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Looking at the press, there doesn't seem to be.
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Russia's FSB security service said on Wednesday it had thwarted "terrorist attacks" in Crimea this week by Ukrainian military intelligence and beaten back armed assaults, but Kiev fiercely denied the claims. The allegations ratcheted up the heat in a feud sparked by Moscow's 2014 seizure of the Black Sea peninsula from Ukraine and raised fears of possible wider conflict. The UN Security Council was to discuss the growing tensions later Thursday at the request of Ukraine, a non-permanent council member. Ukraine's pro-Western President Petro Poroshenko met his top brass and ordered forces along the frontier with Crimea and across the conflict-wracked east onto "high-alert level".
More than 9,000 people have been killed since a Moscow-backed insurgency erupted in eastern Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin also held a meeting with security chiefs to discuss "additional measures for ensuring security for citizens and essential infrastructure in Crimea," the Kremlin said in a statement. "Scenarios were carefully considered for anti-terrorist security measures at the land border, in the waters and in the airspace of Crimea," it said. Meanwhile a NATO official told AFP that the US-led military alliance was monitoring the heightened Crimea tensions with concern. The official, who asked not to be named, said that "Russia’s recent military activity in Crimea is not helpful for easing tensions", and called on Moscow "to work for calm and de-escalation."
'Dangerous game'
Russia's FSB security services said one of its officers was killed in armed clashes while arresting "terrorists" on the overnight of August 6-7, while a Russian soldier died in a firefight with "sabotage-terrorist" groups sent by the Ukrainian military on August 8. An irate Putin accused Kiev of "practising terror" and warned that the deaths of the two Russian officers would have consequences. "We obviously will not let such things slide by," Putin said. "This is a very dangerous game." Russia's foreign ministry reiterated Thursday that Kiev would not go unpunished. "We want to warn Kiev and its Western sponsors that the losses incurred to the Russian side, the death of Russian servicemen, will not remain without consequences," a ministry statement said.
Poroshenko had hit back on Wednesday, saying Moscow's claims were "senseless and cynical." "Fantasies are only another pretext for the next military threats toward Ukraine," he said. Two residents living on the Russian-controlled side of the Crimea-Ukraine frontier told AFP there had been an unexplained build-up of Russian military hardware in the area over the past few weeks. Russia is holding nationwide legislative elections next month -- including in Crimea -- and the FSB said the alleged raids could be aimed at destabilising the situation ahead of the vote.
'Crude provocation'
On Wednesday, Russia’s state security agency, the F.S.B., claimed that it had blocked an attack on Crimea by “sabotage-terrorist groups” sponsored by the Ukrainian government, though two Russian soldiers were killed. Mr. Putin accused the Ukrainian government of using terrorism to incite conflict over Crimea, which has been heavily militarized since Russia annexed it from Ukraine in 2014. He warned ominously, “We obviously will not let such things slide by.” Russia has increased its military presence in and around Crimea, adding to fears that Moscow might be planning another military intervention in Ukraine. But while Mr. Putin is nothing if not unpredictable, analysts say this may be about Russia seeking diplomatic leverage rather than prepping for war.
What is actually happening in Crimea?
There are two sets of overlapping events, both shrouded in mystery: the supposed recent attack on Crimea and Russia’s buildup there. The official Russian account lays out the first as follows: It began late on Saturday, when F.S.B. officers discovered a group of saboteurs just on the Crimean side of the land border with Ukraine. A firefight ended with one F.S.B. officer killed and several of the saboteurs captured. Then on Monday, Ukrainian special forces attempted to cross into Crimea, killing one Russian soldier in what the agency called “massive firing” over the border.
The Russian media later cited government sources as saying the captured saboteurs were Crimean residents who had confessed to planning attacks on local tourist facilities. Moscow insists that Ukraine sponsored the plot.
Continue reading the main story It’s difficult to judge the truth of these claims. Ukraine denies them, and both the United States and the European Union say Russia has provided no evidence. An open-source analysis group, the Digital Forensic Research Lab, found some indications of a firefight on Saturday, but little to back up Moscow’s grander claims. Russia has been known to distort or misstate events to serve political ends, particularly within the fog of Ukraine’s still-ongoing conflict.
That doesn’t mean that Russia’s claims are all false. Ukrainian militias last year sabotaged electricity pylons that power Crimea, and some of them are involved in criminal activity and human rights violations. An attempted attack in Crimea is not out of the question, though there is little reason to suspect the Ukrainian government would sponsor such a plot. Whatever happened, images found by open-source analysts suggest that Russia has been escalating its military presence in Crimea since at least Saturday — before the supposed attack occurred. These show convoys of heavy weapons moving on the peninsula, including missile systems intended for coastal defense.
A disturbingly familiar Russian escalation
It's called a 'stand-off'. The US is nurturing enemies to have on hand when they need a diversion. So far they've already got their citizens hyped up to fear Iran, North Korea, Libya, Syria, Yemen, China, al Qaida, ISIS, Hizbollah, the Taliban, Al Shabab, Hamas, Socialists, Leftists, Liberals, American Vietnam Veterans, American Iraq/Afghanistan Veterans Against the War, 9/11 Firefighter Veterans demanding medical aid for Asbetos sufferers, and the Old Timer Car Club of Paris. They are now hoping to include Russia on their list of "Oh my God! They are going to kill us all!"Looking at the press, there doesn't seem to be.
Any opinions?