Part 6. "At the Peak of the Fleet-Wide Psychosis"
Part 5 “It Nearly Came to War”
Part 4. “Sevastopol - Crimea – Russia”
Part 3. “How the Black Sea Fleet Was Divided “Fraternally”
Part 2. “Black Sea Fleet on the Scales of Political Tender“
Part 1. “The Russian Federation’s Black Sea Fleet and National Security of Ukraine”
Part 7 "Separatists Begin and …Lose"
To the illegal encroachments of the Crimean separatists on the territorial integrity of Ukraine, the Ukrainian leadership had to respond with adequate measures. On the 18th of May, 1994, to the Crimea were thrown over additional units of the National Guard and Special Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, a total of up to 1,300 people. They were placed near Sevastopol, at the airfield Belbek, as well as at Cape Сhersonesus, in Sukharnaya Balka and in the village of Tylovoye. Ukrainian Special Forces subunits were sent to Izmail to block the dislocated in the city subunits of the Black Sea Fleet. In the area of the village of Chernobaevka of Kherson region, there was being deployed a Ukrainian military field hospital: the medical staff was ready to receive the wounded from the Crimea.
Stopping attempts of re-subordination of the Crimean Militia (Police), the President of Ukraine Leonid Kravchuk issued a special Decree on the reorganization of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea into the Main Department of Internal Affairs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Crimea. For the execution of this Decree in mid-May 1994 to Simferopol was sent the Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine V.Nedrygaylo. He was accompanied by a Detachment of Special Police. By Leonid Kravchuk’s Order, V.Nedrygaylo was appointed Commander of all Internal Forces of Ukraine in the Crimea.
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The Head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People Mustafa Cemil warned about the threat of destabilization in the Crimea http://ru.tsn.ua/ukrayina/ |
Crimean separatists were sat in judgment also by the Ukrainian community. In particular, at the initiative of the People's Movement of Ukraine headed by V.Chernovil, at Kiev's Maidan Nezalezhnosti (Independence Square) there was a mass meeting of protest, participants of which demanded to cancel the Crimean Autonomy, giving it an honorary status of one of Ukrainian regions.
Most of the Crimean Tatars were also against the Crimea’s integration into Russia. According to the leader of the Mejlis, M.Dzhemilev, his people saw their future only within Ukraine.
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The Commandment of the Black Sea Fleet, supposedly remaining neutral, at that particular time suddenly activated preparations to, as it seemed, inevitable conflict with Ukraine. But Russia more and more clearly understood: it had neither strength nor chances to keep the Crimea under its command. And this made it focused its attention mainly on Sevastopol.
In early May, 1994, near Sevastopol began an operational deployment of the land component of the Black Sea Fleet, which actually meant its transition to actions against Ukraine. The main role in this process was again given to the 810th Separate Marine Brigade, which was planned to be enforced with inclusion of an additional Tank Battalion, formed on the basis of the forces and means of the 126nd Division of Coastal Defence in Simferopol. And to improve the capacity of the striking group of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, from the village of Chernomorskoye to the place of dislocation of the main base of the Black Sea Fleet, was transferred the 138th Separate Coastal Missile Battalion with the “Rubezh” missile complex.
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| Anti-ship missile complex 4K40 “Rubezh” |
To destroy the ships of the Ukrainian Navy stationed here, in Sevastopol Bay, it was planned to create a special subunit of submarine diversion groups, for which from warehouses of the Kerch-Feodosiya NB (Donuzlav) diving equipment and special mine-explosive means were thrown to Sevastopol.
Care was also taken of the Air Defense Forces of the Black Sea Fleet in the region of the alleged fighting, which was especially important in the situation of Ukraine’s controlling the Object Air Defense System in the Crimea. Therefore, the 810th Separate Marine Brigade was supposed to be strengthened with the Anti-Aircraft Missile Regiment from the 126th Division of Coastal Defense. The plan was to transfer to Sevastopol, in particular, Anti-Aircraft Complexes S-60, which had been stored at the 17th Arsenal of the BSF.
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| Anti-aircraft artillery complex S-60 |
Within the framework of the mobilization deployment of the Black Sea Fleet, in the first half of May 1994 , by groups of 50-70 people, at the Fleet arrived more than one thousand servicemen of young recruits trained in training detachments of the Leningrad Naval Base.
In units and subunits of the Fleet there took place an active rearrangement of personnel: were suspended from duty and dismissed servicemen who had expressed a desire to serve in the Ukrainian Navy. Instead of them, quite naturally, were appointed pro-Russian officers.
At the same time, by an Order of the Commandment of the BSF, logistics, equipment, arms and ammunition were being brought to Sevastopol. In particular, in Kerch had been removed from the long-term storage and sent to Sevastopol, technical means of a Separate Marine Engineering Battalion of the BSF.
The Field Hospital Base was also getting ready for the case of receiving the wounded. All in all by the end of April, from warehouses in the Crimea to Sevastopol had been transferred about 150 units of vehicles with various medical stores and equipments. Part of it was immediately sent to Novorossiysk to deploy base hospitals already on the territory of the Russian Federation. It is with this purpose that the the First Category Emergency Reserve of the 152-th Naval Hospital at Cape Fiolent was used.
A special role was given to the Intelligence of the BSF, covering with its actions the entire Southern region of Ukraine. As part of the 530 th Information Center of the BSF, had even been formed a special direction for collecting intelligence against the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The same Intelligence tasks were set before the 315 th Division of Guard Ships of the Black Sea Fleet, based in Ochakov.
To increase the control of the forces and means of Intelligence, as well as their concentration in one place, was developed a plan of transfer of the 112th Brigade of Reconnaissance Ships from the village Mirnyi to Sevastopol. The Commandment of the Brigade was ordered to prepare data about the required number of berths for ships, warehouses, as well as housing for officers and members of their families.
The culmination of the preparations was raising the combat readiness of the Fleet at the moment of the beginning of work of the new Parliament of the Crimea, and a series of openly provocative military trainings.
On the 7th of May, 1994, in the units of the Crimean Naval Base in Sevastopol Readiness Number One was announced because of the “threat of an attack of the Armed Forces of Ukraine”. The Headquarters and important objects of the Fleet increase their Security Forces with subunits of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade. Servicemen are given automatic guns and bulletproof vests.
On the 10th of May the high degree of combat readiness is announced in the 3rd Marine Reconnaissance Detachment of Special Task. At the territory of the unit there appear around the clock patrols, and near the Headquarters and technical buildings - posts of armed guards. In full combat readiness are the servicemen of the platoon on duty, armed with small arms. The Commandment of the detachment established a direct operational connection for emergency calling subunits of the Marine in case of an “attack of Ukrainian nationalists”.
Similar events took place in the 30th Division of the Anti-Submarine Ships of the Black Sea Fleet, Kerch-Feodosia Naval Base and other units and subunits of the Fleet. In some of them there were trainings on “fighting back attacks of Ukrainian nationalists”.
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On the 19th of May, 1994, a Session of the Supreme Council of the Crimea restarted its work. The Acting Minister of Internal Affairs of the Autonomy, V. Kuznetsov spoke before the Deputies about attempts of the Ukrainian Special Forces to seize the building of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Crimea. According to the Chief of the Crimean Ministry of Internal Affairs, the actions of Ukrainian Special Forces were led by the First Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine V.Nedrygaylo himself. Due to the threat of a “coup”, V. Kuznetsov asked to immediately appoint him Minister of the Internal Affairs of the Peninsula, as well as to decide on the allocation of additional funds from the Republican budget for the maintenance of the Police.
All this had created a background for the discussion of the main issue on the agenda –renewal of the Crimean Constitution of May 6, 1992. At this, was publicized the statement of the Head of the Russian State Duma Committee on CIS Affairs K. Zatulin about the intention of the Russian Federation to continue to provide assistance to “the President and Supreme Council of the Crimea and the people of the Crimea in achieving independence from Ukraine”. He said that in Moscow, a special State Commission had been created, which had to sign Russian-Crimean Agreements in the spheres of economy and trade.
However, the final decision on the mentioned above issue was postponed because of the firm position of Ukraine in the Crimean issue. The President of Ukraine appealed to the Supreme Council of the Crimea, reminding that questions of the status of the ARC, the citizenship of the population of the Peninsula, as well as the formation of the power structures were within the exclusive competence of the Ukrainian Parliament. He warned of possible conflict situations if the mentioned above principles were ignored. However, such actions of Russia actually “lit green light” to further actions of Crimean separatists for separation of the Peninsula from Ukraine. And they did not fail to take advantage of this opportunity.
Mutiny
On the 20th of May, 1994, a Session of the Crimean Parliament continued its work. After sharp debates, by majority of votes, they take a decision to renew the Constitution of the Crimea from May 6, 1992, authorizing the Supreme Council of the Autonomy to make their own Laws without co-ordination with Kiev. The Deputies of the Crimean Parliament approved a Decree according to which the Crimean recruits had to serve in the Army only in the Peninsula, including units of the Black Sea Fleet. At the same time, the Decree proposed to terminate recruiting Crimean citizens for service in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
At the same meeting, Major General Lepekhov was appointed Chief of the “Security Service of the Crimea”. But to practically perform his duties was extremely difficult for him, as the personnel of the staff of the Security Service of Ukraine in the Crimea did not recognize him.
At the same time, the leaders of the Crimea were trying to give their assessment of the actions of Ukraine to restore Constitutional order in the Peninsula. Thus, the Speaker of the Crimean Parliament S.Tsekov stressed that the demands of the protesters in Kiev to deprive the Crimea of autonomy, could not be fulfilled, because such a situation would lead to disintegration of the Peninsula from Ukraine, and would create a threat of collapse of the Ukrainian state.
Even more dramatic was the statement of Yu. Meshkov himself. According to him, “... neither the President nor the Supreme Council of Ukraine had created the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea, and therefore they could not cancel its autonomous status”.
For his part, fully approving of the decision of the Supreme Council of the Crimea on military matters, the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet E.Baltin invited all Crimean conscripts to serve in units and subunits of the Black Sea Fleet. He confirmed the readiness of the Black Sea Fleet to support political initiatives of the authorities of the Peninsula.
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| Su-17, fighter-bomber, the first Soviet aircraft with variable geometry wing |
Such readiness was demonstrated by regular trainings of the Black Sea Fleet that “coincided” with the beginning of the work of the Supreme Council of the Crimea. About 20 surface ships, submarines, Aviation and Marines participated in the trainings. Traditionally, were worked out the tasks of “rejection of attacks of Ukrainian nationalists on the places of dislocation of the Black Sea Fleet”.
During the trainings, on the 20th of May, 1994, from the airfield Gvardeyskoye were raised sea attack aircrafts Su-17 to simulate the application of rocket and bomb attacks on places of the Crimean dislocation of Ukrainian troops.
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On the 21st of April, 1994 the Supreme Council of Ukraine, defending the integrity of the Ukrainian state, demanded from the Crimean Parliament to cancel the decision about the restoration of the Constitution of the Crimea from May 6, 1992, and other unlawful legal acts. The Crimean Parliamentarians had to have it done by the 30th of May, 1994.
But the Crimean Parliament ignored this demand. Speaking before Deputies, Yu.Meshkov greeted their “historic decision” and called all Crimeans to “remain firm in their position against the President and Government of Ukraine”. On this basis, the legislative body of the Autonomy adopted an appeal of the Autonomy to the UN, OSCE, as well as to the State Duma of Russia, in which it explained its actions concerning the Constitution of the Crimea, by “the results of the survey of citizens of the Peninsula”.
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On the same day, “in order to counter-act any possible violent actions on the part of Ukraine”, at an Order of the “Minister of the Internal Affairs of the Crimea”, General E.Kuznetsov, at all city and district Police stations all personnel were given weapons. And important objects were guarded by Special Subunits, subordinate to personally Yu.Meshkov.
The demand of the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine to the Police authorities in the Crimea to carry out orders only from Kiev, were regarded by the Crimean authorities as “provocative and destabilizing the situation in the Peninsula”. According to the Deputy Speaker of the Crimean Parliament, Air Force of the BSF Colonel O.Melnikov, “...Police and Security Forces of Ukraine in the Crimea stopped their subordination to Kiev and are fulfilling orders of the Crimean Government alone”.
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Meanwhile, in the Crimea, “all of a sudden” appeared Russian “Cossacks”. By the decision of the so-called “Council of the Black Sea Cossack Chieftains” and in coordination with local authorities, they put up patrols in Yalta and other cities of the Peninsula. “Cossacks” were supported by the Crimean Militia (Police).
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On the 22nd of May, with the active participation of the Black Sea Fleet Commandment, pro-Russian movement of Sevastopol created a new political organization - “People’s Front Sevastopol-Fleet-Russia”.
It included “Russian Party of the Crimea”, “Russian Patriotic Assembly”, “and Brotherhood of the Slavs of the Crimea”, “League of Women and All-Crimean Movement of Voters for the Republic of the Crimea”. The aim of the union was the “consolidation of efforts for defending the rights of the Crimean people to determine their own destiny within the framework of international Law”.
In Sevastopol, at that time had just ended nomination of candidates for the post of the Mayor of the city. In total thirteen candidates were registered. And exclusively from pro-Russian organizations. Among them - the notorious A.Kruglov who had been organizing violent anti-Ukrainian activities, trying on the wave of Russian chauvinism to grab the post of the Mayor of the city.
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On the 23d of May, 1994, a meeting of the Black Sea Fleet officers supported the Decision of the Crimean Parliament on the Restoration of the 1992 Constitution of the Autonomy. At the meeting was approved the text of the open letter to “fraternal Slavic peoples”, censuring Kiev’s negative reaction to the Decision of Crimean Deputies.
Meanwhile in the streets of Simferopol appeared fighting equipment of the Marines of the Black Sea Fleet. Five armored amphibious vehicles took position near the checkpoint at the entrance to Sevastopol in Verkhnesadovoye, and three armored personnel carriers - right at the entrance to the city. According to the Commander of the Black Sea Fleet, the Fleet could not stay off the Crimean events.
In parallel, the scale of the trainings of the Black Sea Fleet was growing, with actual going out to sea of warships, amphibious landing groups and flights of combat aircrafts. In the process of trainings, there were worked out operations of reconnaissance - diversion groups and frogmen.
Hastily had been formed the Tank Battalion of the 810th Separate Marine Brigade, whose numbers had already increased more than 2.5 times. Getting ready to be shipped to Sevastopol was also the Anti-Aircraft Missile Battalion, which had been expelled from the 122nd Division of Coastal Defense of the Black Sea Fleet, going, by the way, according to the plans of the division of the Fleet, to Ukraine.
At this, Yu.Meshkov openly stated that he was counting on the Black Sea Fleet in case of a conflict with Ukraine.
The situation in the Peninsula, irreversibly sliding towards armed confrontation, was close to a real catastrophe.
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To the threat of a new conflict in the European region, international community reacted sharply. Most of the leading countries and international organizations condemned the Crimean separatism, supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In particular, in a personal message of the US Secretary of State U. Kristofer, sounded appreciation of the responsible position of Ukraine concerning the events in the Crimean Peninsula. It was pointed out that in response to the destabilizing processes Ukraine acted up to the highest principles of the OSCE. The United States fully supported the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its existing borders.
The same were positions of Great Britain, Germany and France. In a statement of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of those states, the Crimea was called an integral part of Ukraine, and its disintegration was out of the question. In defense of the territorial integrity of Ukraine, also spoke Poland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Uzbekistan.
State leaderships of the Russian Federation, desperately needing Western loans, also refused to openly support separatists. Russian President Boris Yeltsin through his Press-Service distanced himself from the Crimean events, having declared about the need of “complete peace in the “Peninsula”.
An even bigger blow Yu.Meshkov got from criticism of his actions by the business community of the Crimea (and, in fact, his main sponsors), who feared losing their business because of the possible conflict. Thus, directors of the largest companies of the Peninsula sent a request to the “President” of the Autonomy not to sign the Crimean Parliament's decisions, as they inevitably would worsen the situation, and what's more, ruin the holiday season in the Peninsula. And that would be a many-million dollar financial loss. In a word, the “President” of the Crimea, in fact, lost the support of his former allies and protectors.
Of course, it somewhat cooled the ardor of Yu. Meshkov and his henchmen. So they went back on their word. On the 24th of May the “President” of the Crimean Peninsula, together with the Parliament agreed to negotiate with Ukraine on all debatable issues. At this, Yu.Meshkov had already tried to put all the blame on the Parliament, which allegedly “adopted anti-Ukrainian decisions, despite his recommendations to postpone hearings on those issues”.
A similar position was taken also by the Speaker of the Crimean Parliament S.Tsekov, stressing in a media interview that “... the Republic of the Crimea has no intention to disintegrate from Ukraine”.
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The development of events in the Crimea was closely watched by the OSCE. On the 25th of May, 1994, was held a special Session of the Organization for the Crimea, which had decided to involve the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities M.Vanderstul to settling contradictions between Kiev and Sevastopol. Points of view on the Crimean events were also expressed by representatives of other international organizations and European states.
Leaders of the European Union unequivocally supported the territorial integrity of Ukraine. In its statement, the EU expressed its concern over the events in the Crimea, and also called the leaderships of Ukraine and of the Autonomous Republic of the Crimea “to make every effort to find a political solution to the current conflict”. It was also stated that further escalation of the conflict could have significant negative consequences for the stability of the whole Eastern Europe.
For a peaceful solution to the problems of the Crimea spoke also the Netherlands, Italy and Hungary.
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Despite the start of talks between the delegations of Ukraine and the Crimea, the Black Sea Fleet Commandment did not cancel the high combat readiness, showing their intention to defend the interests of the leadership of the Autonomy.
On the 25th of May, 1994, at the Headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet there was a meeting of the Military Council of the Black Sea Fleet headed by E.Baltin. On the agenda there was a question of the situation in the Crimea and Sevastopol. In particular, one of the items on the agenda was the practical implementation of the ”Law” of the Supreme Council of the Crimea on Crimeans doing military service only in the Peninsula. According to the officer of the Headquarters’ Department of Staff Manning of the Black Sea Fleet, Captain of the 1st Rank V.Buzov, training subunits of the Fleet were ready to accept up to 4 thousand recruits from the ARC.
Taking into consideration the tension in the Crimea, the Black Sea Fleet Commandment kept strengthening protection of the objects of the Fleet. So, from May 20 on, near the Headquarters of the Black Sea Fleet constantly were on guard five armored personnel carriers, as well as patrols with dogs. The 17th Arsenal was guarded by 12 armored vehicles. Near the Headquarters of the Coastal Forces, an armored vehicle and command post vehicle were on duty. The Naval base in Donuzlav was guarded by personnel of the 361st Regiment of the 126th Division of Coastal Defense and the Naval base in Kerch was reinforced with the BSF subunits with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades. Near the Headquarters of the 126th Division of Coastal Defense one armored personnel carrier and one command post vehicle were on guard.
At the same time, regular trainings of the Black Sea Fleet were taking place, which had been openly aimed at “rejection of an attack of Ukraine”. In particular, the issues of protection of the objects of the Saki Garrison from “penetration of the diversion groups of the opponent” were worked out.
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Ukraine also was building up its efforts to defend its territorial integrity. There were formed Brigades of the National Guard of Ukraine, subunits of which were located in Simferopol and Sevastopol. The Brigade was replenished with additional armored vehicles.
Deliberately was carried out work on the practical implementation of the Presidential Decree on the establishment of the Main Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine in the Crimea instead of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Crimea, which, by the way, was officially abolished on May18 and had not been financed.
In response, the Police units that were still subordinate to the “Minister of the Internal Affairs of the Crimea” V. Kuznetsov, were brought to high degree of combat readiness and transferred to the barracks.
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Suddenly quite unexpectedly attention was attracted to the 116th Brigade of Missile Boats of the Black Sea Fleet in Izmail.
On the 26th of May, 1994 the Brigade Commander, Captain of the 2nd Rank V.Bilenko, who obviously could not cope with his nerves, brought his unit to the high degree of combat readiness in order “to prevent a possible seizure of the base by both, the Naval Forces of Ukraine and the Black Sea Fleet of Russia”. At this he declared that the Brigade was subordinate to the CIS, and its personnel were ready to defend the base on their own. The Brigade got weapons, ammunition, armored vests, and food for 10 days. At the same time five ships were ready to move into the Sea of Azov.
To prevent such intentions, the operative officer on duty of the Southern Coastguard Commandment of Ukraine ordered the Commander of the Brigade of Coastguard Boats to block the mouth of the Danube and not to let boats of the 116th Brigade of Missile Boats go out to sea.
