Troops in unmarked uniforms stand guard as they take control the Coast Guard offices in Balaklava on the outskirts of Sevastopol, Ukraine, Saturday, March 1, 2014. An emblem on one of the vehicles and their number plates identify them as belonging to the Russian military. AP
KIEV, Ukraine 听鈥� Russian parliament has granted President Vladimir Putin permission to use the country鈥檚 military in Ukraine.
Saturday鈥檚 unanimous vote formalized what Ukrainian officials described as an ongoing deployment of Russian troops in the strategic region of Crimea. It also raised the possibility that Moscow could send its military elsewhere in Ukraine.
Putin鈥檚 call came as pro-Russian demonstrations broke out in Ukraine鈥檚 Russian-speaking east, where protesters raised Russian flags and beat up supporters of the new Ukrainian government.
Russia鈥檚 move sharply raised the stakes in the conflict following the ouster of Ukraine鈥檚 pro-Russian president last week by a protest movement aimed at turning Ukraine toward the European Union and away from Russia. President Barack Obama warned Moscow on Friday 鈥渢here will be costs鈥� if Russia intervenes militarily.
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