Russian versus Tartars Shouting 'Allah Akbar" in confrontation outside regional assembly in Simferopol.

Live blogging and updating :

Far more serious — the Russian military has announced a series of surprise drills, in what is being seen as a major provocation:

Russian President Vladi­mir Putin ordered surprise military exercises Wednesday and put troops in the area on high alert starting at 2 p.m. Moscow time. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said the drills were aimed at checking preparedness “for action in crisis situations that threaten the nation’s military security,” but he made no mention of Ukraine.

The exercises, due to start Friday and last four days, will also involve elements of the Russian navy and air force, Shoigu said.

The exercises, he said, involve the western military district, which abuts Ukraine’s northeastern border and is headquartered in St. Petersburg, and units of the central district, which covers a vast swath across the middle of Russia and is headquartered in the Ural Mountain city of Yekaterinburg. The district closest to the Crimea, the area with the greatest agitation for Russian protection, is not involved.“

According to the order of the President of the Russian Federation today at 14.00, all divisions and units of the Western Military District are on alert, as well as the 2nd Army of the Central Military District, the command of Air-Space Defense, paratrooper divisions, and short- and long-range air transport units,” said Shoygu at the MoD meeting.

In Sevastopol, the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation military lists serve families of seamen in case of evacuation. This 0692.ua reported a source in the Black Sea Fleet.

In case of possible provocations against military equipment, facilities, vehicles, military, naval infantry brigades listed on high alert, particularly Temryuk Brigade, and others - also the source said.

And in the center of Sevastopol February 25 saw the APC. - Indeed, movements occur within a single technology anti terrorist measures to strengthen the protection of objects of the Russian Federation - Site ForPost correspondent confirmed a source close to the leadership of the Black Sea Fleet.



Related:

Moscow will protect ‘compatriots’ in Ukraine, says Russian lawmaker,
.  “If lives and health of our compatriots are in danger, we won’t stay aside,” said Leonid Slutsky.





Headline on @ukrpravda_news says that Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov is going to Crimea. This can't turn out well. 


Update: HT: Roland Oliphant

Sevastopol to Simferopol road crammed with cars headed to today's pro-revolution Tatar rally, or the anti revolution Russian one.Edit that; definitely a Tatar convoy, and picking up more as they travel.Insane Russian versus Tartar confrontation outside regional assembly in Simferopol today.
Update:

Bottles, stones and flags flew in the air as thousands of pro-and anti-Russian demonstrators clashed in front of the parliament building in Simferopol, the capital of Ukraine's autonomous Crimea region.

The rival groups are protesting for and against the new national authorities in Kiev. Part of the residents proclaimed that Crimea are not going to obey Kiev, while the local Muslim community of Crimean Tatars expressed support for the new Ukrainian authorities.

Two separate rallies, consisting of several thousands of protesters, are facing each other. Russians are shouting "Russia-Russia!" And "Berkut!", The name of the special police task force disbanded yesterday by the new Ukrainian authorities, who blame them for heavy-handed policing of opposition activists in recent months in central Kiev.

The Muslim community protesters are shouting "Ukraine-Ukraine!" And "Crimea is not Russia!" Pro-Russian demonstrators are holding Russian flags, while Tatars are holding Ukrainian flags and flags of their own nationalist organizations.

Video footage from the scene appears to show that both sides are preparing for a clash.

The police officers who temporarily left the scene have now returned to the square and are attempting to separate the two sides.The police are unarmed except for rubber batons.

The parliament of the Crimea autonomous region is now deciding when to hold a session to declare the region's official position toward the new authorities in Kiev. The Tatar community has spoken out sharply against holding a parliamentary session on the issue.

The speaker of the Crimean parliament, Vladimir Konstantinov, dismissed reports in the region's media that MPs would discuss the possible secession of the Crimea Autonomous Region from Ukraine.
"The Crimean parliament is not discussing the issue of secession from the state of Ukraine. This is A Provocation Aimed at discrediting the Autonomous Region's Supreme Council, to Deprive it of ITS Legitimacy, " he Said in A statement released Wednesday.

The Russian rally is demanding that the Crimea autonomous region declare independence and ask for assistance from Russia. Read the full story as it evolves here.