17:13
16.3.2014
RFE/RL Ukrainian Service video of thousands of pro-Moscow protesters in Donetsk chanting "Russia!" and breaking through a police line to storm the regional prosecutor's office before raising a Russian flag from an upper floor of the building. They were demanding the release of separatist leader Pavel Gubarev.
17:26
16.3.2014
Interfax reports that overall voter turnout in the Crimean referendum reached 75.9% by 6 p.m. local time.
The Russian wire agency cites referendum Commission Chairman Mikhail Malyshev as saying turnout was 83.5% in Sevastopol, 73.41 in Crimea not including Sevastopol, and that 1.379 million voters cast their ballots two hours before polls close at 8 p.m.
Results are expected to be announced shortly after polling stations close.
The Russian wire agency cites referendum Commission Chairman Mikhail Malyshev as saying turnout was 83.5% in Sevastopol, 73.41 in Crimea not including Sevastopol, and that 1.379 million voters cast their ballots two hours before polls close at 8 p.m.
Results are expected to be announced shortly after polling stations close.
17:45
16.3.2014
Does anyone else see Ukrainian flag inside Russian here? @Paralympic closing ceremony: http://t.co/JF8XnArOAx
— Russian Police Watch (@RusPoliceWatch) March 16, 2014
17:46
16.3.2014
"Russian Spring?"
Andriy Parubiy, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has told Kanal 5 television that the reported truce between Ukraine and Russia in Crimea came after the failure of large-scale, anti-Ukrainian actions codenamed "Russian Spring".
Parubiy tells the pro-Kyiv channel that the operation was planned to be staged in eight Ukrainian regions, where people's governors were to be named and regional administrations seized.
"We can say today that their plan has failed," Parubiy said in live telephone comments aired by Kanal 5. He notes that events in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv regions were large, but gathered fewer people than planned by "the separatists and the outside forces of the Kremlin spin doctors."
"Therefore, we can now say that they have a huge problem because their plans of entering Ukraine are failing," Parubiy said. " It is therefore obvious that the statement they made today about the so-called truce is evidence that the Kremlin groups which are working on technologies for Ukraine are fairly confused and have no idea what course of action to take."
Andriy Parubiy, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, has told Kanal 5 television that the reported truce between Ukraine and Russia in Crimea came after the failure of large-scale, anti-Ukrainian actions codenamed "Russian Spring".
Parubiy tells the pro-Kyiv channel that the operation was planned to be staged in eight Ukrainian regions, where people's governors were to be named and regional administrations seized.
'#Russian Spring' revolts in 8 Eastern #Ukraine oblasts plannd by #Russia -NatlSecurity chief Parubiy #RussiaInvasion pic.twitter.com/nvh6SyM5Qo
— Ukrainian Updates (@Ukroblogger) March 16, 2014
"We can say today that their plan has failed," Parubiy said in live telephone comments aired by Kanal 5. He notes that events in the Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kharkiv regions were large, but gathered fewer people than planned by "the separatists and the outside forces of the Kremlin spin doctors."
"Therefore, we can now say that they have a huge problem because their plans of entering Ukraine are failing," Parubiy said. " It is therefore obvious that the statement they made today about the so-called truce is evidence that the Kremlin groups which are working on technologies for Ukraine are fairly confused and have no idea what course of action to take."
18:13
16.3.2014
Reuters quotes the White House in Washington as saying that "we are long past the days" when the world would "stand quietly by while one country forcibly seizes the territory of another."
It also says that Russia will face "increasing costs" for its military intervention and alleged violation of international law in Ukraine.
It also says that Russia will face "increasing costs" for its military intervention and alleged violation of international law in Ukraine.
18:16
16.3.2014
Russia's RIA news agency has been quoted as reporting that exit polls suggest 93 percent of votes in the Crimean referendum -- which Kyiv and the West reject as illegitimate -- favored joining the Russian Federation.
18:18
16.3.2014
Polls have reportedly closed in Crimea.
18:26
16.3.2014
In Washington, the White House has rejected the vote as a process held under "threats of violence and intimidation" by the Russian military.
18:33
16.3.2014
No journalists are being allowed to observe the counting of votes at polling stations in Crimea, according to RFE/RL's Russian Service.
Журналистам не разрешают присутствовать при подсчете голосов в #Крым http://t.co/ZWEZplSvWg
— Радио Свобода (@SvobodaRadio) March 16, 2014
18:40
16.3.2014
The only way 93% of Crimeans voted to join #Russia is if all of the 45% of residents that are ethnic Tatars and Ukrainians stayed hom.
— Hannah Thoburn (@HannahThoburn) March 16, 2014