardahan, Kagyzman, Oltu and part of Basen district. Meanwhile the Ottoman army at Batum invaded Georgia, but after an inconclusive clash at the Ingur river the offensive collapsed and they retreated to Batum. In 1856 the Russians had plans to advance on Erzurum, but the peace of Paris in March 1856 put an end to further operations. Baltic theater[edit] See also: Charles John Napier#Baltic Campaign The Baltic was a forgotten theater of the Crimean War. The popularisation of events elsewhere had overshadowed the significance of this theater, which was close to Saint Petersburg, the Russian capital. In April 1854 an Anglo-French fleet was sent into the Baltic to attack the Russian seaport of Kronstadt and the Russian fleet stationed there.[32] In August 1854 the combined British and French fleet returned to Kronstadt for another attempt. The outnumbered Russian Baltic Fleet confined its movements to the areas around its fortifications. At the same time, British and French commanders Sir Charles Napier andAlexandre Ferdinand Parseval-Deschenes—although they led the largest fleet assembled since the Napoleonic Wars—considered the Sveaborg fortress too well-defended to engage. Thus, shelling of the Russian batteries was limited to two attempts in the summers of 1854 and 1855, and initially, the attacking fleets limited their actions to blockading the Russian trade in the Gulf of Finland.[33] Naval attacks on other ports, such as the ones at Hogland, were more successful.[34] Additionally, they conducted raids on less fortified sections of the Finnish coast. Bombardment of Bomarsund during the Crimean War, after William Simpson Russia was dependent on imports for both the domestic economy and the supply of her military forces, and the blockade seriously undermined the Russian economy. Raiding by allied British and French fleets destroyed forts on the Finnish coast including the newly constructed Bomarsund on the Åland Islands which was raided on 3 July through 16 July 1854,[35] and Fort Slava. Other such attacks were not so successful, and the poorly planned attempts to take Hanko,[36] Ekenäs, Kokkola, and Turkuwere repulsed. The burning of tar warehouses and ships in Oulu and Raahe led to international criticism and, in Britain, MP Thomas Gibson demanded in the House of Commons that the First Lord of the Admiralty explain "a system which carried on a great war by plundering and destroying the property of defenceless villagers". In 1855 the Western Allied Baltic Fleet tried to destroy heavily defended Russian dockyards at Sveaborg outside Helsinki. More than 1,000 enemy guns tested the strength of the fortress for two days. Despite the shelling, the sailors of the 120-gun ship Rossiya, led by Captain Viktor Poplonsky, defended the entrance to the harbor. The Allies fired over twenty thousand shells but were unable to defeat the Russian batteries. A massive new fleet of more than 350 gunboats and mortar vessels was prepared, but before the attack was launched, the war ended. "Bombardment of the Solovetsky Monastery in the White Sea by the Royal Navy". A lubok (popular print) from 1868 Part of the Russian resistance was credited to the deployment of newly created blockade mines. Perhaps the most influential contributor to the development of naval mining was inventor and civil engineer Immanuel Nobel, the father of Alfred Nobel. Immanuel helped the war effort for Russia by applying his knowledge of industrial explosives such as nitroglycerin and gunpowder. Modern naval mining is said to date from the Crimean War: "Torpedo mines, if I may use this name given by Fulton to self-acting mines underwater, were among the novelties attempted by the Russians in their defenses about Cronstadt and Sevastopol", as one American officer put it in 1860.[37] White Sea theatre[edit] In autumn 1854 a squadron of three British warships led by HMS Miranda left the Baltic for the White Sea, where they shelled Kola (which was utterly destroyed) and theSolovki. Their attempt to storm Arkhangelsk proved unsuccessful. Pacific theatre[edit] Main article: Siege of Petropavlovsk Minor naval skirmishes also occurred in the Far East, where at Petropavlovsk on the Kamchatka Peninsula a strong British and French Allied squadron including HMS Pique under Rear Admiral David Price and a French force under Counter-Admiral Auguste Febvrier Despointes besieged a smaller Russian force under Rear Admiral Yevfimy Putyatin. In September 1854 an Allied landing force was beaten back with heavy casualties, and the Allies withdrew. The Russians escaped under the cover of snow in early 1855 after Allied reinforcements arrived in the region. The Anglo-French forces in the Far East also made several small landings on Sakhalin and Urup, one of the Kuril Islands.[38] Piedmont-Sardinian involvement[edit] Camillo di Cavour, under orders by Victor Emmanuel II of Piedmont-Sardinia sent an expeditionary corps of around 15,000 soldiers, commanded by General Alfonso La Marmora, to side with French and British forces during the war.[1]:111–12 This was an attempt at gaining the favour of the French especially when the issue of uniting Italy would become an important matter. The deployment of Italian troops to the Crimea, and the gallantry shown by them in the Battle of the Chernaya (16 August 1855) and in the siege of Sevastopol, allowed the Kingdom of Sardinia to be among the participants at the peace conference at the end of the war, where it could address the issue of the Risorgimento to other European powers. Greek rebellions[edit] Greek battalion during the siege of Sevastopol When the Crimean War broke out, many Greeks felt that it was an opportunity to regain Ottoman-occupied Greek territory to add to the recently liberated territory of the independent Kingdom of Greece. The Greek War of Independence (1821–1829) was still fresh in people's minds, as well as the Russian intervention that had helped secure Greek independence. Just before the Greek War of Independence a leader of Filiki Eteria, Alexander Ypsilantis, and his brother Demetrios Ypsilantis had led Russian troops into Moldavia and Wallachia and coordinated the preparations for uprisings throughout Ottoman-occupied Greece which they later led. Moreover, Greeks had always considered Orthodox Christian Russia as an ally and viewed the Crimean War as a grave injustice against Russia and any support of the Ottoman Empire a grave threat to Greece's recent independence. Although the official Greek state, under severe diplomatic and military pressure from the British and French (allies of the Ottomans), which included a naval blockade and the occupation of the country's main port of Piraeus, refrained from actively entering the conflict, a number of uprisings broke out in Albania in January 1854[39] and soon spread to Epirus, Thessaly, and Macedonia.[40] A revolt also broke out in Crete, with support from individuals and groups within independent Greece and Constantinople. However, all Greek revolts in the Turkish provinces were soon suppressed. A small Greek volunteer force under Colonel Panos Koronaios went to Russia and fought during the Siege of Sevastopol. However, more Greek nationals fought in the Crimean War with the "Greek Battalion of Balaklava" which had been in the ranks of the Russian army since the first Russo-Turkish war (1768–1774). End of the war Three 17th Century Church Bells inArundel Castle United Kingdom. These were taken from Sevastopol as trophies at the end of the Crimean War Dissatisfaction with the conduct of the war was growing with the public in Britain and in other countries, aggravated by reports of fiascos, especially the humiliating defeat of the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava. In parliament, Tories demanded an accounting of all soldiers, cavalry and sailors sent to the Crimea and accurate figures as to the number of casualties that had been sustained by all British armed forces in the Crimea; they were especially concerned with the Battle of Balaclava. When Parliament passed a bill to investigate by the vote of 305 to 148, Aberdeen said he had lost a vote of no confidence and resigned as prime minister on 30 January 1855.[41] The veteran former Foreign Secretary Lord Palmerston formed a Whig government with backing from the Irish MPs.[42] Peace negotiations at the Congress of Paris resulted in the signing of the Treaty of Paris on 30 March 1856. In compliance with art. III Russia restored to the Ottoman Empire the city and citadel of Kars in common with "all other parts of the Ottoman territory of which the Russian troop were in possession." By art. IV England, France, Sardinia and Turkey restored to Russia "the towns and ports of Sevastopol, Balaklava, Kamish, Eupatoria, Kerch, Jenikale, Kinburn, as well as all other territories occupied by the allied troops." In conformity with art. XI and XIII the Tsar and the Sultan agreed not to establish any naval or military arsenal on the Black Sea coast. The Black Sea clauses weakened Russia, and it no longer posed a naval threat to the Ottomans. The principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia were nominally returned to the Ottoman Empire; in practice they became independent. The Great Powers pledged to respect the independence and territorial integrity of the Ottoman Empire.[8]:432–33 Historical analysis[edit] The Treaty of Paris stood until 1871, when France was defeated by Prussia in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. While Prussia and several other German states united to form a powerful German Empire, the Emperor of the French, Napoleon III, was deposed to permit the formation of a Third French Republic. During his reign, Napoleon III, eager for the support of Great Britain, had opposed Russia over the Eastern Question. Russian interference in the Ottoman Empire, however, did not in any significant manner threaten the interests of France. Thus, France abandoned its opposition to Russia after the establishment of a republic. Encouraged by the decision of the French and supported by the German minister Otto von Bismarck, Russia renounced the Black Sea clauses of the treaty agreed to in 1856. As Great Britain alone could not enforce the clauses, Russia once again established a fleet in the Black Sea. Although it was Russia that was punished by the Paris Treaty, in the long run it was Austria that would lose the most from the Crimean War despite having barely taken part in the war.[8]:433 Having abandoned its alliance with Russia, Austria was diplomatically isolated following the war,[8]:433 which contributed to its defeat in the 1866 Austro-Prussian War[8]:433 and its loss of influence in most German-speaking lands. With France, now hostile to Germany, allied with Russia, and Russia competing with the newly renamed Austro-Hungarian Empire for an increased role in the Balkans at the expense of the Ottoman Empire, the foundations were in place for creating the diplomatic alliances that would lead to World War I. Notwithstanding the guarantees to preserve Ottoman territories specified in the Treaty of Paris, Russia, exploiting nationalist unrest in the Ottoman states in the Balkans and seeking to regain lost prestige, once again declared war on the Ottoman Empire on 24 April 1877. In this later Russo-Turkish War the states of Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Bulgaria achieved their autonomy from direct Ottoman rule. The Crimean War marked the ascendancy of France to the position of pre-eminent power on the Continent[8]:411 and the beginning of a decline for Tsarist Russia. Thus, the Crimean War represented one of the main causes of the demise of The Concert of Europe, the balance of power that had dominated Europe since the Congress of Vienna in 1815, and which had included France, Russia, Austria and Britain. Criticisms and reform A tinted lithograph by William Simpson illustrating conditions of the sick and injured in Balaklava The Crimean War was notorious for the military and logistical immaturity of the British army. However, it highlighted the work of women who served as army nurses. War correspondents for newspapers reported the scandalous treatment of wounded soldiers in the desperate winter that followed and prompted the work of Florence Nightingale, Mary Seacole, Frances Margaret Taylor and others and led to the introduction of modern nursing methods. The Crimean War also saw the first tactical use of railways and other modern inventions such as the electric telegraph, with the first "live" war reporting to The Times byWilliam Howard Russell. Some credit Russell with prompting the resignation of the sitting British government through his reporting of the lacklustre shape of the British forces deployed to the Crimea. Additionally, the telegraph reduced the independence of British overseas possessions from their commanders in London due to such rapid communications. Newspaper readership informed public opinion in the United Kingdom and France as never before.[43] It was the first European war to be photographed. The war also employed modern military tactics, such as trenches and blind artillery fire. The use of the Minié ball for shot, coupled with the rifling of barrels, greatly increased Allied rifle range and damage. The British Army system of sale of commissions came under great scrutiny during the war, especially in connection with the Battle of Balaclava, which saw the ill-fatedCharge of the Light Brigade. This scrutiny eventually led to the abolition of the sale of commissions. The Crimean War was a contributing factor in the Russian abolition of serfdom in 1861: Alexander II saw the military defeat of the Russian serf-army by free troops from Britain and France as proof of the need for emancipation.[44] The Crimean War also led to the eventual realisation by the Russian government of its technological inferiority, in military practices as well as weapons.[45] Russia had incurred so large a war debt from the Crimean War that Alexander II, realising the difficulty of defending Alaska, decided to sell it to a third party, the United States, in 1867. (No valuable minerals, let alone gold or oil, were discovered in Alaska until 1880, thirteen years after the sale.) Meanwhile, Russian military medicine saw dramatic progress: N. I. Pirogov, known as the father of Russian field surgery, developed the use of anaesthetics, plaster casts, enhanced amputation methods, and five-stage triage in Crimea, among other things. The war also led to the establishment of the Victoria Cross in 1856 (backdated to 1854), the British Army's first universal award for valour. Putin watches war games in St Petersburg as tensions continue escalate Was suggested earlier Russians had threatened to storm two warships and had issued a 3am deadline for surrender earlier today Russia denies setting two ultimatums for Ukrainian forces to surrender Have accused Ukraine of attempting to spark war through false allegations Ukraine admits pro-Russian troops have seized Crimean military bases Russian troops also seized border posts and a key ferry terminal at Kerch U.S. claims Russia has 6,000 troops in the region Ukrainian acting PM says his nation will 'never' give up Crimea Vladimir Putin took part in war games today while the threat of imminent war in Crimea raged just one thousand miles away. The Russian president arrived to observe military exercises in St Petersburg alongside defence minister Sergei Shoigu in what could be seen as a provocative move in light of tensions in Ukraine. The pair watched as tanks fired and armed soldiers circled and approached make-shift villages at Kamenka polygon, St Petersburg - just 1,200 miles from Crimea. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEOS +54 Putin, centre, and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, left, arrive at a military exercise in St Petersburg in what some may claim is a provocative move given current developments in Crimea +54 A Russian tank fires during military exericises at Kamenka polygon , St Petersburg - 1,200 miles from Crimea +54 Russian soldiers run towards a make-shift village, where one building appears to be on fire Today, Ukrainian military sources claimed Russian forces had issued two ultimatums of surrender - allegations the Russians dismissed as 'nonsense'. Russia then accused Ukraine of trying to spark war by making the allegations, adding: 'Efforts to make us clash won't work.' Russian soldiers controlled all Crimean border posts today as well as all military facilities in the territory. Troops also controlled a ferry terminal in the Ukrainian city of Kerch, just 12 miles across the water from Russia. Russian forces seized control of the border guard checkpoint on the Ukrainian side of the ferry crossing between Russia and Crimea and began bringing in truckloads of soldiers by ferry on Monday evening, Ukrainian border guards said. Russians have been surrounding the ferry terminal for days but until now had not taken control of Ukraine's border guard station. A border guards spokesman said Russian troops seized it and brought three truckloads of soldiers across. The move provoked fears the Kremlin was planning to carry out more land grabs in pro-Russian eastern Ukraine. +54 Troops circle the temporary village and continue on their training mission while the president watched on +54 Putin and Shoigu speak with military officials as the training exercise takes place in front of them +54 The president looks up at snowy conditions on arrival today. It has been yet another dramatic day in Crimea - with unidentified troops continuing to amass in the region +54 Putin meets with a senior officer. The exercise took place at Kirillovsky firing ground Russia's Putin watches war games as tension with Ukraine mounts At an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council, a letter written by Ukraine's ousted leader Viktor Yanukovich to Russian President Vladimir Putin was read out. In it, he requested that Putin use the Russian military to restore law and order in Ukraine. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told the U.N. Security Council Monday he was authorized to read a statement from Yanukovych - and show members a copy - which says that 'as the legitimately elected representative' he believes 'Ukraine is on the brink of civil war.' Earlier today, the country's defence ministry spokesman Maksim Prauta said four Russian navy ships were blocking Ukraine's anti-submarine warship Ternopil and the command ship Slavutych in the Crimean harbour. He added Russians ordered the crew to surrender within the hour or face Russians storming and seizing the ships and crew. Interfax news agency also quoted an unnamed source in the Ukrainian Defence Ministry saying a deadline to surrender at 0300 GMT had been set by the Black Sea Fleet's commander. The ultimatum came from the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet Alexander Vitko, which has a base in Crimea where Russian forces are now in control, according to the agency. The ultimatum was alleged to have said: 'If they do not surrender before 5am (3am GMT) tomorrow, a real assault will be started against units and divisions of the armed forces across Crimea.' The same news agency later quoted an unnamed representative at the fleet's headquarters as saying no assault was planned, adding: 'This is complete nonsense.' They added: 'We are used to daily accusations about using force against our Ukrainian colleagues. Efforts to make us clash won't work.' +54 Russian forces in Crimea have reportedly ordered the crew of the Ukrainian anti-submarine ship 'Ternopil' (pictured) to surrender +54 A Russian Black Sea Navy Grisha V type corvette 'Suzdalets' is seen off the coast of Sevastopol, Crimea, Ukraine yesterday +54 Russian Navy crew members on a patrol boat guard the Russian military ships of the Black Sea Fleet with destroyers 'Smetlivyy' (back lef) and 'Kerch' (back right) in Sevastopol, Crimea yesterday +54 Ukrainian seamen stand guard on the Ukrainian navy ship Slavutich at harbor of Sevastopol following claims of a Russian ultimatum or surrender - which was later proved to be false The Russian foreign ministry earlier said that the Black Sea fleet divisions in Crimea 'are not intervening in Ukraine's internal politics' and any movements by the troops were made necessary out of self-protection. 'Movements by divisions are generated by the goal of ensuring security of the fleet's sites and preventing any possible attacks by extremists and radicals on our compatriots,' the ministry said in an official statement. Ukraine's military admitted today that pro-Russian troops have surrounded or taken over 'practically all' its military facilities in Crimea - a move that Russia's foreign minister defended as a necessary protection for the ethnic Russians on the Black Sea peninsula. +54 Russian forces have today claimed Ukraine is attempting to spark war by making such claims +54 An armed man in military uniform, believed to be a Russian soldier, looks from his military vehicle +54 A soldier blocks the Ukrainian naval base in the village of Novoozerne, some 91 km west of Crimean capital +54 A pro-Russian soldier stands by a billboard with a map of Crimea and bearing the words 'Autonomous Republic of Crimea' in the port of Kerch, Ukraine. A Russian commander has reportedly told Ukrainian forces in the region to stand down or face attack +54 Hundreds of unidentified gunmen arrived at a Crimean base in a 13-strong convoy of Russian vehicles +54 Ukrainian soldiers (back) speak with armed men in military uniform, believed to be Russian soldiers in the village of Perevalnoye 'This is a question of defending our citizens and compatriots, ensuring human rights, especially the right to life,' Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in Geneva, where he was attending U.N. meetings. Interfax reported earlier Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev 'declared that it is necessary to protect the interests of all Ukrainian citizens, including residents of Crimea, and citizens of Russia who are located in Ukraine.' Medvedev is said to have spoken about the situation in Ukraine with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden by telephone today. There have been no reports, however, of any hostilities toward Russian-speaking in Ukraine during the country's four months of political upheaval. +54 Scores of military personnel walk outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye +54 Love in the face of war: A woman kisses a Ukrainian serviceman through the gate in the village of Lyubimovka, some 50 miles southwest of Simferopol, Crimea's capital +54 A woman kisses a Ukrainian serviceman through the fence in Lyubimovka. Russia has defended the deadline as a measure to protect both Russians and Ukrainians in Crimea The Russian Foreign Ministry also issued a statement saying that Moscow believes Ukraine must honor its February 21 agreement to form a new national unity government. Russia will face diplomatic, political, and economic pressure in response to its violation of Ukraine's sovereignty, David Cameron has said. The Prime Minister, who chaired a meeting of the National Security Council to discuss the crisis, said that the world needed to send a 'clear message' to Moscow. Speaking in Downing Street, he said: 'What we want to see is a de-escalation rather than a continuation down the path that the Russian government has taken, violating the sovereignty and territorial integrity of another country. 'So we shall have to bring to bear diplomatic, political, economic and other pressures in order to make this point. 'That is the very clear message the whole world needs to send to the Russian government.' 'PUTIN IS PLAYING CHICKEN WITH THE WEST' - DIPLOMACY EXPERT Carina O’Reilly, lecturer in International Relations at Anglia Ruskin University and former Deputy Editor of Jane’s Intelligence Review, said: 'What we’re seeing in Crimea right now is Vladimir Putin playing chicken with the West. He’s gambling that the EU and the U.S. have no stomach for conflict, not even a trade war. 'Russia doesn’t want a serious war and doesn’t think it’ll get one. It is stamping its ownership on its sphere of influence, looking to leave the new Kiev government crippled. 'It wants to leave ordinary Ukrainians with a stark choice: an untested government that’s thrown in its lot with a West which can’t send anything more useful than fact-finding delegations, or a powerful and dominant Russia. 'The EU also now faces a stark choice. If Russia can be neither forced nor persuaded out of the Crimea, and Ukraine is left physically divided and politically paralysed, the EU’s credibility will be shot - and if Germany prevents the U.S. from taking stronger action, diplomatically or otherwise, its credibility with the US will be deeply damaged as well. 'This is a crisis for more than just Ukraine. It will shape the West’s relationship with Russia for years to come.' +54 Relatives of Ukrainian servicemen. The sign reads: 'No to war!' +54 A Ukrainian woman speaks with an armed man in military uniform, believed to be a Russian soldier, part of a unit blocking the Ukrainian navy base in Novoozerniy in Crimea +54 Ukrainian soldiers bolster defensive barricades against possible Russian aggression at Feodosija marine base, in Crimea Pro-Russian protesters try to storm government building in Odessa Earlier today pro-Russian troops took over a ferry terminal on the easternmost tip of Crimea close to Russia today, exacerbating fears that Moscow is planning to bring even more troops into this strategic Black Sea region. The seizure of the terminal in the Ukrainian city of Kerch about 12 miles by boat to Russia, comes as the West try to figure out ways to halt and reverse the Russian incursion. Early on Monday, soldiers were operating the terminal, which serves as a common departure point for many Russian-bound ships. The men refused to identify themselves, but they spoke Russian and the vehicles transporting them had Russian license plates. Today, Ukraine called for 'real steps' of assistance to be taken by world leaders. +54 A Ukrainian Air Force military aircraft flies above a Ukrainian navy base which was blocked by soldiers believed to be from Russia, in Novoozerniy village near of Feodosia, Crimea, today +54 More military personnel surround a military base in the Crimea region Troops that Ukraine says are Russian soldiers have occupied airports in Crimea, smashed equipment at an air base and besieged a Ukrainian infantry base in this peninsula. Hundreds of unidentified gunmen who arrived in a 13-strong convoy of Russian vehicles surrounded a Crimean infantry base yesterday as Ukraine and Russia inched closer towards all-out war. Meanwhile Ukraine’s acting prime minister, Arseniy Yatseniuk, said today his country would never give up Crimea. Russian forces have taken control of the Black Sea peninsula, which is part of Ukraine, but Yatseniuk told reporters: 'No one will give up Crimea to anyone.' 'Any attempt of Russia to grab Crime will have no success at all. Give us some time,' he said at a news conference with British Foreign Secretary Wiliam Hague, who is visiting Kiev. +54 An armed man stands outside the cabinet of ministers building in Simferopol today. Russia has started a build-up of armoured vehicles on the Russian side of a narrow stretch of water between Russia and the Ukrainian region of Crimea +54 An armed man, believed to be a Russian serviceman, in the village of Perevalnoye +54 +54 Similarity? A heavily-armed soldier displaying no identifying insignia maintains watch in a street in Simferopol. Right, a Russian soldier stands guard at a checkpoint during the 2008 war with Georgia He called on the West for political and economic support and said Crimea remained part of his country - but conceded there were 'for today, no military options on the table'. In a series of tense photographs, outnumbered troops could be seen on the inside of the military unit in the village of Perevalne, outside Simferopol, guarding the entrance with a tank. The scenes come as Russian forces moved deeper into Crimea and amassed on the Ukrainian border, while Ukrainian leaders mobilised all its forces and placed them in a state of combat-readiness. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov says Russian troops that have streamed into Ukraine are protecting his country's citizens living there. Lavrov said on Monday that it's necessary to use Russian troops in Ukraine 'until the normalisation of the political situation'. +54 Yesterday NATO warned Russia military action against Ukraine was against international law and expressed grave concern over the Russian parliament's authorisation of the use of force. Yatseniuk earlier said 'we are on the brink of disaster' while the actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin were said to amount to a declaration of war. 'This is not a threat: this is actually the declaration of war to my country,' he added. Acting President Oleksander Turchinov said: 'Any attempt to attack military installations is in fact direct military aggression against our country and the Russian military and the Russian leadership will be held responsible.' +54 Military personnel, believed to be Russian servicemen, walk outside the territory of a Ukrainian military unit in the village of Perevalnoye outside Simferopol today +54 Russia claims its troops have not 'deployed abroad' Kiev called for 'solidarity' from foreign countries and highlighted a 1994 treaty where the U.S. and Britain guaranteed Ukrainian borders. British Foreign Secretary William Hague warned Russia today of 'consequences and costs' but could not give any details of what that might mean in practice. 'It is not an acceptable way to behave and there will be consequences and costs,' Hague said in Kiev, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin got the green light to send Russian troops to Ukraine from parliament. Yesterday, Ukraine's newly appointed Navy chief defected and pledged his allegiance to the Crimean region. Britain announced its ministers and officials will boycott the Paralympic games in Sochi, Russia. President Vladimir Putin defended Russia's action against 'ultranationalist forces' - and told U.S. President Barack Obama he reserved the right to take any further military action. +54 Soldiers who were among several hundred that took up positions around a Ukrainian military base walk towards their parked vehicles on Sunday +54 A Ukrainian serviceman stands guard at the territory as unidentified troops gather outside Russia's internet monitoring agency has blocked 13 web pages linked to the Ukraine protest movement which helped oust the country's Russia-leaning president last week. Roskomnadzor said in a statement published online that it had been ordered by the general prosecutor's office to shut down the pages on Russia's leading social media website, VKontakte. The agency said the groups 'propagandised the activity of Ukrainian nationalist groups', and accused them of encouraging 'terrorist activity' and 'participation in unsanctioned mass actions'. The largest pro-demonstration group, which has more than 500,000 members, was not accessible to users on Russian territory today. While much of Russian media is state-controlled, the internet has so far remained largely free from censorship and has provided an active forum for anti-government criticism. On Sunday morning Russian troops in 12 vehicles moved across Crimea from Sevastopol - their Black Sea base - to regional capital Simferopol, in a significant and ominous advance. Hundreds of unidentified gunmen arrived in a convoy outside Ukraine's infantry base in Privolnoye in its Crimea region. The convoy included at least 13 troop vehicles each containing 30 soldiers and four armoured vehicles with mounted machine guns. The vehicles - which have Russian licence plates - have surrounded the base and are blocking Ukrainian soldiers from entering or leaving it. +54 A woman sweeps away broken glass as two unidentified armed men guard the entrance to the local government building in downtown Simferopol, Ukraine, on Sunday +54 Ukrainian soldiers, with clips in their weapons, positioned a tank at the gate. Russian forces are seeking to disarm Ukrainian military facilities on the peninsula without a fight. They have taken weapons from a radar base and naval training facility in Ukraine's Crimea region and urged personnel to side with the peninsula's 'legitimate' leaders, Interfax news agency said on Sunday. It quoted a Ukrainian Defence Ministry source as saying the Russian servicemen had taken pistols, rifles and ammunition cartridges from the radar post near in the town of Sudak and taken them away by car. +54 Heavily-armed troops displaying no identifying insignia and who were mingling with local pro-Russian militants stand guard outside a local government building on Sunday in Simferopol, as reports emerged on Russian troops massing on Ukraine's borders Plea: The new government of Ukraine has appealed to the United Nations Security Council for help against growing Russian intervention in Crimea Another group of Russian military had also removed weapons from a Ukrainian navy training centre in Sevastopol. Many soldiers have simply switched to the Russian side, it has been claimed. 'Ukrainian servicemen are tendering their resignations and coming over to the side of the new Crimean authorities en masse,' reported Interfax today, though Ukrainian officials denied this. Russian troops are also massing close to the Ukrainian borders across a wide area. For example, heavily armoured forces from Samara are heading for the border with the Kharkiv region. The same is seen at the border with Chernigov, which is only 120 miles from Kiev. A huge deployment of armoured vehicles and troops are in the Russian port of Novorossiysk from where they could be speedily shipped to Crimea. +54 Armed men stand guard at the local government headquarters in Simferopol, Crimea +54 Military personnel stand next to an armoured personnel carrier in the Crimean port city of Feodosiya on Sunday +54 Ukraine mobilised on Sunday for war and called up its reserves, after Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to invade in the biggest confrontation between Moscow and the West since the Cold War PREPARING THEIR TROOPS Crimea is now effectively controlled by Russia directly or with the help of so-called self defence units - which in reality include Russian troops and GRU intelligence personnel. The new government in Kiev has been powerless to react. However, the Defence Ministry was ordered to conduct a call-up of reserves - theoretically all men up to 40 years old. However, Ukraine would struggle to find extra guns or uniforms for significant numbers of them. Ukraine's reserves are thought to number around one million and with the regular army at about 135,000. Russia can call upon 845,000 professional soldiers and two million reservists. Russian sources are also complaining of 'provocations' in both Ukraine and Russia by 'unknown armed men' - doubtless these are a useful pretext for Russian action. Ukraine has put its armed forces on full combat alert. There has been no sign of ethnic Russians facing attacks in Crimea, where they make up about 60 per cent of the population, or elsewhere in Ukraine. The action was one of many dramatic developments from the region yesterday. After an emergency meeting of NATO ambassadors in Brussels, the alliance called on Russia to bring its forces back to bases and refrain from interfering in Ukraine. 'We urge both parties to immediately seek a peaceful solution through bilateral dialogue, with international facilitation ... and through the dispatch of international observers under the auspices of the United Nations Security Council or the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe,' NATO said in a statement. Ukraine is not a NATO member, meaning the U.S. and Europe are not obligated to come to its defense, but the country has taken part in some alliance exercises. Anders Fogh Rasmussen spoke Sunday before going into a meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the alliance's political decision-making body. ‘What Russia is doing now in Ukraine violates the principles of the United Nations charter. It threatens peace and security in Europe. Russia must stop its military activities and threats,’ he said. +54 A man holds a sign depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin as World War II German dictator Adolf Hitler with text reading 'Putler you're finished' during a demonstration in Kiev +54 Residents attend a rally in Kiev's Independence Square while tensions continue to rise in the country The world's leaders continue to express 'grave concern' about the developing situation - hailed as the most 'serious crisis' since the Cold War'. The United States brandished the threat of economic sanctions on Russia on Sunday, with Secretary of State John Kerry calling Moscow's moves on Ukraine an 'incredible act of aggression.' Kerry was scathing in his condemnation and said the United States has 'all options on the table' including a military response. The White House said Obama would speak to Allies today their response. Protests continue in Ukraine, Poland and Russia today - with a demonstration entitled 'Ukraine and Crimea are together' taking place in Independence Square, Kiev this afternoon. Russian police arrested more than 300 of the estimated 1,500 people who took part in a protest against President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Some 20,000 Putin supporters gathered on the streets of the capital to back use of force in Ukraine. Developments in the Ukraine have alarmed the world's diplomatic leaders, prompting U.S. President Barack Obama to call the Kremlin and urge Putin to back down. +54 Crackdown: One of the protestors is carried away by police officers +54 Police detain a demonstrator during a protest against sending Russian troops to Crimea in St Petersburg, Russia +54 People hold banners as they march in a pro-government demonstration in Moscow, Russia HOW THE WEST CAN ONLY WATCH RUSSIA FLEX ITS MILITARY MIGHT With Western powers increasingly concluding Ukraine has lost Crimea to Russia, the U.S. and its allies face few viable options and serious questions over future relations. In ignoring President Barack Obama's Friday warning to keep out of Ukraine, Russia looks to be precipitating the greatest crisis in Russia-Western relations since at least the fall of the Berlin Wall. How events play out in the next few days could help shape the geopolitical map for years to come. Any Western direct military action would risk a war between nuclear superpowers. Ukraine's relatively small and underequipped forces could take action but would risk inciting a much wider Russian invasion that could overrun the country. Obama in particular faces some domestic calls to support Ukraine, although appetite for military involvement appears almost entirely absent. On Saturday, the Pentagon said there had been no change to its military deployments. ‘For the West, it's a very difficult position,’ said Nikolas Gvosdev, professor of national security at the US Naval War College. ‘Obama effectively set down the US red lines,’ he said. 'Putin has gone right through them.’ Foreign Secretary William Hague met with Ukraine's interim leaders as the crisis in the former Soviet country escalates ever closer to war. Hague said before his departure that he was extremely concerned by the escalation. He said Ukrainian officials have told him by telephone that they won't respond to Russian provocations and he advised them to 'continue with that course.' He previously said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine had been ‘violated’ and called for Moscow to speak directly to the nation's new leaders. Britain has pulled out of preparatory talks due to be held in the coming days for the G8 summit in Sochi over Russia's decision to take military action in Ukraine. British Prime Minister David Cameron has also said it would be wrong for British ministers to attend the Paralympics in Sochi because of the serious situation in Ukraine. 'Because of the serious situation in Ukraine, William Hague and I believe it would be wrong for UK Ministers to attend the Sochi Paralympics,' Cameron said on Twitter. Prince Edward, patron of the British Paralympic Association, has also cancelled his planned trip to Russia. Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said it was essential to prevent Russia's seizure of Crimea expanding into a wider regional conflict. 'We should be able to stop Russia in its aggressive moves precisely in order to avoid a conflict,' Tusk told reporters on Sunday after an extraordinary meeting with party leaders. But he said doing nothing was also not an option. 'History shows - although I don't want to use too many historical comparisons - that those who appease all the time in order to preserve peace usually only buy a little bit of time.' Poland shares a border with Ukraine and large parts of the western part of the country were Polish before World War Two. +54 Police detain a protester demonstrating against the Russian military's actions in Crimea and developments in Russian-Ukrainian relations during an unsanctioned rally in St.Petersburg, Russia on Sunday +54 Anger: Saint-Petersburg citizens protested against Russian aggression in Crimea U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday condemned Russia's ‘incredible act of aggression’ in Ukraine and threatened ‘very serious repercussions’ from the United States and other countries including sanctions to isolate Russia economically. ‘You just don't in the 21st century behave in 19th century fashion by invading another country on a completely trumped up pre-text,’ Kerry told the CBS programme Face the Nation. Kerry, however, added that Russia still has ‘a right set of choices’ that can be made to defuse the crisis. Kerry is considering a stop in Kiev, Ukraine's capital, during his trip this coming week to Paris and Rome for discussions on Lebanon and Syria, reports suggested on Sunday. +54 People applaud as the European Union flag held by a protester arrives at the Independence square during a rally in Kiev on Sunday +54 Hotline: Obama had a 90 minute phone call with Putin to discuss the situation this morning +54 Local TV films Russian plates on military convoy in Crimea Labour leader Ed Miliband said ‘all economic and diplomatic’ options should be looked at but not military force. Asked about the possibility of UN troops being deployed, he told Radio 5 Live’s Pienaar’s Politics: ‘I don’t think anyone’s talking about that and I don’t think they should be.’ Mr Miliband said a ‘clear and uncompromising message’ must be sent to Moscow. ‘There isn’t a simple answer to this situation but I think that swiftness of response is very important by the international community, showing how we regard Russia’s actions is very, very important and looking at all economic and diplomatic measures to convey a sense of what the international community thinks about what is happening in Ukraine and its wish to see the protection of the sovereignty of Ukraine.’ Former Liberal Democrat leader and special forces veteran Paddy Ashdown warned tense times were ahead. ‘We are one pace away from catastrophe at the moment - it would require one foolish act, a trigger happy Russian soldier, a Ukrainian guard who acts aggressively at one of these institutions taken over by Russian supporters, a foolish act now could tip us over the edge,’ he told the Sky News Murnaghan programme. +54 A group of armed unidentified gunmen cut electric power to the General Headquarters of the Ukrainian Naval forces in Sevastopol on Sunday +54 Unidentified masked individuals hold a Russian flag as they block Trade Union building in Simferopol on Saturday ‘The good news is it is still possible Russia’s aims are limited - I think increasingly unlikely but still possible. They have legitimate rights under international treaty to the port of Sevastopol for the Black Sea Fleet. They may be posturing, over-reacting or at least using muscle to preserve that right. ‘We still have to test out what are Russia’s aims. If the evidence before us is to be believed then it looks to me they are going further than limited aims, they have already made a power grab in Crimea and are now preparing to make another. ‘The one thing which is absolutely essential now is that the West speaks with a single voice... only in the face of that can we exercise diplomatic leverage. ‘Putin has used force, he knows that’s going further than any of us are prepared to go, he is calling our bluff. The only response is diplomacy.’ Lord Ashdown said German chancellor Angela Merkel should go to Moscow for talks, saying she would be ‘the most important international visitor’. ‘Only if you take those high level moves could we restrain Russia from an act which would be clearly illegal and create a circumstance which we could begin to pull back from this,’ he said. ‘Absent that, the smallest tremor, the smallest act now could take us over the edge. ‘President Putin has taken the view if he uses the military card we will not out trump him. And he’s right, we will not respond in the military fashion... I’m not privy to all the information here but one has to presume that. ‘The only option left is the diplomatic option.’ US warns Russia: Stay out of the Ukraine +54 Masked individuals outside Trade Union building on Sunday, pictured as tension over the crisis mounts considerably Pro-Russian protesters storm administration building in Ukraine UKRAINE'S FURY OVER 'RUSSIAN MILITARY INTERVENTION' WHICH THREATENS NEW REGIME The developments in the Crimea in recent days are the latest stage of the tug-of-war over Ukraine's future. Since president Viktor Yanukovych was forced out of Kiev last week an interim leader has taken over and formed a new government after weeks of bloody protests. But the new regime has already run into difficulty due to the unrest in Crimea, where most people are ethnically Russian. After the armed men stormed the parliament, a new pro-Russian prime minister for the Crimean region was elected. Sergei Aksenov has called on Russian president Vladimir Putin for help keeping the peace. The development marks a sharp divide between the Crimean region and the rest of Ukraine. Meanwhile, troops thought to be under Russian control have seized airports and border points. Some fear it could be the beginnings of an attempt to annex the region, which was once part of the Soviet Union. The new Ukrainian government has characterised the moves as an 'armed invasion' which violates international agreements. Speaking on the same programme, former Conservative foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said: ‘There is no doubt this is probably the most serious crisis since the end of the Cold War. Here we have in our own European back country, military troops of Russia going across the international border into another country. ‘That is desperately serious, that has not happened for a very many years - even at the height of the Bosnian conflict, Milosevic was terribly involved in that, never sent his own troops into Bosnia to directly interfere. ‘This needs to be a defining moment and Putin needs to understand this... in the West’s relationship with Russia. This is of particular importance to Ukrainians but there are very serious implications for the whole of Europe. ‘We’re not going to go to war with Russia, we are not going to send our troops into this, that must be right. But diplomacy sounds as if it just means talking and talking with a man like Putin is no doubt desirable, it has to happen, but by itself it will not carry much weight. ‘He is looking to see whether he can get away cost free with this kind of behaviour. So I think it will have to be made clear unless he takes the right action in the next couple of days... that what he is risking is Russia’s whole relationship with the West that has built up since 1990. ‘There are a whole range of ways, beyond just diplomacy, beyond just talking, whereby Russia can be made to realise if it takes this extraordinarily dangerous step of believing it can send its troops into another European country because it is displeased with what is happening, there is a very serious price to pay.’

There are more than 400 abandoned tanks at the plant in a secret, heavily guarded depot in the town of Kharkiv The depot is in the Slobozhanshchyna region of eastern Ukraine - just 20 miles from the border with Russia Photographer Pavel Itkin, 18, was able to sneak into the heavily monitored site without being spotted by guards He spent two hours walking around the barely-used repair centre taking photographs of old tanks and engines These incredible photographs show a huge tank graveyard in the Ukraine - home to hundreds of the abandoned vehicles which the country may desperately need if tensions with Russia continue to escalate. Filled with rows upon rows of slowly rusting relics, the once deadly war machines now lie dormant in a secret depot in the city of Kharkiv in the Slobozhanshchyna region of eastern Ukraine - just 20 miles from the border with Russia. Despite it being heavily guarded, photographer Pavel Itkin, 18, was able to sneak into the plant and spent several hours taking photographs. Scroll down for video +10 Forgotten: Filled with rows upon rows of slowly rusting relics, the once deadly war machines now lie dormant in a secret depot in the town of Kharkiv in the Slobozhanshchyna region of eastern Ukraine - just 20 miles from the border with Russia +10 After hearing about the strange Soviet-era tank cemetery from a friend, photographer Patvel Itkin, 18, spent months trying find its whereabouts +10 Abandoned: Despite the disused area being monitored by guards, Mr Itkin managed to sneak in and take several photographs of the neglected storage centre. Here dozens of old tank engines and other bits of machinery sit rotting on the factory floor After hearing about the strange Soviet-era tank cemetery from a friend, photographer Patvel Itkin, 18, spent months trying find its whereabouts. Despite the area being heavily monitored by guards, Mr Itkin managed to sneak in and spent several hours taking dozens of photographs. Once a thriving tank repair plant, work at the depot wound down after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, with many of the vehicles on site abandoned. The plant once specialised in the overhaul and modernisation of T-64, T-72, and T-80 tanks built at the nearby Malyshev Factory in Kharkiv. The T-64 is a Soviet-era main battle tank first built in the early 1960s. The T-72 was introduced in the 1970s and went on to become one of the most widely produced tanks of the late 20th Century. The T-80 entered service alongside the T-72 in 1976 and was the first production tank to be equipped with a gas turbine engine for main propulsion. The tank is still used by Ukraine today, with variants adopted by Russia, Belarus, Cyprus, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and South Korea. +10 Desolate: Once a thriving tank repair plant, the depot has since become redundant, meaning the once-deadly vehicles are now abandoned +10 Photographer Pavel Itkin said: 'It took me many months to track down this place, I had heard about it from a friend and decided it would be a great place to take pictures' +10 +10 Luck: The area around the plant is heavily guarded but Mr Itkin says he didn't see anyone when he got there. He thinks he was 'just lucky' not to be seen Mr Itkin said 'It took me many months to track down this place, I had heard about it from a friend and decided it would be a great place to take pictures.' Describing the hours he spent on the site, he added: 'The area is guarded but I there didn't seem to be anyone around when I got there, I guess I was just lucky.' 'Once I got inside I was walking around the grounds for about two hours, the plant is stunning, I was amazed by the scale... Just imagine over 400 tanks in one place, row after row of them.' During its prime in the 1960s and 70s, the Kharkiv plant repaired more than 60 tanks and 55 engines per month. Following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, however, many of the tanks on the site were left to rot as the newly independent Ukraine didn't have the money or desire to fix or modernise old machines. Despite production winding down in the 1990s, the plant never officially closed and a handful of mechanics remain on site doing occasional work repairing modern tanks. On Saturday, dozens of people were injured in Kharkiv when pro-Russian protesters, some brandishing axe handles and chains, stormed the city hall. The Russian flag was hoisted onto the building but by Sunday morning the crowd had left and local authorities were back in control +10 Forgotten guns: Pavel Itkin says once he got inside the plant he was able to walk around undisturbed for about two hours. He described the plant as 'stunning' +10 Pavel Itkin said: 'Just imagine over 400 tanks in one place, row after row of them.' The 18-year-old described him as 'amazed' by the scale of the depot +10 During its prime in the 1960s, the plant repaired more than 60 tanks and 55 engines per month, but work on the site ground to a halt after the fall of the Soviet Union