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Many theories have been expressed and accepted as to why Putin took Crimea so quickly and seemingly without much thought, almost as if it was an emotional, spur of the moment thing.
But there is an alternative explanation.
Crimea is merely step one in a larger military plan that has been on the books in the Kremlin for some time.
Ukraine is a vast country in terms of land area. The largest country in Europe, not counting the European portion of Russia.
Ukraine is larger than the combined land area of California and New York. Ukraine is larger than the country of France.
Moscow needed the air fields on Crimea ( the Ukrainian Air Force's air fields on Crimea and the Ukrainian civilian Air Fields on Crimea ) to project fighter based air power over Southwestern Ukraine and Moldova. Even with the Crimean air fields it is a long flight to the border between central Ukraine and the Russian occupied areas of Moldova.
Crimea also provides a land base from which to invade southwest Ukraine by crossing the largest rivers in Ukraine near the mouth of those rivers as well as the ability to capture additional Ukrainian air fields east of the major rivers but much closer to Southwestern Ukraine and Moldova than Crimea. Crossing the rivers, is an open question depending on opposition forces, and Ukraine's willingness to destroy it's own bridges in a timely manner, but the captured airfields would provide flexibility for supporting other forces attacking southwestern Ukraine from other directions.
Southwestern Ukraine and Moldova, which have more strategic value to Russia, were just too far from Russia to eat in one bite.
Russian Main Battle Tanks building up in Crimea:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHw1j2chIWo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifFRHT_wmZo
http://www.janes.com/article/36296/russ ... nto-crimea
http://www.leaderpost.com/news/cms/binary/9684695.jpg
