Ukraine neo Nazi Kiev maidan
© SPUTNIK/ ANDREI STENINSupporters of Ukraine’s European integration in Madan square in Kiev, Ukraine
During the Euromaidan in 2014, the Ukrainian authorities had a plan for dealing with discontent in Crimea - and not by democratic means. This was stated by the ex-chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Yuri Ilyin.

According to Ilyin, in the winter of 2014 events with the Maidan in Kiev caused discontent among Crimeans. The Ukrainian authorities did not see a reason to resolve this issue by dialogue. They had another plan - "drown Crimea in blood."

Thus, the mayor of Kiev, Vitali Klichko, stated that with the Crimea "they will get tougher than with the Ukrainian capital," and the head of the party "Svoboda", Oleg Tyagnibok, declared that he would "break the Crimean people like a broom and the Crimeans will wash themselves with blood."

According to Ilyin, Ukraine's Defense Minister, Igor Tenyukh, did not have the confidence to undertake any attempts to end the unrest on the peninsula, when Crimeans started talking about reunification with Russia. General Vladimir Zaman, with permission from acting President Alexander Turchinov, then lowered the degree of readiness of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from full to constant.

It is also widely acknowledged, whether in Crimea or the Donbass, the first stages of the conflict saw outright disagreement between the Ukrainian Army and the Kiev Junta. Even where commands were carried out in theory, intentional misfiring was not uncommon.