THE OCCUPATION OF CRIMEA: CHRONICLE OF SEIZURE PART 1 syonov said that the referendum on the status of Crimea would be held not on May 25, but on March 30. Not long after, Russian President Vladimir Putin asked for the Federation Council’s authorization to use Russian military forces ‘until the stabiliza- tion of the social and political situation’ in Ukraine. The Federation Council granted this request. On the same day, a group of armed people seized the Trade Union building in Sim- feropol, as Russian troops occupied the former airdrome in Dzhankoy. On March 2, armed people occupied the building of the Permanent Delegation of the Ukrainian President in Crimea, while Russian soldiers and Cossacks demand- ed that the Ukrainian marine battalion in Feodosia lay down its arms and blocked the Ukrainian coastal defense base in Perevalnoye village. Furthermore, the ‘little green men’ blocked the А-0669 mil- itary base of Ukrainian marine battalion in Kerch and occu- pied the headquarters of Azov, Black Sea, and Simferopol bor- der detachments. On March 3, 2014, the head- quarters of Ukrainian Navy and several Ukrainian military Pictured: Belbek airport blocked by Russian troops bases were attacked, injuring two o7 cers of the Sevastopol brigade of the Tactical Air Forces of Ukraine. Russian soldiers blocked the Ukrainian military base No. 2904 in Bakhchisaray, while Black Sea Fleet ships blocked the Ukrainian corvette ‘Ter- nopil’ and command ship ‘Slavutich’ in Sevastopol bay. Representative of the Russian Black Sea Fleet demanded that commanders of the Bel- Pictured: Simferopol international airport controlled by bek military base to change Russian troops 11