Ukraine: anti-NATO protests continue in Crimea peninsula

Photo: Ukraine: anti-NATO protests continue in Crimea peninsula

The demonstrations were sparked by the arrival over the weekend of USS Advantage in the Crimean port of Feodosiya to deliver construction equipment to refurbish a Ukrainian training base.

The ship, a merchant vessel leased by the U.S. military, also dropped off equipment to be used in multinational training exercises set to begin in mid-July. The U.S. Embassy in Kiev said a "small group" also arrived to watch the supplies.

NTN television showed about 100 people rallying under Communist party and Russian flags, and carrying banners that read "No NATO in Crimea." A regional council, meanwhile, voted to declare itself a NATO-free zone, the AP reports.

Communists and a small pro-Russian party, which has strong support in the Russian-speaking Crimea, accused the government of violating the law by not receiving permission from parliament before allowing a foreign military vessel to enter the port. They also alleged that the U.S. or NATO was seeking a permanent presence on the Black Sea peninsula - an allegation denied by U.S. Embassy spokesman Brent Byers.