News Roundup, March 7, from #Ukraine

11:55 PM

Following up on my early afternoon blog, I’m relieved to say that the journalists who were taken to hospital earlier today for being badly beaten, according to current news sources, were taken to hospital following an initial SOS for their whereabouts. Despite some injuries, it sounds like spirits are holding up. Stay safe out there, it’s no accident that various countries are trying to pull their journalists from Ukraine, in particular Crimea.

It’s also confirmed at this point that at Ukraine’s base near Sevastopol, despite storming of Russian troops crashing through the gate of the base in the dark hours, Ukraine’s soldiers held tight. Negotiating instead of firing shots, the Russians stayed long enough to provoke the situation and left. (there are reports radio communications may have been interfered with, but I have no reliable confirmation at this time). 

There were situations also arising at other bases today, as well as an increasing frequency of journalists being beaten, threatened, searched, equipment taken, and one even having a gun held to their head. 

For the second day in a row, today including approximately 48 OSCE and military observers, were turned away at a checkpoint and denied entrance into Crimea.

Meanwhile, the Kremlin finally admitted today that their intent is to annex Crimea from Ukraine, and Russia intends to send Russian observers to monitor the referendum. I might add the two questions on the ballot can only mean a yes and yes, for Crimea joining Russia. The fix is already in.

Finally, thanks to all of the twitter feed from journalists and people following event in Ukraine for information. A couple thoughts however: stop asking for imagery you won’t be given because its classified, and stop telling journalists, workers and observers they are full of it until you’ve reviewed their resumes.

Below, my selected today’s top stories.

 Simon Shuster @shustry of Time reports: Russian Troops in Crimea Storm Ukrainian Base 

 http://time.com/16294/russia-crimea-sevastopol/

 

 Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe @OSCE, Photo Story: Attempt to visit Crimea aborted at Armyansk crossing  http://www.osce.org/fsc/116201

 Brian-Michel LaRue @unmaudit, My life is slowly turning into a 21st-Century version of 'Inglorious Basterds'

 http://defeatism.net/post/78912523909/after-an-interesting-start-to-the-night-by-having

John Daniszewski, AP senior managing editor: Armed men confiscate AP equipment in Crimea

 http://bigstory.ap.org/article/armed-men-confiscate-ap-equipment-crimea

 @Reuters via Twitter Boryana Katsarova @BoKatsarova 

 http://www.euronews.com/2014/03/07/ukraine-crisis-armed-men-take-over-ukrainian-military-post-no-shots-fired/#.Uxo10vvfNYc.twitter

via Dunja Mijatovic @OSCE_FRoM Pro-Russian paramilitaries put gun to foreign journalist's head:  http://www.channel4.com/news/russia-cctv-crimea-journalists-attacked-paramilitaries

MP Chrystia Freeland, @cafreeland opinion for New York Times How Russia has already lost the War  http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/09/opinion/sunday/how-russia-has-already-lost-the-war.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Michael Petrou, @michaelpetrou, Maclean’s Magazine, Putin’s War

http://www.macleans.ca/news/world/putins-war/

Two journalists beaten today: