Originally published on March 4, 2014
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The Washington Post reports that Russian tugboats and warships blocked several Ukrainian naval ships on Monday (March 3), forcing them to stay at port.
Russian forces are now reportedly in total control of a Crimean ferry terminal in the town of Kerch, and both Ukrainian and United States' officials say some 6,000 Russian troops are now inside the Crimean peninsula.
The Washington Post reports that the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet ordered Ukrainian naval vessels to transfer allegiance to the regional Crimean government or be boarded by Russian forces, a report Moscow dismissed as "utter nonsense," with a Russian ministry spokesman in Moscow saying absolutely no Russian ultimatum has been given to the Ukrainian military in Crimea.
Ukrainian ships, however, have begun preparing to thwart any boarding attempts by setting up fire hoses and tying mattresses along ship railings.
Meanwhile, reports say Russian troops have dug trenches along the narrow land border between Crimea and the rest of Ukraine.
Reuters reports that Ukraine's interim prime minister has urged the West to help keep Crimea part of his country, but he admitted that a Ukrainian military response to Russia's actions was, "not on the table."
The White House said U.S. Vice President Biden called Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev on Monday morning in the latest U.S. effort to resolve the crisis.
According to a statement from the vice president's office, Biden reportedly urged Russia to "pull back its forces, support the immediate deployment of international monitors to Ukraine, and begin a meaningful political dialogue with the Ukrainian government."
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