I should have bet money.
Russia Raises the Pressure in Ukraine -- Update
By Lukas I. Alpert and Alexander Kolyandr
Ukraine accused Russia of sending troops outside the Crimean peninsula and onto the Ukrainian mainland for the first time on Saturday, as Moscow said it received calls to "protect peaceful civilians" in eastern Ukraine and is considering the requests.
Ukraine's foreign ministry issued a protest against the troop landing in the Kherson region near Crimea, and demanded an immediate withdrawal. The ministry said about 80 troops had landed along with four helicopter gunships and three armored vehicles. It warned that Ukraine "reserves the right to use all necessary measures to stop the military invasion by Russia."
Ukrainian news services reported the Russian troops seized a natural gas distribution station.
The standoff comes a day before Crimea is set to vote on whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia and as thousands of Russian soldiers engage in readiness exercises just across the border, raising already heightened concerns about Russian intentions in eastern Ukraine.
On Saturday acting president Oleksander Turchinov warned that there was "a real danger" of invasion by Russian troops across Ukraine's eastern border and that Ukraine's parliament would convene Monday morning because of it. "The situation is very dangerous," he said in parliament on Saturday. "I'm not exaggerating."
Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said Russia hasn't plans for military action in eastern Ukraine. But Russia issued similar assurances before it invaded Crimea, and lately Moscow has asserted it has the right to protect people in eastern Ukraine.
The Kremlin foreign ministry in its statement said there had been "numerous calls on Russia to protect peaceful civilians" inside Ukraine and that "these appeals will be considered."
Mr. Lavrov said Russia believes the new government in Kiev isn't in control of the situation in the majority ethnic-Russian cities where recently ousted President Viktor Yanukovych drew much of his support and where support is strong for closer ties to Russia.
Russia similarly cited the need to protect ethnic-Russians in Crimea after thousands of well-armed soldiers wearing unmarked uniforms but believed to be Russian occupied the peninsula that is home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet and cut it off from Ukrainian control.
Leaders in the U.S. and Western Europe have threatened economic sanctions against Russia if the soldiers don't leave Crimea, and they have said they wouldn't recognize the results of Sunday's hastily-planned vote. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has signaled he has no intention of backing down and the referendum, which was called on March 6 by regional leaders installed after the soldiers appeared, is expected to go forward as planned.
Meantime, Russia on Saturday vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that called on nations not to recognize the results of Sunday's referendum in Crimea on whether to secede from Ukraine and join Russia.
The Russian foreign ministry said on Saturday that it was concerned about "disturbing information" it was receiving from the eastern Ukrainian cities of Kharkov, Donetsk and Lugansk about the "excesses" of ultranationalists Russia has accused the new government in Kiev of empowering.
The Ukrainian government says the disturbances have been sparked by Russians who have crossed the border into the cities.
Late Friday, two people were killed in clashes between rival groups of protesters in Kharkov, which local governor Ihor Baluta said were the "result of a well-planned provocation." Police said dozens had been arrested Saturday and the investigation was continuing. On Thursday night, at least one person was killed in the eastern city of Donetsk in a similar clash.
In Kharkov, police said the violence broke out when a minibus with Ukrainian nationalists approached a rally of pro-Russian protesters at the city's main square. According to eyewitness accounts, a heated verbal confrontation quickly escalated into violence. The bus moved to a side street, where the pro-Russian demonstrators surrounded the pro-Ukrainian activists occupying a cultural center they were using as an impromptu headquarters.
The violence lead to gunfire that continued when police arrived. One policeman was critically wounded. Police didn't identify which side was responsible for the shooting and an eyewitness said it appeared that both the pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian groups used firearms.
Only after the arrival of the local authorities did the besieged pro-Ukraine activists agree to leave the building. Ukraine's interior minister said protesters from both sides had been arrested on Saturday.
Alan Cullison contributed to this article.
Write to Lukas I. Alpert at lukas.alpert@wsj.com and Alexander Kolyandr at Alexander.Kolyandr@wsj.com
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