Arsen Avakov, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, via Facebook
Translated by Voices of Ukraine

CRIMEA.  THE UNDECLARED WAR.  STATUS AS OF THIS MORNING.

I consider it necessary to inform as follows:

1. Throughout the entire territory of Crimea, emissaries and officers of rank of the Russian Federation are arriving at the Ukrainian internal forces units, with offers to accept Russian citizenship and be immediately issued Russian passports. The offer is directed at the senior and middle officer corps.
In all cases (5 visits to 5 units), the emissaries were turned down.

2. Groups of Russian militaries arrived to all internal forces units, stating that they came to guard the units “against extremists.”
They asked to be given lodgings, and allowed access to water, toilet facilities, etc. in the unit, because they “were commissioned urgently, and have no facilities available.” They were turned away. The Russian militaries were told that the Ukrainian military units do not require “protecting against extremists.” The Russian militaries were also warned that in case of their unauthorized incursion into the Ukrainian military unit, combat weapons will be used as per the guard duty manual.

3. All military units in Crimea are on advance alert, for two days now.
In view of the continuing provocations toward conflict, including information-based provocations, I state: the internal forces of Ukraine in Crimea are on full combat alert, but, I EMPHASIZE, are fully instructed about the inadmissibility of a military conflict with the use of combat weapons. In case an attack is made against the Ukrainian military, the entire responsibility for the consequences of such provocative steps will lie with the attacker.

4. In Crimea, there are no regular Ukrainian army forces or law enforcement units that “threaten the citizens of the Russian Federation” or the “Russian-speaking population.” There are also no Maidan Self-Defense Squads, that, allegedly, “arrived here from Kyiv.”

All of the destabilization in Crimea originates from and is inspired by representatives of Russia.