Crimea hit by power blackout and Ukraine trade boycott

[GennGreymane]

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-34899491

Ukraine has suspended trade with Crimea, where a power blackout has caused major disruption.
Only essential services and government offices are operating in Crimea after key electricity pylons connected to the peninsula were knocked down in Ukraine.

Protesters - including Crimean Tatars - are preventing repairs to the pylons.
The Ukrainian government says new rules for cargo traffic need to be worked out for Crimea, which was annexed by Russian forces in March 2014.
There has been disruption to road and rail traffic to and from Crimea since Ukrainian nationalists and Crimean Tatars began a border blockade in September.

A Tatar leader, Mustafa Dzhemilev, said the protesters would only let engineers repair two pylons that serve areas of mainland Ukraine - not the two linked to the peninsula, which is controlled by a pro-Moscow government.
Russia does not have a land border with Crimea, which gets about 70% of its electricity from Ukraine.
Economic impact

Most of Crimea's two million people have been hit by the power cut. There are also some water shortages.
Public transport is still running and Crimean hospitals are using generators. But the blackout has shut down many businesses and plunged the streets into darkness.

A state of emergency was imposed in Crimea on Sunday after the four pylons were damaged. Monday was declared a non-working day.

The blackout cut cable and mobile internet and forced the closure of some 150 schools.
It is still not clear exactly how the pylons were damaged in Kherson, a Ukrainian region adjacent to Crimea. That region has been tense since Russia's annexation of Crimea - an act that was condemned internationally.

Crimean Tatar activists suggested that the weakened pylons were blown down by the wind.
But Ukraine's state energy company, Ukrenergo, said the damage was caused by "shelling or the use of explosive devices".

A Tatar symbol was tied around a damaged pylon in Kherson
Trade tensions

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said the government "is temporarily banning cargo traffic on the administrative border" between Ukraine and Crimea.

He also warned that Ukraine would respond in kind if Russia introduced an embargo on Ukrainian products, as Moscow has threatened to do.
Russia is angry at Ukraine's decision to implement a free trade agreement with the EU in January 2016. Russia says the deal will undermine its producers, because EU exporters are likely to use Ukraine as a back door into the Russian market.

Russia has blamed Ukrainian nationalists from far-right party Right Sector and Crimean Tatar activists for the pylon damage, calling it "an act of terrorism".

A Crimean Tatar activist told Ukraine's TV news broadcaster 112 Ukrayina that Russia must release "political prisoners" and let their leader return to Crimea in exchange for repairs to the power lines.
Emergency timetable

Crimean Tatar activists accuse Russia of abusing Tatar rights and denying them a voice since a pro-Moscow government was installed in Crimea.
Images on social media show Ukrainian flags on some damaged pylons - and Crimean Tatar flags on others.
Power cut in Simferopol shopImage copyrightReuters

An electrical shop in Simferopol is among many businesses temporarily shut down by the emergency
Crimean authorities said they had managed to partially reconnect the cities of Simferopol, Yalta and Sevastopol using generators.
Emergency power-saving measures have been imposed: Sevastopol is getting three hours' supply, followed by a six-hour cut; in Simferopol residents have three-hour power cuts three times a day.

Russia has started laying undersea cables to connect Crimea to its power grid. But the first phase will only take effect next month and the switch to Russia as the main supplier will take several years to complete.
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[Tackhisis]

It is still not clear exactly how the pylons were damaged in Kherson

It is rather clear that they were damaged in an act of terrorism.

[Collegeguy]

You must construct additional pylons.

[Baneth]

Russia-Ukraine Conflict Update: Crimea's Electricity Still Off As Blockade Continues And Activists Threaten To Block Ferries
http://www.ibtimes.com/russia-ukrain...ivists-2207814

The Russian-annexed peninsula of Crimea remains in the dark. Russian leaders have promised power will soon be restored, while Ukrainian activists say they are moving on to a sea blockade to completely isolate the annexed territory, local media reported Wednesday.

“We have several stages. As we earlier announced: the full blockade of Crimea. First the food blockade (we've done it), then energy blockade (we've done it too) and the sea blockade,” said Crimean Tatar activist Lenur Isliamov, Interfax reported.

[caervek]

“We have several stages. As we earlier announced: the full blockade of Crimea. First the food blockade (we've done it), then energy blockade (we've done it too) and the sea blockade,” said Crimean Tatar activist Lenur Isliamov, Interfax reported.

So basically they have cut off food and power, in order to try and starve/freeze people as revenge for them executing their UN right to self determination. Is this not illegal under international law or something? surly besieging a place and attempting to starve it's inhabitants is a war crime? O.o

[Army Dreamer]

I heard they are part of Russia now. So...

[Cybran]

Is this not illegal under international law or something? surly besieging a place and attempting to starve it's inhabitants is a war crime? O.o

The criminals in Kiev are backed by the criminals in Washington. They don't care about UN.

[Ehrenpanzer]

The criminals in Kiev are backed by the criminals in Washington. They don't care about UN.

Nobody cares about the UN....biggest waste of fucking money on the planet...

- - - Updated - - -

So basically they have cut off food and power, in order to try and starve/freeze people as revenge for them executing their UN right to self determination. Is this not illegal under international law or something? surly besieging a place and attempting to starve it's inhabitants is a war crime? O.o

So is another country deciding to simply annex another.... I dont see shit hitting the fan over that little point

[caervek]

So is another country deciding to simply annex another.... I dont see shit hitting the fan over that little point

Meh, IMO self determination of the people should trump the desires of others to control them, this is the reason Kosovo is no longer part of Serbia.

96.19% of voters opted to rejoin Russia on an 82.99% turnout of registered voters. That doesn't exactly leave room for debate on what the people of Crimea wanted, they were just lucky this time that the forces of Kiev were unable to oppose their wishes like in the past.

[Azadina]

Meh, IMO self determination of the people should trump the desires of others to control them, this is the reason Kosovo is no longer part of Serbia.

96.19% of voters opted to rejoin Russia on an 82.99% turnout of registered voters. That doesn't exactly leave room for debate on what the people of Crimea wanted, they were just lucky this time that the forces of Kiev were unable to oppose their wishes like in the past.

Yeah, very convincing vote results, when it's done under the supervision of foreign countrys armed soldiers. (Russias in this case)

[Belize]

Meh, IMO self determination of the people should trump the desires of others to control them, this is the reason Kosovo is no longer part of Serbia.

96.19% of voters opted to rejoin Russia on an 82.99% turnout of registered voters. That doesn't exactly leave room for debate on what the people of Crimea wanted, they were just lucky this time that the forces of Kiev were unable to oppose their wishes like in the past.

Kinda like how Russians like Putin so much some regions had over 100% of the population vote

[caervek]

Yeah, very convincing vote results, when it's done under the supervision of foreign countrys armed soldiers. (Russias in this case)

1: The results are in line with Crimea's previous referendums, you only "think" they look odd because the media has told you they are and you don't know any better.

2: Having armed soldiers outside some of the polling stations isn't supervising, it's providing security.

[Cybran]

Yeah, very convincing vote results, when it's done under the supervision of foreign countrys armed soldiers. (Russias in this case)

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoz.../#6ea96eb15951

The U.S and European Union may want to save Crimeans from themselves. But the Crimeans are happy right where they are.

One year after the annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula in the Black Sea, poll after poll shows that the locals there — be they Ukrainians, ethnic Russians or Tatars are mostly all in agreement: life with Russia is better than life with Ukraine.

Little has changed over the last 12 months. Despite huge efforts on the part of Kiev, Brussels, Washington and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the bulk of humanity living on the Black Sea peninsula believe the referendum to secede from Ukraine was legit. At some point, the West will have to recognize Crimea’s right to self rule. Unless we are all to believe that the locals polled by Gallup and GfK were done so with FSB bogey men standing by with guns in their hands.

In June 2014, a Gallup poll with the Broadcasting Board of Governors asked Crimeans if the results in the March 16, 2014 referendum to secede reflected the views of the people. A total of 82.8% of Crimeans said yes. When broken down by ethnicity, 93.6% of ethnic Russians said they believed the vote to secede was legitimate, while 68.4% of Ukrainians felt so. Moreover, when asked if joining Russia will ultimately make life better for them and their family, 73.9% said yes while 5.5% said no.

I guess gallup are lying too?

[GennGreymane]

1: The results are in line with Crimea's previous referendums, you only "think" they look odd because the media has told you they are and you don't know any better.

2: Having armed soldiers outside some of the polling stations isn't supervising, it's providing security.

Hmmm Russian soldiers "providing security" for an election about the region they are in becoming a part of Russia.... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

[Azadina]

1: The results are in line with Crimea's previous referendums, you only "think" they look odd because the media has told you they are and you don't know any better.

2: Having armed soldiers outside some of the polling stations isn't supervising, it's providing security.

Still, foreign countrys invasion force is occupying the area. To me that makes the vote irrelevant, when it's done under the pressure of armed soldiers. The end result would probably have been same either way, but the way it was handled is not very legitimate to me.

[Cybran]

Still, foreign countrys invasion force is occupying the area. To me that makes the vote irrelevant, when it's done under the pressure of armed soldiers. The end result would probably have been same either way, but the way it was handled is not very legitimate to me.

So the Elections in Iraq and Afghanistan before 2011 and 2017 should be considered fraud as well? Since America occupied those.

[GennGreymane]

So the Elections in Iraq and Afghanistan before 2011 and 2017 should be considered fraud as well? Since America occupied those.

Did the U.S have a stake in which group won?

[Azadina]

So the Elections in Iraq and Afghanistan before 2011 and 2017 should be considered fraud as well? Since America occupied those.

I think the context of the vote is highly relevant. Act ignorant if you want.

[Cybran]

Did the U.S have a stake in which group won?

Yes. They backed the Sunni in Iraq instead of the Shia majority.

I think the context of the vote is highly relevant. Act ignorant if you want.

The context in Crimea starts in 1994 when they held a referendum to leave Ukraine. Ukraine send paratroopers and tanks to stop them. This time Russia had soldiers to stop the Ukrainians from sending tanks.

[Azadina]

The context in Crimea starts in 1994 when they held a referendum to leave Ukraine. Ukraine send paratroopers and tanks to stop them. This time Russia had soldiers to stop the Ukrainians from sending tanks.

So we can agree that the land was invaded. The vote was a pointless "face saving" exercise. Or are you telling me, that had the vote have been no, Russian soldiers would have marched back home? Didn't think so.