Crimean crisis. March 12-13

Russia is building up a military presence in the Crimea. According to Kyiv, on the peninsula itself and near the eastern borders of Ukraine, a 220,000th Russian group with tanks and aviation was deployed. The Ukrainian leadership and military command actually admitted that they were not ready to fight for the Crimea. In the Kremlin, they threaten immediately after the referendum to adopt the peninsula in the Russian Federation on the rights of the republic without changing Russian laws. Crimean Tatars will boycott the referendum.

A billboard in Simferopol. Photo: A. Stenin/RIA "Novosti"