Transcription: Putin puts Russian troops on alert amid Ukraine separatist fears
Reporter: In Ukraine's most Russian-speaking Crimea, in the east, the trouble is brewing. On Wednesday, the supporters of Ukraine's new government, many of them ethnic Tatars converged outside the regional parliament. They were met with the rival demonstration by pro-Russian separatist--many of them ethnic Russians. The separatists want Crimea to secede from Ukraine, or even become a part of Russia again like it had been until the 1950s. The rallies come the same day the national government disbanded the riot police force--the forces called, "Berkut,"--and is blamed for the most of the death last in the week's spasm of violence. But the move to disband them upset these Crimeans who set up camp outside the Berkut police barricks.
Pro-Russian Separatist 1: Crimea supports Berkut. Our slogan is, "Berkut with the people. People with the Berkut."
Pro-Russian Separatist 2: I am here to support our guys. This is why I am here. The guys are not responsible for our corrupt government behaving that way.
Reporter: In Kiev, protesters who helped topple the Moscow-backed President Viktor Yanukovich vow Ukraine won't be divided. They say all this separatism talk is coming from Russian-speaking leaders who want to split up the country.
Pro-Ukrainian Protester: There is no fear between countries. There is no fear between people. There is just fear between politicians.
Reporter: But tensions were high on Wednesday. Pro-Russian protesters raised the Russian flag over city hall in the eastern city Kharkiv, and Russian President Vladimir Putin put a 150,000 troops on high alert for war games near Ukraine. Moscow says the military drills aren't linked to events in Ukraine but any military action here would be serious. It would be the closest Russia and the West have come to outright confrontation since the cold war.
References
Putin puts Russian troops on alert amid Ukraine separatist fears (Video)
New Ukraine ministers proposed, Russian troops on alert