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On March 1 Russian President Vladimir Putin secured permission from his parliament to use military force to protect Russian citizens in Ukraine and told U.S. President Barack Obama he had the right to defend Russian interests and nationals, spurning Western pleas not to intervene. While Russian military continues bloodlessly seizing Ukrainian military units and other objects in Crimea, Ukraine's security council ordered the general staff to immediately put all armed forces on highest alert. Thus, the Defence Ministry was ordered to stage a call-up of reserves. So far, the Western response to Russia's aggression has been largely symbolic. Thus, on March 2 Barack Obama and others suspended preparations for a G8 summit in Sochi. Some countries also recalled their ambassadors from Russia.
Now everyone is waiting on whether Russia makes a military move in predominantly Russian-speaking eastern Ukraine, where pro-Moscow demonstrators have marched and raised Russian flags over public buildings in several cities in the last ten days.
00:14. Russia urged Western governments to adequate response 'to openly extremist and anti-Semitic statements by Russophobe leaders of the Maidan, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation on issues of human rights, democracy and the rule of law, Konstantin Dolgov stated.
00:38. U.S. Congress passed a $1 billion loan guarantees package for the new government in Kyiv. The European Union has already promised some $15 billion over the next two years, contingent on a deal being signed with the IMF.
00:53. A letter of the Permanent Representative of Ukraine Yuriy Sergeyev in the IN, challenging the legality of Viktor Yanukovich's request to apply Russian armed forces in Ukraine, addressed to a Chairman of the Security Council has been distributed as an official document in the UN. According to the letter, only Ukraine's parliament can approve the admission of armed forces of other states to Ukraine.
08:23. There were no attacks on Ukrainian military units located in Crimea during the last night.
08:46. Nine Russian soldiers who were participating in military exercises in Canada have been expelled from the country, as Ottawa continues to denounce Russia’s military intervention in Crimea, CTV News has learned.
A government source confirmed that the soldiers were informed Thursday afternoon that they had 24 hours to leave Canada.
Six of the soldiers were in Saint-Jean, Que., where they were learning English and French. Another two soldiers were participating in a training program at CFB Gagetown, and the ninth soldier was teaching Canadian soldiers Russian in Gatineau, Que.
09:18. The Netherlands has frozen hundreds of millions of euros (dollars) in Ukrainian assets, Dutch media reported Thursday night, citing Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem.
09:02. The UN doesn't recognize the legitimacy of a referendum on accession to Russia scheduled in Crimea for March 16.
09:40. Chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov said in Moscow that the Crimean authorities are waiting for Russia's decision on the fate of autonomy.
09:57. Russia's State Duma won't consider the question of joining Crimea to Russia prior to the referendum on the status of autonomy, scheduled for March 16, said State Duma Speaker Sergei Naryshkin and head of the Duma Committee on CIS Affairs Leonid Slutsky at a meeting with Speaker of the Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov.
10:03. The Communist Party of Ukraine has always stood for the territorial integrity and unity of sovereign Ukraine. It is important to understand that to preserve the integrity of the state policy of domination of one parts of the country over others is unacceptable, Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko stated.
Thus, the CPU calls on the Ukrainian authorities to take into account the interests of Russian-speaking citizens.
10:14. The EU and Ukraine will soon sign an agreement on the part of political association and as for the other part - economic - after the presidential elections, but Kyiv will receive trade preferences even without the signing of a free trade zone, Angela Merkel said.
10:33. Interior Minister Arsen Avakov wrote on Facebook that tonight ex-governor of Kharkiv region Mykhailo Dobkin fled the passport control at the airport fled, leaving his passport.
10:52. Russia reduced the import of Ukrainian goods in January for more than a third compared with the last January - to $698.3 million, reports the Federal Customs Service of Russia.
10:53. Russian military unblocked Ukrainian military base in Bakhchisarai (Crimea), 'Bakivschiny' MP Oleksandr Brygynets wrote on Facebook.
10:58. Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case against a citizen of Ukraine Oleksandr Muzychko suspected of banditry against Russian troops. He is suspected of killing 20 Russian soldiers in Chechnya.
11:18. Companies belonging to Chairman of the Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov owe banks more than 1 billion UAH, write the 'Fist Instance' citing materials from the Unified Register of judgements.
11:22. Leader of the 'Svoboda' party Oleg Tyagnibok sees no need to nominate a single candidate from the former opposition in the presidential elections if they are transparent.
11:24. Leader of the 'Right sector' civil movement Dmitry Yarosh is going to run for president of Ukraine.
11:44. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine says that there are about 30 thousand Russian soldiers in Crimea now.
11:49. Recent events in Ukraine have spurred growth in world food prices. According to the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN), the index of food prices in February showed the steepest jump since mid-2012.
12:14. Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on the facts of threats to governors of Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk and Voronezh regions, website of the RF IC reports.
12:15. Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said that the European Union will give Ukraine $2 billion of irrevocable finance aid.
'With regard to the EU macro-financial assistance, $2 billion is irrevocable aid', he said. This money should go to Ukraine in the first place. The whole package of economic and financial assistance to Ukraine from Europe is $15 billion, or €11 billion, recalled Yatsenyuk.
12:27. Acting President Oleksandr Turchynov sacked governors of Cherkasy, Khmelnytsky and Chernivtsi regions, as well as Sevastopol city administration.
12:41. Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said a condition of starting negotiations with the Russian Federation on the situation in Crimea is the withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory of Crimea.
12:55. The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine reported that blocking of its 11 bases located in Crimea continues, says a message on the government website.
13:14. A decree by Acting President Oleksandr Turchinov to stop the action of decisions of the Supreme Council of Crimea on the output of the ARC from Ukraine and a referendum has been published at the site of the president.
13:20. Head of the Paralympic Committee of Ukraine Valeriy Sushkevich informed that Ukrainian team will participate in the Paralympics in Sochi.
13:36. Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk said that all members of his government will fly economy class, no charters.
13:48. France's Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said on Friday that if a first round of sanctions did not succeed against Russia in the wake of its military intervention in Ukraine, a second could follow, targeting Russian businesses and people close to President Vladimir Putin.
13:53. Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin says Moscow thinks on whether to start production of Canadian aircraft Bombardier in Russia, after Canadian authorities decided to expel Russian troops from their country.
13:59. Russian military in Crimea blew and flooded their diving boat on the lake Donuzlav to block exit to Ukrainian ships.
14:08. The General Prosecutor's Office has started an investigation into the capture of Ukrainian servicemen, reported the press service of the Ministry.
14:13. Head of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Ukraine Mykhail Volynets said that workers of the coal industry and metallurgical enterprises are massively intimidated by spreading rumors that part of their wages will be transferred to Kyiv 'to restore the Maidan' (Independence Square).
He also said that miners believe that their benefits will be canceled.
14:24. Prime Minister Arseny Yatsenyuk instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to immediately implement an action plan to abolish the visa regime between the EU and Ukraine.
14:37. About 150 people gathered for a rally in Simferopol (Crimea) to preserve the integrity of Ukraine (pictures, video).
14:41. Military observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) on Friday were not allowed to enter the territory of Crimea, Director of the Information Department of the Foreign Ministry Yevhen Perebiynis said.
15:03. The Standing Committee of the Council of Europe unanimously supported a resolution condemning the decision of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and both chambers of the Russian parliament to send troops to Ukraine, which undermines the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.
15:20. All military personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, who are trained in Russian military schools, are to return home, reported the press service of the Defence Ministry.
15:27. Foreign ministers from central Europe, the Baltics and Nordics condemned on Friday Russia's military intervention in Ukraine and a planned referendum planned by Crimea's government, calling for the EU to send an observation mission to Kyiv, reports Reuters.
15:28. Kharkiv region ex-governor Mykhailo Dobkin said that didn't violate the order of passing the border control when checking documents in Kharkiv.
According to him, during the passage through the border control in the VIP terminal of the airport upon arrival in Kharkiv border guard told him that there was a computer glitch, and he went to his car leaving the passport behind.
15:33. 'Batkivshchyna' MP General-Lieutenant Gennady Moskal refutes the statements of the Security Service (SBU) and the Interior Ministry that the shooting on Independence Squaire in Kyiv was provoked by the snipers, representing a 'third force', ie foreigners.
In an interview to ZN.UA he also said the office of the Party of Regions in Kyiv was burned by the SBU disguised employees. According to him, snipers were instructed to shoot not only protesters, but also their fellow police officers.
15:52. The Security Service of Ukraine issued an official warning to former chairman of Kharkiv Regional State Administration Mykhailo Dobkin. Ex-governor has been warned against future attempts to overthrow the government.
15:59. Leader of the 'Batkivshchyna' Party Yulia Tymoshenko discussed the situation in Ukraine with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Dublin (Ireland). Merkel told Tymoshenko how Europe fought for her freedom.
16:11. Ukraine got to the intersection of the U.S. interests, the EU and the Russian Federation and as result lost its political sovereignty, the Communist Party leader Petro Symonenko said at a briefing in Odesa.
16:32. Investment bank JP Morgan downgraded the outlook for Ukraine's GDP growth in 2014. According to the Americans, instead of the expected growth of 0.5%, Ukrainian economy will decline by 3.2%.
16:38. Russian 'Gazprom' can cut off gas supplies to Ukraine because of unpaid debts, head of the company Alexei Miller stated.
16:46. Utility services in Kyiv began disassembling part of barricade at Kyiv's Independence Square and at Krecshatik Street.
16:56. Bohdan Dubas, banker from Lviv, who recently was appointed commandant of the Maidan, became acting head of Kyiv State City Administration (KSCA).
17:12. Russian military plans to take control of anti-aircraft missile battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in Crimea, reported Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.
17:26. District Administrative Court of Kyiv took steps to secure the claim of the General Prosecutor's Office on Friday and stopped the action of the decisions of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea 'On conducting referendum'.
17:38. Groups of provocateurs are being trained in Transnistria to destabilize Odesa (Crimea).
17:39. The International Monetary Fund has made progress in negotiations on a new cooperation program with Ukraine, director of the European Department of Reza Moghadam fund said on Friday.
'The mission has formed a clear understanding of the degree of imbalance that must be corrected in order to stabilize the economy. This will determine the fund management recommendations for further course of action, the press service of the IMF quoted Moghadam.
17:59. Police has arrested Pavel Gubarev, the leader of the protests in Donetsk, who had declared himself "people's governor" and insisted the police should report to him, despite failing to persuade lawmakers to name him provincial boss.
18:15. Participants of the rally in support of Crimea in Moscow adopted a resolution which demands the Russian authorities to support the decision of the Crimean parliament on Crimea's accession to Russia. According to the Moscow department of the Interior Ministry, the meeting brought together more than 65,000 people.
18:19. American experts arrived to Ukraine to assist Ukrainian investigators in finding the assets withdrawn from Ukraine, reported the press service of the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.
18:43. Polish Foreign Ministry advises citizens of Poland to leave Crimea due ti the situation there.
18:55. Mayor of the Crimean city Bilohirsk Albert Cangiev refused to support a referendum on the possibility of joining the region to Russia.
19:00. 'Russia 'is ready to provide assistance and support to regions of Ukraine, which request it', Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Valentina Matviyenko said during a meeting with a delegation of the Supreme Council of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, headed by its chairman Vladimir Konstantinov on Friday, March 7 in Moscow.
19:42. American missile destroyer 'Truxton' passed Bosphorus and went into the Black Sea.
19:55. The National Council on Television and Radio Broadcasting called on program service providers to temporarily refrain from retransmission of Russian TV channels Vesti, 22 Russia, ORT and RTR-Planeta in their networks until they bring their programs into compliance to the requirements of the Ukrainian legislation.
20:04. Border guards at the international airport 'Lviv' denied entry to the territory of Ukraine to two Russian citizens, who came from Vnukovo (Russia). The main purpose of their visit to Ukraine was to collect negative material about the events in Ukraine.
20:36. Only one Ukrainian athlete represented Ukraine at the opening of the Paralympics in Sochi in protest against Russian aggression.
20:43. Representatives of Cossack units on Friday night are trying to capture a command post of Task Force 'Crimea' near Sevastopol.
21:19. Pro-Russian activists, Cossacks and Russian military have been blocking the first separate battalion of marines in Feodosia for two weeks, told LB.ua regimental commander Dmitry Delyatitsky.
21:34. Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov believes that the majority of the Crimean population won't come to a referendum on accession to the Russian Federation on March 16.
21:52. Illegitimate Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksenov denied capture the command post of Task Force 'Crimea' near Sevastopol. He also told that the situation in Crimea is calm.
22:04. The international human rights organization Amnesty International urges the OSCE to send an observation mission because of attacks on journalists and activists in Crimea.
22:16. Transitional period in the case of annexation of Crimea with Russia would take about a year, and this time the residents of the region won't feel uncomfortable, stated self-proclaimed First Deputy Prime Minister of Crimea Rustam Temirgaliev on his page on Facebook.
22:37. The Kremlin has no information that the session of the Supreme Council of Crimea, where Sergei Aksenov was elected as prime minister, was held in violation of procedures, stated Vladimir Putin's press secretary Dmitry Peskov.
22:46. Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Ankara will not leave the Crimean Tatars, most of which do not support Crimea's annexation with Russia, in trouble.
23:01. During the storming of Ukrainian military base A-2355, located on the 5th kilometer of Fiolentovskoe highway near Sevastopol, journalists, including women, were severely beaten by people, who obey illegitimate Prime Minister of Crimea Sergei Aksenov, chairman of the Crimean Association of Journalists Lily Bujurova said.
23:24. Despite the escape of former Interior Minister Vitaly Zakharchenko his illegal business continues to operate, 'Batkivshchyna' MP, Police Lieutenant General Gennady Moskal said. According to him, Zaharchenko controlled conversion centers, and also had illegal factories producing alcohol and tobacco.
23:37. The U.S. administration believes that the contract controversy between Russian 'Gazprom' and Ukraine doesn't pose a threat of the lack of raw materials to the EU, told reporters the White House spokesman Josh Ernest.
23:50. Events in Crimea is the introduction of a multi-stage plan developed in the Kremlin six years ago, former adviser to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Andrei Illarionov said. According to him, the implementation of the plan began in the summer of 2013.