BY EMILY LUCIA
Assistant Editor
For several months, The Ukraine has been in turmoil. Rioters and protesters, unhappy with the Ukrainian government, have plagued the streets of Ukraine: just after the Sochi Olympics came to a close in February, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin sent troops into the troubled country to stop the protesters.
According to the Associated Press, “Troops under apparent Russian command have already deployed widely across the Ukraine’s southern province of Crimea, which is to hold a referendum Sunday [March 16] on seceding and merging with Russia. Ukraine has accused Russia of a military invasion, and the West is threatening Moscow with sanctions.”
On March 15th, witnesses in the eastern side of the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine reported that “advanced Russian surface-to-air missiles being offloaded and readied for movement.” And in a few naval bases in Crimea, several military members wait in fear of might happen in the next couple of days.
The Associated Press stated “Russia effectively took control of Crimea, where it has a large naval base, late last month after Moscow-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych fled the country in the wake of months of protests. The Kremlin says he was the victim of a coup and refuses to recognize the authorities who took over. The head of Crimea’s unrecognized Russian-backed government, Sergei Aksyonov, has said Ukrainian soldiers will be allowed to surrender peacefully, leave Crimea altogether or resign from the armed forces.”
