Pro-Russia forces suspend flights in or out of Crimea

Pro-Russian forces in Crimea have closed the main airport in the regional capital, Simferopol, preventing all flights in and out, except those connecting to Moscow.

Pro-Russian defense forces on Tuesday ordered a suspension of all flights in or out of the main airport in Ukraine’s autonomous Crimea region after taking over the air traffic control in Simferopol’s airport.

According to field witnesses, a member of the defense forces team said Simferopol’s air traffic control and the main runway at the airport have been taken over, adding that the takeover was ordered to prevent activists from Kiev coming to the region.

“We have been told that the airspace over the airport had been closed as it was too congested. We have been denied permission to land,” the pilot of flight PS65 told passengers, adding, “I have been told by my company that I should not land in Odessa but proceed back to Kiev.”

Ukraine International Airlines said flights between Kiev and Simferopol have been cancelled for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Meanwhile, pro-Russian defense forces seized the railroad headquarters in Simferopol.

The escalation came as Crimea lawmakers voted for independence from Ukraine in a declaration endorsed by 78 members of the local assembly in a move required for the planned secession referendum to be held on March 16.

The move by the parliament, which has been declared illegal by the self-declared pro-Western government in Kiev, appeared to be aimed at creating a legal framework for joining Russia as a sovereign state.

It also came after ousted president Viktor Yanukovych pledged defiantly to return to Kiev from Russia to regain power from what he labeled as “US-backed bandits.”