Unmarked soldiers have seized both Sevastopol and Simferopol airports, and have established roadblocks at key locations in the Crimea. The deposed president, Viktor Yanukovych, who still maintains he is the legitimate head of state, is due to give a press conference shortly in Rostov-on-Don in Russia. While Russia continues to vow that it will respect […]
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Russian Government Newspaper: “The Ukrainian President Could Be Hidden by Americans”
An article titled “Where is Yanukovych?” and subtitled “The Ukrainian President Could Be Hidden by Americans” ran in Rossiiskaya Gazeta (RG), a government-operated newspaper, on Tuesday. The amazing thing is that we now know that Yanukovych is in Russia, and has been there since Tuesday, according to other Russian media outlets. The article is full […]
Media Wars: The Fight to Define a Revolution in Ukraine – Interpreter Podcast
How did the media cover Ukraine? What was the role of social media? How is the Ukrainian media changing as this revolution unfolds? How is the Russian media responding? Is the country really on the brink of an east-west civil war, will Russia invade, and what’s the role of the media in what happens next? […]
Ukraine Liveblog: Day 10 — Armed Separatists and Yanukovych Are Defiant
Ukraine’s ousted President is in Russia, where he says he is the legitimate leader and he has asked Russia for protection against “extremists.” Armed gunmen have taken over Crimea Parliament in Simferopol. This crisis is far from over. Yesterday’s liveblog can be found here. For an overview and analysis of this developing story see see […]
“Nobody in Europe Needs the Archaic Ukrainian Economy”
Pravda holds this interview with a Russian political analyst. Noteworthy moments — he says Yanukovych is not really pro Russia, he calls Yulia Tymoshenko the “Orange Princess,” and he suggests that the Russians should pull their support for Ukraine, wait for their economy to implode, and then bail them out again. — Ed. In an […]
Ukraine Liveblog: Day 9 — Unifying the Police and Military
The country is simultaneously more united and more divided today, and the interim government is gaining control or disbanding part of deposed president Yanukovych’s security apparatus. At the same time, rival protests have been held in east Ukraine, and there’s now a growing rift between those who wish to declare independence from Ukraine and those […]
All-Ukrainian Jewish Congress: Antisemitism Not on the Rise
The Russian media and some foreign media outlets have expressed concerns about rising antisemitism, neo-Nazism, and ultra-radical nationalism in the wake of the Ukrainian revolution. To be sure, the right wing organization Pravyi Sektor, or “Right Sector,” and the Svoboda party are nationalist organizations linked with some radical ideologies. A very prominent Jewish Ukrainian, Vadim […]
Moscow Protest Aftermath: Jail Sentences Handed Out to Opposition Leaders
Two of the leading figures in the Russian opposition, Alexei Navalny and Boris Nemtsov, have been sentenced following their arrests while protesting the sentencing of the Bolotnaya defendants yesterday in Manezh Square Moscow. Navalny, the former mayoral candidate, anti-corruption blogger and leader of the Progress party, has been sentenced to 7 days in jail by […]
Could Russia Send Troops to the Crimea?
Many Western publications are asking whether Russia will militarily intervene in Ukraine, particularly in the southeast region of Crimea. We have been following this question very closely. But this isn’t just a question being asked in the West — the Russian media is asking the exact same question. Some in Russia are as worried for […]
Ukraine Liveblog: Day 8 — Yanukovych to Face Trial at The Hague
Where is Yanukovych? Will Russia invade Crimea? Will Ukraine get emergency loans so the economy doesn’t collapse? Will the interim government reestablish control before the country falls into a darker chapter of this revolution? As the country rebuilds, we’ll be watching. Yesterday’s liveblog can be found here. For an overview of what’s behind the protests […]