I watch exoduson eve of a referendum that has only one answer

1992 constitution originally sought by all pro-Russian militants stated that Crimea is independent and not part of Ukraine.

A reference to autonomy within Ukraine was inserted later at the behest of Kiev. So supporting option two is actually backing enhanced independence and the puppet government that would ensure this is under Russia.

‘I will not vote – there is no point,’ said Mikhail Melnikov, a 28-yearold charity worker. ‘The only people who will bother are those who want to join Russia.’

Many in the Ukrainian minority that makes up almost a quarter of Crimea’s population say they will leave.

‘Yesterday, a woman who works for me called and said she could not come to work,’ said Oleg, the owner of a thriving agricultural business. ‘She had left and gone to Donetsk with her two children.’

Now Oleg, who spent three years of his life fighting for the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, says he will follow suit.

‘They have poisoned this place for us,’ he told me, as his two daughters arrived home from school. ‘Of course it would be very difficult to leave because we have a business, money in the bank, a nice home – but we will leave if the Russians take over even if we lose everything.’

Like many in Crimea, he has strong ties of family and friendship that cross borders. ‘But these are not the Russians we love – they are occupants of our country,’ he said.

Galina Kiselyova, a 46-year-old paediatrician and mother-of-four, said she knew 15 families planning to leave. She has seen critics of Russia assaulted in the street and has been harassed at home by gangs of youths seeking her teenage daughter, a political activist. ‘I work with 200 children with HIV and it will be very hard to leave them,’ she said. ‘But if Crimea joins Russia, the only ones who will stay are those without the money to leave.

‘I don’t want to live in Russia but this vote has been decided already. It will ruin Crimea and a lot of my acquaintances are very scared – no one asked our opinion before bringing in these troops.’

HER daughter Valentina, 18, a student doctor who has been attacked at a protest, joined a 500strong underground selfdefence group. Its activities include stockpiling body armour and medical supplies in case of conflict and disseminating anti-Russian leaflets during the night.

‘I am not afraid because I love my country,’ she said. ‘I want to live in Ukraine. But if there is nothing we can do I will leave too.’

Andrey Yegorov was born in the Russian Urals yet joined a proUkrainian demonstration last week. ‘I want Crimea to remain with Ukraine,’ he said. ‘No one is thinking about the repercussions. We are all afraid of war.’

Bizarrely, I have discovered that Moscow is carrying out market research into its incursion – which must surely be a first in the annals of invasion. All sides in Crimea are trying hard to avoid rash actions that could spark bloodshed but many Tartars – a Muslim minority deported by Stalin 70 years ago – are terrified by life under Russia.

And the biggest concerns are over the roving bands of samoobrona – pro-Russian militia – – that sprung up after the invasion.

I spoke to the commander of one unit of 15 samoobrona standing outside the Ministry of Finance. A builder by trade, Igor admitted he had received no training and said the force – just three weeks old – was already 2,500-strong in Simferopol alone.

He claimed to be guarding the city against ‘fascists’ and ‘provocateurs’ – and said that they would stay as long as they were needed. ‘Little boys have come up to thank us for keeping them safe,’ he added with a smile.

But as he talked, an elderly woman in a woolly hat and stained coat approached us.

‘Who are you protecting us from?’ she asked, ignoring his attempts to push her away.

‘I don’t see any of these provocations you all talk about.’

There are none, of course, but it is almost certainly too late.

Vladimir Putin and his stooges are finalising their seizure of Crimea today and there seems little that Ukraine or its Western allies are able or willing to do to stop it.