Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations Volodymyr Yelchenko held an urgent briefing on the situation in Crimea after the actions of Russian security forces and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements.

This was reported by Hromadske radio.

“The question of convening the UN Security Council is being considered ... As soon as it is necessary, we will do it immediately,” Yelchenko said.

“We are ready to convene the Security Council even at night, if necessary,” he …

Russia’s First Deputy Chairman of the Defense and Security Committee in the Federation Council, Franz Klintsevich, said during an interview with Izvestiya that Russia plans to convert the Khmeimim airbase in Syria into a full-fledged military base.

Klintsevich explained that the legal status of the base is currently being determined. "After agreeing on the legal status of Khmeimim, it will be a base for the Russian armed forces, and proper infrastructure will be built,” the senior Russian …

Commenting on Russia’s accusation that Ukrainian military intelligence organized a terrorist attack in the Crimea, the US State Department said that it is currently requesting more detailed information, but it does not want to be distracted from the real problem of Russia’s annexation of the Crimea and role in the war in eastern Ukraine.

“We don’t want to be distracted from the real issue here, which is not only Russia’s occupation and attempted annexation of Crimea, but their continued …