On Tuesday, gunmen opened fire on a Ukrainian base in Simferopol, Crimea and one Ukrainian soldier was reportedly killed after he was shot in the neck. Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk said it was an act of war.
“The conflict is moving from a political one to a military one because of Russian soldiers,” he told a meeting at Ukraine’s defense ministry. “Today, Russian soldiers began shooting at Ukrainian servicemen and this is a war crime without any expiry under a statute of limitations.”
According to the Guardian‘s live blog on Ukraine, military spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov said they could not identify the gunmen because of no signs on their clothes and their faces were covered. Ed Flanagan from NBC News live tweeted the incident at the military base.
— Ed Flanagan (@edmundflanagan) March 18, 2014
" layout="responsive" width="600" height="480">— Ed Flanagan (@edmundflanagan) March 18, 2014
" layout="responsive" width="600" height="480">— Ed Flanagan (@edmundflanagan) March 18, 2014
" layout="responsive" width="600" height="480">— Ed Flanagan (@edmundflanagan) March 18, 2014
" layout="responsive" width="600" height="480">***UPDATE AT 12:21PM ET***
Due to the assault and murder at the military base, Ukrainian military personnel are now authorized to use their weapons.
In connection with the death of Ukrainian soldier lieutenant Kakurin S. the assault of the 13th Main Directorate of the photogrammetric center operational support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (Simferopol) attackers, who were wearing military uniforms of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, to protect and preserve the life of Ukrainian soldiers , according to the decision of the Acting Supreme Commander Armed Forces of Ukraine and the Acting Minister of Defence of Ukraine, on the basis of the order of the Chief of General Staff – Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukraine military units of the Armed Forces stationed in Crimea, allowed the use of weapons.