Russia accuses Ukraine of intervention in Crimea

Russia has accused "prominent political circles in Kiev" of trying to violently seize control of the interior ministry in Crimea, heightening fears of conflict in the majority Russian-populated region where Moscow has fanned tensions.

"In the night to 1 March, unidentified armed people who were sent from Kiev undertook an attempt to seize the building of the ministry of the interior. As a result of the treacherous provocation, there were casualties," the Russian foreign ministry said. "Thanks to the decisive actions of self-defence units, the seizure […] could be averted."

The ministry said the alleged incident confirmed the desire of prominent political circles in the Ukrainian capital to destabilise the situation.

The statement came as Russian news agencies reported that the Kremlin had assured the new Russia-friendly prime minister of Crimea of its support.

Sergey Aksyonov, whom the regional parliament appointed prime minister on Thursday as part of a series of pro-Russian moves, had sent an "appeal to Russian president Vladimir Putin to assist in maintaining peace and tranquillity in the territory of Crimea," reported Interfax, Ria Novosti and Itar-Tass. They quoted the Russian presidential administration as saying Russia would not disregard the appeal.

Mr Putin's spokesman did not respond to a request for comment.

Mr Aksyonov has moved up the autonomous region's referendum calling for a further break from Ukrainian rule from May 25, the scheduled date for Ukraine's snap presidential elections, to March 30.

Ukraine's newly appointed prime minister called upon Russia to "immediately pull back" its troops in Crimea and "not provoke". Otherwise "responsibility for the stand-off will lie solely on the Russian side and personally on its leadership," said Arseniy Yatseniuk.

"There is now in Crimea an inappropriate presence of Russian military forces . . . a violation of the base agreements for the temporary presence of the Russian Federation's Black Sea Fleet on Ukrainian territory," he said at a Saturday cabinet meeting.

Earlier, Mr Aksyonov had declared he was taking control of local security and police forces which were earlier subordinated to the central government.

The statements came after the control of Ukraine's central government over Crimea appeared to be challenged.

Russia uses Sevastopol and nearby areas as a base and training ground for its Black Sea Fleet. Ukraine's border guard service said Russian military forces had violated the agreement governing its forces numerous times on Friday. It said 11 Russian helicopters flew over Crimea without permission, while eight Russian military aircraft had landed on the peninsula without notification and refused to pass through customs control. There was also unsanctioned movement by Russian naval vessels and blockades by them of Ukrainian coast guard vessels.

Mr Aksyonov said the armed troops guarding airport and key Crimean buildings ware Russian marines from Sevastopol naval base, Interfax reported on Saturday.

Late on Friday, Serhiy Kunitsin, acting president Oleksandr Turchynov's envoy to Crimea, said a de facto military invasion of the peninsula was under way. He said Russia had brought in almost 2,000 extra troops to Crimea on board military flights.

Crimean airspace was closed, and the main road to the Ukrainian mainland was reported to be blocked by armed patrols, while fixed-line phone communication with Crimea was cut off. Meanwhile, sightings of Russian troops were reported from several spots on the peninsula.

An emergency session of the United Nations Security Council convened in response to a request from the new Ukrainian government issued a statement calling for the continued unity and territorial integrity of the country.

US ambassador Samantha Power called for an independent mediation mission to help lower tension in Crimea and proposed it could include representatives from the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe and Robert Serry, a special UN envoy to Ukraine.

Russia quickly rejected the idea. "The authorities in Crimea need to be asked what they think about this. We are against imposed mediation," Itar Tass reported Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin as saying. He added the idea had to be discussed and analysed.

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