Mystery Troops 'Peacefully' Raid Simferopol Airport Looking for Ukraine Soldiers, Apologize, Leave

| WTF News |

The occurrence of strange events continues in Crimea after the seizure of multiple Parliament buildings on Thursday. Friday morning, unidentified, camoflauged troops briefly seized control of Simferopol Airport, supposedly looking for 'Ukraine airborne troops', in what was described as a 'peaceful' raid.

BREAKING: Unknown gunmen take over #Crimea capital airport – reports http://b4in.us/1cZ4jDe #Ukraine

— RT (@RT_com) February 28, 2014

Hm. Ukraine/Crimea: Undefined troops at airport. via @WCM_JustSocial #Simferopol http://b4in.us/1eDg8vk

— Mel (@me_l) February 28, 2014

MORE: At least 50 armed men in military uniforms entered Simferopol airport, asked security guards to leave http://b4in.us/1cZ4jDe #Ukraine

— RT (@RT_com) February 28, 2014

RT.com A group of armed men in military uniforms have raided Simferopol international airport in the capital of Crimea, looking for Ukrainian airlifted forces, the airport press service says. According to eyewitnesses in the middle of the night at least three KamAZ trucks without license plates drove to the airport with about 50 armed men. At first the group cordoned off the airport’s domestic flights terminal, but then pushed forward. The head of the security at the airport told EER.ru magazine that the gunmen “politely” asked security officers to leave.

DEVELOPING: #Simferopol airport continues to operate normally after gunmen took control of it http://b4in.us/1cZ4jDe #Ukraine

— RT (@RT_com) February 28, 2014

New picture from #Simferopol airport. Armed men stand guard at airport building. http://b4in.us/1cZ4lLo #Crimea http://b4in.us/1cZ4myP

— Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) February 28, 2014

The unidentified men arent hostile nor are they making any threats or demands but have the airport under their control it's working normally

— Egor Piskunov (@egorpiskunov_RT) February 28, 2014

UPDATE: Gunmen raided #Simferopol airport in search of Ukrainian airborne troops – press service http://b4in.us/1cZ4jDe #Ukraine

— RT (@RT_com) February 28, 2014

Airport officials claim armed unidentified men left the airport #simferopol #Crimea #ukraine

— Egor Piskunov (@egorpiskunov_RT) February 28, 2014

MORE: Gunmen apologized and left #Simferopol airport after finding no Ukrainian troops inside - press service http://b4in.us/1cZ4jDe

— RT (@RT_com) February 28, 2014

Possible motive

It seems as if the unidentified group was looking for someone or something, however a 'Moscow' MP (conveniently) in Simferopol noted that the group may have been seeking to block the arrival of the new interim president Aleksandr Turchinov.

RT.com The gunmen reportedly were equipped in a similar way to the group of local ethnic Russian ‘self-defense squads’ that had taken control of and raised Russian flags over the buildings of the Crimean parliament and government in the region’s capital. Moscow MP Vladimir Garnachuk, who is now in Simferopol, elaborated that the aim of the ‘self-defense squads’ was to stop the interim president Aleksandr Turchinov from landing in Crimea. “The active asset of about 2,000 people are developing a plan to block the runway,” Garnachuk told Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper via the phone.

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