Russian forces tighten grip on Crimea despite warning

Russian forces tightened their grip on Crimea yesterday despite a US warning to Moscow that annexing the southern Ukrainian region would close the door to diplomacy in a tense East-West standoff.

Street violence flared in Sevastopol, home to Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, when pro-Russian activists and Cossacks beat and kicked a group of Ukrainians at a meeting.

Russian forces’ seizure of the Black Sea peninsula has been bloodless, but tensions are mounting following the decision by pro-Russian groups that have taken over the regional parliament to make Crimea part of Russia.