Crimea's new leader Sergey Aksyonov is a man with a murky past
Two weeks ago, Sergey Aksyonov was a small-time Crimean politician, the leader of a tiny pro-Russia political party that could barely summon 4 per cent of the votes in a regional election.
Two weeks ago, Sergey Aksyonov was a small-time Crimean politician, the leader of a tiny pro-Russia political party that could barely summon 4 per cent of the votes in a regional election.
He was a little-known businessman with a murky past and a nickname of the "Goblin" left over from the days when criminal gangs flourished after the collapse of the Soviet Union. How times have changed.
Today, Aksyonov is the prime minister of Crimea's regional parliament and the public face of Russia's seizure of the Black Sea peninsula. He is, by all appearances, a man placed in power by Moscow who is now working hard to make Crimea a part of Russia.
He also leads a new army, 30 men carrying AK-47s who are still learning to march in formation. "Commander!" they greeted him on Saturday, when they were sworn into service in a Simferopol park.
The '90s were such dark times ... I can only judge him by what he's doing now
Speaking at the ceremony, the former semi-professional boxer said that while Crimea's March 16 referendum would make the peninsula a part of Russia, he held no grudge against Ukraine.