Crimean airport gambit adds pressure on new Ukrainian government
- 10 years ago
The seizing of key airports in the Crimea by unidentified armed men has raised the tension between Kyiv and Moscow.
For the moment not a shot has been fired, and normal airport operations have not been interrupted.
“Inside the airport, there are now armed men checking the perimeter of the airport. They are in impeccable combat uniforms, with rather sophisticated modern weapons and sniper rifles.
They have not released any statement and are not wearing any distinctive markings or recognizable insignia, so they cannot be identified as belonging to any army. But here all witnesses say they are Russian soldiers.
At the moment the airport is in business, it seems like a normal day in a normal airport. There are flights departing and arriving, and people arriving at the terminal all seem unconcerned. I do not know if inside they are, but there is absolutely no panic,” says euronews’ Sergio Cantone in Simferopol.
For the moment not a shot has been fired, and normal airport operations have not been interrupted.
“Inside the airport, there are now armed men checking the perimeter of the airport. They are in impeccable combat uniforms, with rather sophisticated modern weapons and sniper rifles.
They have not released any statement and are not wearing any distinctive markings or recognizable insignia, so they cannot be identified as belonging to any army. But here all witnesses say they are Russian soldiers.
At the moment the airport is in business, it seems like a normal day in a normal airport. There are flights departing and arriving, and people arriving at the terminal all seem unconcerned. I do not know if inside they are, but there is absolutely no panic,” says euronews’ Sergio Cantone in Simferopol.