28 Feb 2014

Armed men in unmarked combat fatigues seize Simferopol International Airport and a military airfield in Sevestopol. The interim Ukrainian government accuses Russia of aggression. United Nations Security Council holds an emergency closed-door session to discuss the situation in Crimea. The United States warns Russia of militarily intervening in Ukraine.

Yanukovich holds a press conference, in southern Russia. He speaks in Russian throughout, even though while in Presidency he mainly spoke in Ukrainian. He insists he remains president and says he opposes any military intervention or division of Ukraine. He claims he was not fleeing Kyiv, but ‘visiting friends’.  He accuses the interim government of staging a coup d’etat, and apologises to ‘his country’ for failing to stablise the situation away from the ‘bandits’ ‘thieves’ ‘thugs’ ‘fascists’ that have taken over Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Russia claims military movements in Crimea are in line with previous agreements to protect its fleet position in the Black Sea.