Crimea

“Suicide Bomber Battalion” formed on the Crimean border

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
9th April, 2016
 
The situation on the border with Crimea is far from ideal. Here, in cooperation with volunteers from the Aidar and Azov battalions, Crimean Tatar activists operate who, after their leader Refat Chubarov’s meeting with the Turkish leadership, started to form a national military unit. At the same time the Turkish authorities were equipping these units, the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko personally took a ride on the frigate “Hetman Sahaidachny” in Istanbul and brought them new uniforms.
Now the situation on the border with Crimea is on the verge of a social explosion. The excesses of the Tatar youths, among which activists of the extremist Turkish organization “Grey wolves” are seen, get on the nerves of the region’s people. It came to the point that the leaders of the Majlis demanded the Ukrainian authorities allocate them a portion of the territory of the Kherson region to create their own enclave.
The news that Crimean Tatars will ask for the most “appetizing” areas near the black sea coast is not much of a surprise as it has already happened in Crimea. Meanwhile, the Genichesk, Kalanchak, and Chaplynka districts are undergoing attacks on representatives of local business, during which the blockades by the activists extort financial support for their activities.
Now the passion has begun to subside a bit due to the fact that the activities of the organizers of the blockade of Crimea went far beyond the legal framework and drew the attention of the police and also the world community. In the end, they were forced to remove their posts and join the border guards, the so-called “public control” over the movement of people and goods across the border.
However, this activity also cannot fool anybody. Currently, there is a rapid formation of Crimean Tatar units. The “Crimea” Battalion had been previously created. Despite the number of volunteers falling short of a fully-fledged division, the soldiers have already been in the area of the ATO.
Currently the head of the Mejlis, Mustafa Dzhemilev announced the formation of a new battalion called “Asker”. He does not hide the fact that he supports bloody acts and the destabilization of the situation in Crimea. Volunteers who have been recruited in this formation called themselves the “Suicide Bomber Battalion” because they assert that they are prepared to “help” their compatriots on the Peninsula.
Despite the statement of Petro Poroshenko that Crimea will be returned peacefully, on March 21st, Chubarov spoke about a military solution to the issue. In his words, the Crimean Tatar units will follow the advancing units of the Ukrainian troops and will bring order to the territory.

VISA lifts sanctions against Crimea

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
1st February, 2016

GenBank, the largest financial institution of the Republic of Crimea under the anti-Russian Western sanctions, resumed work with the cards of Visa, the international payment system.
They now accept payment with cards from Russian issuing banks. The operation takes place through a national system of payment cards (NCBI) – all points are connected to the system of GenBank in Crimea and Sevastopol. They are also accepted for Visa services at ATMs. Earlier, the Peninsula started to use the Chinese system UnionPay.
An event all the more curious is that GenBank, the main Bank of the government of Crimea, 50% of its share capital belongs to the Executive authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan. There are more than 170 branches, 580 ATMs and POS terminals 960 of the Bank.
International payment system MasterCard and Visa stopped working within Russian Crimea at the end of December 2014. It was one of the first strikes of the sanctions, which was inflicted on the rebellious Russia by the United States.
It seems that times are changing. According to the authoritative American Agency Bloomberg, France and Germany are nervous about Ukraine, as are the USA.
Journalists, analysts and officials that were interviewed have predicted that the lifting of sanctions against Russia will happen later this year.
“The signs are obvious after the statement of U.S Secretary of State John Kerry, saying that in the coming months, the Minsk agreements will be implemented and it will to come to the point where sanctions could be lifted. After Kerry — not in Davos — German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and France’s Economic Minister Emmanuel Macron both said: “Europe needs to maintain close ties with Russia to resolve the Syrian conflict. They repeated what the Secretary of State said about the sanctions in exchange for the Minsk agreements”, — wrote Bloomberg.

Another explosion shuts down power to Crimea. What about the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant?

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Last month, sabotage shut down power to the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, which has 3 reactors. [1] This newest sabotage to the grid happened on December 30, 2015.

From Sputnik News January 1, 2016

Crimeans Ready to Endure Power Shortages to Remain Part of Russia – Poll

Over 90% of the residents of Crimea are ready to endure power shortages to ensure that their contract from Ukraine’s state energy company defines their peninsula to be legally part of Russia, a poll by post-Soviet Russia’s oldest polling institute has revealed.

On Wednesday [December 30, 2015], Crimea once again faced the disruption of its power supplies, authorities in Ukraine’s neighboring Kherson region confirming that an ‘explosion’ had damaged an electricity pylon. The abrupt cutoff coincided with the expiry of a contract for the supply of electricity from Ukraine to the peninsula. 

In late November, Crimean Tatar radicals and Right Sector militants had set up an ‘electricity blockade‘ of the peninsula, leaving Crimea almost completely without power until the first leg of the Russian energy bridge stretching across the Kerch Strait was completed, and supplies from Ukraine restored in early December.

Sevastopol Limits Use of Electricity Due to Ukraine Supply Cut http://sputniknews.com/russia/20151230/1032521228/sevastopol-power-cut.html

In response to the latest cut, Russian authorities instructed the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM), one of the country’s largest and most respected polling institutions, to conduct a poll of Crimeans’ views on the prospects for a new electricity supply contract with Ukraine.

The telephone poll, conducted between New Year’s Eve and January 1st, asked 3,025 residents two questions.

The first asked whether Crimeans would support signing a contract on the provision of electricity if the document were to read that Crimea and Sevastopol were ‘integral parts of Ukraine’, something which authorities in Kiev have insisted on. The second asked whether they would be ready to suffer energy shortages for the following three to four months if an energy deal with Ukraine could not be reached, while Russia completes the next leg of its energy bridge in the spring, allowing for the peninsula’s complete energy independence.

A resounding 93.1% of respondents said that they would not support a contract which stated that their peninsula was part of Ukraine, with 6.2% saying that they would support such a contract, and 0.7% finding it difficult to answer.

As to the second question, 94% of those polled said that they would be willing to endure energy shortages if a contract with Ukraine could not be reached, with another 5.4% saying that they would not, and 0.6% finding it difficult to answer.

The poll’s findings roughly match the results of a referendum held on the peninsula in March 2014, in the aftermath of the Maidan coup d’état in Kiev, after which the coup’s leaders publically threatened Russian-speakers in the east and south of the country. The referendum saw 96.77% of Crimeans and 95.6% of the residents of Sevastopol voting to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation, with Russian President Vladimir Putin ratifying the peninsula’s reunification with Russia on March 18, 2014.

http://sputniknews.com/russia/20160101/1032587226/crimea-electricity-shortages-poll.html

[1] http://www.fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/12/ukraine-on-brink-of-nuclear-disaster.html

Islyamov says Turkey is creating battalion to participate in blockade of Crimea

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
26th December, 2015

The Defense Ministry of Turkey is providing assistance in Ukraine by creating a volunteer battalion named “Noman of Celebicihan”, said the coordinator of the ‘civil action by blockade of Crimea’ Lenur Islyamov.
“Now we will form a new volunteer battalion named “Noman of Celebicihan”. Further, we expect a number of military units, which we must assign, but we are already receiving volunteer assistance for the battalion”, writes “Odessa crisis media center”.
“On Friday we received the first batch of Turkish military uniforms. The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine still itches to help, but the Turkish Ministry of Defense are already beginning to support us. We produced 250 sets of uniforms and shoes,” said Islyamov. 
“Soon we will have the appropriate number of military units, I think, by January 15th, we will gather at Chongar for the world Congress of Crimean Tatars, and the Executive Committee will be here. We will gather all Crimean Tatars from all over the world i.e. from USA, Canada, Poland, Romania, Turkey, some 43 countries,” he said.
According to him, “the battalion will consist of 560 people,” which “will be engaged in the tasks set by the General staff”. “But the main task is the protection of the border of Crimea. We will bring security to Crimea as soon as possible. The task of this battalion is to operate in the same way, the only way we know”, he said. In December, the Deputy of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, Mustafa Dzhemilev, during his visit to Turkey, met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and asked for funding for military units on the border with Crimea.

Donetsk resumes coal trade with Ukraine

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From Fort Russ

December 9, 2015 –

Translated for Fort Russ by J. Arnoldski
“Donbass resumes coal supply to Ukraine”
The supply of coal from the Donetsk People’s Republic to Ukraine has been resumed, the head of the external communications department of the Ukrainian company DTEK, Irina Milyutina, reported.
Although the loading of wagons has begun, coal has yet to pass the demarcation line.
An embargo on supplying coal to Ukraine was introduced on November 27, 2015. This was the response of Donetsk authorities to Kiev’s halting of the electricity supply to Crimea.
On November 22 in Kherson region, radicals blew up two power pylons leading to the peninsula. As a result of the extremists’ actions, the residents of Crimea found themselves faced with an energy blockade.
The head of the DPR, Alexander Zakharchenko, then said that coal supplies to Ukraine would be resumed only once the power supply to Crimea was restored. As a result of the coal embargo, Kiev had to purchase 320,000 tons of coal from South Africa.
On December 8, Ukraine resumed the supply of electricity to Crimea along the previously damaged “Kakhovskaya-Titan” line.
Russian president Vladimir Putin earlier proposed to resume the supply of coal to Ukraine during a meeting with members of the government in Kremlin. 
http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/12/donetsk-resumes-coal-trade-with-ukraine.html

State Department tells Americans not to travel to Crimea or Donbass

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From Fort Russ

Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ
15th December, 2015
Tvzvezda

The U.S. State Department has asked Americans not to travel to Crimea and the Donetsk and Lugansk regions of Ukraine. Those who currently dwell there are recommended by experts to urgently return home, or, in the very least, to leave the territories. The State Department has extended the warning against travel to these regions until July 2016.
The main threat to U.S. citizens comes from the forces of the militia. They, according to diplomats, can detain and even kidnap Americans in Crimea and in Donbass. “In addition, the government of Ukraine has stated that foreigners, including U.S. citizens who enter Ukraine from Russia through the territory of the separatist control will not be allowed to pass through checkpoints in government-controlled territory,” notes the state Department.
As a reminder, in April of last year the Ukrainian authorities waged war against the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk national republics. According to the United Nations, victims of the armed conflict reached more than 9 thousand people. To resolve the crisis in Donbass, a variety of ways are being tried, including meetings of the contact group in Minsk, which after a year already regulate three documents outlining specific steps to de-escalate the conflict.

Russia starts supplying power to Crimea

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From NHK World, Japan
12-3-15

Russia has started to supply electricity to Crimea as large-scale blackouts continue in the peninsula.

Crimea was annexed by Russia in March of last year.

It has been suffering blackouts since November 22nd. Ukrainian activists who oppose the annexation are suspected of blowing up electricity pylons in Ukraine.

The Russian government has declared a state of emergency and is working to repair the power lines.

Russia began supplying electricity on Wednesday after workers partially completed the construction of undersea cables connected to Crimea via the Black Sea, ending its reliance on Ukraine.

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, who is visiting Crimea, said the start of power supplies is significant in securing electricity for the peninsula. He urged workers to speed up building other cables.

Russian media report that about 900,000 people in Crimea were without electricity as of Wednesday. Water supplies are also restricted.

Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak says power from Russia only covers 60 percent of that needed so far.

The Russian government plans to begin supplying power through another cable this month.

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20151203_31.html

NOTE: “Activists” blow up electricity pylons? No, that’s terrorism. “Crimea annexed by Russia”, with no mention of the Crimean referendum to rejoin Russia overwhelmingly approved.

Yatsenyuk says Ukraine lacks coal for winter, extraordinary measures needed

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As Biden, Nuland, and McCain sit warm and toasty, enjoying holiday meals with their families, many of the people of Ukraine will be freezing and starving, including the people in the Donbass.

So many American and NATO leaders yelling “War!” from their armchairs, safe in the comfort of homes far from the suffering, shielded from the consequences.

November 30, 2015-
RusVesna –
Translated for Fort Russ by J. Arnoldski

“Yatsenyuk: Ukraine doesn’t have enough coal for the winter, extraordinary measures are needed”
The Prime Minister of Ukraine, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, has stated that Ukraine does not have enough stockpiles of coal for the winter. He demanded that an emergency plan of measures be worked out to solve the problem.
“According to the date which I have, it is clear that, as I warned three months ago, there is not a sufficient supply of coal. In order to avoid power outages as last year, I urgently demand an extraordinary plan of measures in order to pass the winter with a stable energy system in the country. This is now the topic of discussion,” Yatsenyuk stated during a meeting with the anti-crisis energy headquarters. 
According to him, the state has allocated necessary resources, and now needs to get down to business. 
The head of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, Vladimir Demchishin, said earlier on Friday that the coal reserves of Ukraine are sufficient for at least one month, “but in the longer term problems will arise.”
According to Demchishin, at the present moment supplies of coal from Russia and Donbass to Ukraine are restricted. 
This week, the Donetsk People’s Republic suspended deliveries of coal to Kiev-controlled territories and has stated that it will not resume deliveries until Ukraine restores the power supply to Crimea. 
http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/11/yatsenyuk-ukraine-lacks-coal-for-winter.html

Ukraine Parliament Deputy: Crimea will be Ukrainian or depopulated

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From Fort Russ
PolitNavigator
November 22, 2015
Verkhovna Rada Deputy: Crimea will be Ukrainian or depopulated
 Translated from Russian by Tom Winter

The electrical blackout in Crimea should be followed up with blockage of their water and gas, declared Igor Mosiychuk, deputy of the Verkhovna Rada.

“In addition to the food blockade of the Crimea, Ukraine and Ukrainians must implement three primary steps for the speedy release of Crimea from the Moscovian invaders:

 1) Continue the energy blockade of the Crimea with all available means;
2) Stop the water supply to the occupied peninsula;
3) Stop the supply and transit of gas to the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea.

 If the governing regime does not implement these measures to liberate the peninsula occupied by Moscow invaders, then the Ukrainians have a right to fight for the liberation of the Crimea without any warrant to do so from the authorities. And remember, that Crimea can be either Ukrainian or deserted! declared Mosiychuk in a prepared statement.
_______________________________
*No exact equivalent for bezlyudniy in English. Literally, “without people,” without any people.” Quite the euphemism. For the application of this “Ukraine or Desert” principle generally, see this from 2014.

 

http://fortruss.blogspot.com/2015/11/verkhovna-rada-deputy-crimea-will-be.html

Crimea blackout and blockade: a failed Kiev attempt to blackmail Russia

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Beyond the dire condition of the general Ukraine population this winter due to energy shortages and the vulnerable state of the electric grid due to no coal shipments from the Donbass and no money to pay for coal from other countries, is the fact that Ukraine’s many nuclear reactors are dependent on grid electricity. If the grid goes down, the reactors are extremely vulnerable if their generators don’t perform flawlessly.

As other articles have stated, since the coup d’état in February 2014, the country’s reactors have been in a perilous environment. The criminal Americans and Europeans supporting the Kiev regime, including Nuland, Kerry, Soros, Cameron, and McCain, are not paying attention to this situation. But then, the reality of Fukushima isn’t part of their consideration either, despite the heavy radiation impacts to the Pacific Ocean and already to America, particularly the West Coast.

The effects of another nuclear disaster would be immediate and cataclysmic. The frighteningly empty heads and the immorality of these politicians is putting everything on Earth at extreme risk. The world cannot afford their leadership.

Citizens of the sponsoring countries that have brought us here — particularly the United States — must loudly protest this crisis and do everything possible to arrest these leaders. To be silent risks a complete humanitarian and environmental calamity.

From Fort Russ

November 26, 2015 –
Oleg Makarenko, PolitRussia –
Translated for Fort Russ by J. Arnoldski

‘10 considerations on the Crimea blockade”

First, a few words about Turkey. I understand that the main topic now is the plain shot down by the Turks. It is already clear that Turkey made a big mistake and that there will be serious consequences for it. Vladimir Putin expressed quite definitively: “This loss is connected with the stab in the back by accomplices of terrorism.” Our president has called the government of Turkey an accomplice of terrorism, and how Russia will deal with these terrorists is known…
Nevertheless, I would still like to present a few considerations on the blockade of Crimea. If important decisions are now being made concerning Turkey, then the situation in Crimea has already become quite clear.
1. The situation with electricity in Crimea is quite sad, but it is not critical. Some stores are working and electricity generation is growing. It’s obvious that there will be blackouts, but important facilities such as, for example, hospitals, will have enough electricity available.
2. In Crimea there is quite a large fleet of powerful diesel generators which the state installed for Crimean enterprises earlier for free. Now these diesel generators are being confiscated from enterprises and over the next week will be distributed to strategically important infrastructural facilities. Another 300 small generators have been delivered to Crimea by plane by the Ministry for Emergency Situations. Thus, we can expect that after a week or two the issue of electricity will be more or less resolved. By the new year, the first energy bridge will be working which will allow the winter cold to be braved without problems. The final resolution of the electricity problem can be expected around spring time. 
3. The Chinese are working to run a cable across the Kerch Strait. The first energy bridge will be working on December 20. Why are the Chinese, and not the Russians paving it? Because, as you see, it is urgently needed but we have not yet developed the necessary technology. In fact, pay attention to the fact that the Chinese do not care that sanctions were imposed on Crimea. Relations with Russia are more important for them. 
4. Some are writing that, as they say, Stalin provided Crimea with full electricity in three weeks. This is a somewhat naive assumption.
First of all, the South of Russia has long had an energy deficit and there is a problem with capacity. Especially for Crimea the construction of the third energy unit of Rostov AES was accelerated and additional transmissions lines connecting Crimea with Kerch have been constructed. This is a large-scale construction project and a submarine cable is just a small part of this work.
Accomplishing this work at a faster rate can only be economic at the expensive of quality, yet the situation with electricity with Crimea is not so urgent that a risk should be taken.
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