Clashes broke out on Wednesday at the parliament building in Simferopol between Crimean Tatars and pro-Russian supporters.<br /><br />The Tatars have an ugly history with Russia after being deported from the Black Sea peninsula by Soviet leader Khruschev, under the pretext they collaborated with the Nazis. <br /><br />Euronews correspondent Sergio Cantone in Crimea said:<br /><br />“Crimea is turning into a hotbed of major tensions in the Ukrainian crisis. The Tatars are afraid ethnic Russians could request Russia to either intervene or even separate from Ukraine”. <br /><br />Crimea was transferred to Ukraine by Russia in 1954 and many in the region feel closer to Moscow. Russia still runs a naval base in Sevastopol. <br /><br />The other main town is Simferopol. Pro-Russian self-defence groups set up road blocks between the two towns as a display of strength and opposition to the Tatars. <br /><br />One member of the Sevastopol defence group told euronews: <br /><br />“Russia can enter their peacekeeping troops if the Crimean parliament requests it. We shouldn’t confuse this with military intervention but at least nobody will oppose Russian troops.” <br /><br />A delegation of Russian MP’s is still in Crimea after delivering the message that Moscow would fast track applications for Crimeans wanting Russian citizenship. <br /><br />Ethnic Russians in the region are afraid of being caught up in the pro-Maidan wave that toppled former president Viktor Yanukovych. <br /><br />But Kyiv is on edge at the mounting tensions and remains fearful of separatism. <br /><br />All eyes are now on Russian President Vladimir Putin, who put Russian troops on high alert for a drill, close to the border with Ukraine.
