article_snippet: In February 2014, "little green men" -- the Ukrainian term for professional soldiers wearing Russian combat fatigues but no identifying insignia -- seized key installations and checkpoints around Crimea.
article_snippet: Question:  "The people who were blocking the Ukrainian army units in Crimea were wearing uniforms that strongly resembled the Russian army uniform.
article_snippet: Were those Russian soldiers, Russian military?
article_snippet: But were they Russian soldiers or not?
article_snippet: Vladimir Putin"Those were local self-defense units.
article_snippet: Within weeks, Vladimir Putin admitted they were Russian troops.