Published by The Guardian (3rd May, 2014) Two weeks ago I stood and watched as three groups of heavily armed men in military uniforms entered a police station […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Putin’s secret army, hellbent on war
Published by The Mail on Sunday (20th April, 2014) Outside the occupied Ukrainian police station, sandbags were being piled for protection as a car slammed to a halt. Out […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Spark that could ignite a tinderbox
Published by The Daily Mail (14th April, 2014) This is the long-dreaded moment. It is seven weeks since a strange struggle in the east of Europe began, with […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Don’t fall for Putin’s lie
Published by The Guardian (1st April, 2014) Vladimir Putin has won plaudits at home and brushed aside censure abroad with his brazen theft of Crimea. His few supporters […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Bullets fly as Russian special forces storm Belbek
Published by The Mail on Sunday (23rd March, 2014) Russian armoured vehicles firing heavy machine guns and supported by scores of special forces soldiers yesterday stormed one of […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Russians storm Ukraine’s main naval base
Published by The Daily Mail (20th March 2014) The Russian flag was flying over Ukraine’s naval headquarters last night after it was stormed by hundreds of militiamen and […]
Europe / European Union / Russia / Ukraine
Crimea’s sham vote – and a very uneasy truce
Published by The Daily Mail (17th March, 2014) Russia and Ukraine have agreed a truce until Friday as the contested Crimea region voted in a sham referendum that […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Crimea’s referendum was a sham display of democracy
Published in The Guardian (17th March, 2014) Almost before they had cleared up the vodka bottles in Lenin Square, scene of the party to celebrate Crimea’s reunification with […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Exodus on eve of a referendum with only one answer
Published in The Mail on Sunday (16th March, 2014) Sweating in the spring sun, it took Sergei several trips to load all his bags and belongings on to […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
The shock troops sent to terrorise Putin’s opponents
Published in The Daily Mail (15th March, 2014) Stepping out of my hotel yesterday morning, I found a sinister new force patrolling the streets of Simferopol. These men wore […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Crimean notebook: ‘They’ll have to break all my bones to make me a Russian citizen’
Published by The Spectator (13th March, 2014) Vladimir Putin still swears that there are no Russian troops in Crimea, so their mission is to say as little as […]
Europe / Russia / Ukraine
Clashes in Crimea as Ukrainian PM vows ‘this is our land’
Published in The Daily Mail (10th March, 2014)* Demonstrators loyal to Ukraine were attacked with whips, baseball bats and clubs in Sevastopol yesterday as the mood in Crimea […]