Is the United States engaged in plans to ‘oust’ Russia’s Black Sea Fleet from its centuries-old home port in Ukraine? According to this news item from Russia’s Moskovskii Komsomolets, the United States is offering U.S. naval vessels to Ukraine in order to assist them with a plan that includes whipping up a crisis that would allow the Ukrainian leader to impose a state of emergency in an effort to eject Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
Yekaterina Petukhova and Oleg Bazak report for Moskovskii Komsomolets in part:
“According to information received from Sevastopol [the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet], Ukrainian plainclothes police units are now said to be posted near Russia’s military bases to surveil Black Sea Fleet Marines. Rumors have been circulating for the past month that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko might use the ‘option of force’ to seize extraordinary powers and provoke rioting in Crimea. ”
In regard to America’s role in this, the report says in part:
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian president’s American friends are ready to contribute to the withdrawal of the Black Sea Fleet from Crimea – even if the price is the transfer of U.S. naval vessels. During a meeting with Ukrainian Defense Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, U.S. Defense Secretary Gates informed his colleague that the Pentagon intends to transfer American Naval vessels to “independent” Ukraine. … in the opinion of Andrei Senchenko, a member of the Crimean Rada (Crimean Parliament), “the president clearly needs American ships to carry out provocations around the country, which would then enable him to introduce martial law or a state of emergency.”
By Yekaterina Petukhova and Oleg Bazak
Translated By Yekaterina Blinova
October 11, 2008
Russia – Moskovskii Komsomolets -Original Article (Russian)
News of the dissolution of the Tsentralna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) on the Black Sea Fleet was met with enhanced security measures.
According to information received from Sevastopol [the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet], Ukrainian plainclothes police units are now said to be posted near Russia’s military bases to surveil Black Sea Fleet Marines. Rumors have been circulating for the past month that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko might use the “option of force” to seize extraordinary power and provoke rioting in Crimea. Moskovskii Komsomolets has attempted to investigate the situation surrounding the Black Sea Fleet.
On one of our online forums, the brother of a Black Sea Fleet officer posted the following comment: “ … It was just announced in Crimea: increased duty for the Black Sea Fleet has been put into effect, officers have been told to return to their barracks, units of reinforcement are being mustered … In [the city of] Sevastopol, it is now forbidden to appear in uniform …”
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