Crimea: US Urges Russia To Show Restraint

US Warship In Black Sea Amid Ukraine Crisis

Updated: 7:53pm UK, Friday 07 March 2014

Turkey scrambled fighters jets after a Russian surveillance plane flew along Turkey's Black Sea Coast, shortly after a US destroyer sailed through the area.

The report comes amid heightened tension over the crisis in Ukraine.

The USS Truxtun passed the Dardanelles strait on its way to the Black Sea, amid reports that Russia has now 30,000 troops in Crimea.

The US Navy said in a statement that the Truxtun would conduct training with Romanian and Bulgarian naval forces.

"While in the Black Sea, the ship will conduct a port visit and routine, previously planned exercises with allies and partners in the region," it said.

Crimea is home to Russia's Black Sea military base in Sevastopol.

The Obama administration has taken steps to support the defences of US allies in Europe.

The Pentagon also sent six US F-15 fighter jets in Lithuania to bolster air patrols over the Baltics.

The fighter jets and 60 US military personnel landed at Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania, adding to the four F-15s and 150 troops already there to do the air patrol mission.

The warship, which has a crew of about 300 sailors, is part of an aircraft carrier strike group that deployed from the US in mid-February.

"This type of ship is one of the mainstays of the US Navy, pretty advanced, relatively recent," said defence analyst Francis Tusa.

Mr Tusa said that while military training exercises are routine, on this occasion the US appeared to make sure "people were aware that this was happening" to raise its profile.

"It's almost perfect," he told Sky News.

"You can both make the Russians aware the ship is going into the Black Sea - but it's a pre-planned deployment, so you're not flooding the area with a fleet.

"It's best of both worlds."

The straits has seen increased naval traffic amid the escalating tension between Ukraine and Russia.   

One Ukrainian ship and two Russian ships were seen passing through the Bosphorus strait on Tuesday.

President Barack Obama has already ordered sanctions on people responsible for Moscow's military intervention in the Crimean peninsula, including travel bans and freezing of their US assets.

He also said a referendum by the region to join Russia would violate international law.

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Russian Expats Eye Future Of Crimea From US

Ukrainians In Their Own Words

Updated: 3:20am UK, Sunday 09 March 2014

Three citizens of Ukraine write for Sky News about the sense of dread gripping ordinary people as their country slides towards conflict with its powerful neighbour.

:: Marina's story

"The course of life is the same in the capital of Ukraine. People go to work, visit cafes, cinemas and shopping centres. Public transport operates as normal. No special precautions need to be taken while on the streets.

"But there is a growing feeling that something is going to happen. Politics has become a part of daily life in Ukraine.  People discuss the latest news everywhere - in the streets, on public transport, in cafes, at home and at work. 

"Having lived through these past months, people have hardly had any time to realise what changes had taken place in the country. Hardly any time to mourn over people who perished on streets of Kiev.   

"At present we check news hourly. Everyone shares news, reposts important messages on social platforms, and leaves comments on news sites.

"Ukrainian men of all ages in Kiev and other cities and towns of their own free will are registering at military enlistment offices. The number is more than enough.

"We are facing an information war. The amount of misinformation, misinterpretation of events and barefaced lies from the Russian mass media is staggering and detrimental as the result.

"The news is presented in the most twisted way. It is so unbelievable that it becomes a farce. Ukrainians speak to their family and friends in Russia to try to explain what is really going on in Ukraine.

"Some months ago we thought that our worst enemy on the way to better life and a more prosperous country was the corrupted and vicious president and his environment - but it turned out to be just the tip of the iceberg.

"It has been about two weeks since it became known that Russian troops stepped on Crimean soil right after the transitional Ukrainian government was formed.

"It was almost impossible to get rid of the corrupt government, but such a great unity of people, speaking both Russian and Ukrainian from different regions of Ukraine got together and did it.

"It is obvious that Russia has its own interest in Ukraine with Crimea being the pretext. The goal is to destabilise our country, bring chaos and civil unrest and eventually prove to the world that Ukraine is incapable to hold its sovereignty."

:: Nastya's story

"I come from the eastern part of Ukraine, from a city called Sumy, which is 60km from the border with Russia.

"I speak both Russian and Ukrainian, and consider them both my native languages. Never in my life was I humiliated or abused because of speaking Russian. 

"We are used to being bilingual and 99% of the people I personally know support European values, no matter which language they speak.

"The issue of languages and nationalities is just a thing to manipulate us with during the election campaign and sadly now, to draw us into a terrible war which no one needs.

"Both of my grandfathers took part in the Second World War, fighting against German fascists. 

"They are probably turning in their graves because the people they were fighting with shoulder to shoulder against fascists, are now invading our beautiful land and calling us fascists for simply loving our country.

"It's like a bad divorce, when you don't recognise the person you've been living with all you life.

"This situation seems surreal. Germany is trying to convince Russia not to attack Ukraine. It's like a bad dream.

"It's like a bug in the system which prevents it from functioning correctly. It is beyond our understanding and our system of values.

"We are all very scared, too. For our children, our families, our future. We are praying to God to save Ukraine and our people. To make the people who make horrible decisions to come to their senses.

"We are asking the world to help us, because if the evil isn't stopped now, it will be next to impossible to stop it from spreading all over the world."

:: Ivan's story

"Right now the situation in Kiev has certainly cooled off and the main focus is on Crimea.

"During Maidan protests we were advised to avoid Maidan (Independence Square) and the centre of Kiev. Particularly the areas around the centre were very dangerous.

"There were a lot of reports of people just disappearing or being beaten up by 'Berkut' special forces. Former government forces showed their true attitude towards citizens.

"Thugs hired by the former government, people dressed in sports wear that were noticeably well-trained. We call them 'titushki'. Their purpose was to frighten, bully, or simply beat up the peaceful population of the city.

"They walked through police barriers without even a single question asked, while members of the public were not permitted in and did not get any answers as to why that was even allowed.

"As to the pro-Russian mood in the east of the country, people are very proud over there and do not like to be told what to do.

"Through lies and by playing on their feelings (many have families and relatives in Russia) they were duped into believing that Maidan protestors are fascist thugs who will take away their right to speak Russian, which is complete and utter rubbish.

"True, there are people who support partnership with Russia, but what they certainly do not support is Russia's military intervention. They hate the fact that Putin decided that we aren't capable of solving our own problems.

"The majority of people have changed their mindset and want our country to embrace other values, different to the values of a post Soviet bloc country.

"And that makes Putin go mad. He lost his grip on us - his puppet is no longer our president and, believe me, no one in southeast Ukraine or in Crimea is crying crocodile tears over him.

"I can assure you that people from both sides agree that Yanukovich is corrupt, incompetent and, frankly speaking, stupid."

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Malaysia Plane's 'Four Suspect' Passengers

Officials are investigating the identity of four passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines plane - but have not determined if the plane was downed in a terror attack.

Malaysia's defence and transport minister Hishamuddin Hussein told a news conference in Kuala Lumpur: "All the four names are with me."

He confirmed Malaysian investigators have met counterparts from the FBI, and said the operation is focusing on "the entire passenger manifest".

It emerged on Saturday that two people boarded the Boeing 777-200 using stolen European passports.

"On the issue of the passports, I'm in touch with the international intelligence agencies," he said.

A relative of a passenger on the flight waits for news in Beijing

"At the same time our own intelligence has been activated, and of course, the counter-terrorism units...from all the relevant countries have been informed."

Asked whether he believes the plane was hijacked, he would only say: "We are looking at all possibilities."

Flight MH370, carrying 239 passengers and crew, was travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it vanished around two hours into the flight.

The two oil slicks seen off Vietnam

The plane disappeared from radar at 1.30am (5.30pm UK time) on Friday, about 85 miles (135km) north of the Malaysian city of Kuala Terengganu.

A huge search involving 22 aircraft and 40 ships is continuing in the vast waters of the Gulf of Thailand, between Vietnam and Malaysia.

It has concentrated around the Vietnamese island resort of Phu Quoc after Vietnamese air force jets spotted two huge oil slicks in the area.

The parallel slicks - both between 10 miles (16km) and 12 miles (19km) long and 500 metres apart - were consistent with the kind of spills caused by fuel from a crashed airliner, a Vietnamese government statement said.

A photo of the missing plane - seen taking off in Paris in 2011

The search has now widened to Malacca, on the west coast of Malaysia, after radar data indicated the plane may have turned back from its scheduled route to Beijing before disappearing.

US federal safety officials have said a team of experts are heading to Asia to help in the investigation.

The team includes accident investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board, as well as technical experts from the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

Earlier today, Malaysia's Civil Aviation chief Azaharudin Abdul Rahman said so far search teams have not found any debris from the plane.

"So far there is no report of any sightings," he said. "We have extended our area of operations which includes the west side of Malaysia."

The jet is reported to have crashed in the ocean off southern Vietnam

Mr Rahman said no other aircraft in the Malaysia Airlines fleet would be grounded and indicated there were "no abnormalities" in the data received from the flight.

Two-thirds of the jet's passengers were from China. The rest were from elsewhere in Asia, North America and Europe.

The plane's disappearance is especially mysterious because it apparently happened when the plane was at cruising altitude, not during the more dangerous phases of take-off or landing.

Officials say they are examining CCTV footage of passengers boarding the plane after it emerged two passengers had been travelling on stolen passports.

The airline listed one of the passengers on the plane as a 37-year-old Italian called Luigi Maraldi.

Family members have complained of a lack of information

However, Mr Maraldi has contacted his parents to say he was not on the airliner.

He had his passport stolen in Thailand several months ago, leaving questions over who used his passport to board the plane and whether that has anything to do with the airliner's disappearance.

Another passenger was using a passport belonging to Austrian citizen Christan Kozel. He is listed as one of the passengers although he has been confirmed as safe and well by authorities.

His passport was stolen in Thailand two years ago.

Relatives are still waiting anxiously at Beijing airport for news of people on board the plane.

Distraught relatives and friends wait at Beijing International Airport

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