Although Russia’s takeover of Crimea has been bloodless, the first shots have been fired.  No, it wasn’t that missile test over which the major media outlets had worked themselves up into an unsightly lather.

Russia's defense ministry said it successfully launched a Topol RS-12M missile from Russia's Kapustin Yar test range near the Caspian Sea to the Sary Shagan range in Kazakhstan.  The US said Russia fulfilled its obligation to give advance notice of the launch.  Some news reports went into panic mode, but Washington and Moscow didn’t seem to be sweating it, and by later in the day newsreaders had regained their composure.

Okay, now for the great video of the march that could have turned the crisis into a war.

Back in beautiful Crimea, two- to three-hundred unarmed members of Ukraine’s 62nd fighter regiment marched up the road to go to work at the Belbek Airbase, home of Ukraine’s MiG fighter planes but surrounded by Russian forces.  In their way, three men in unmarked Russian uniforms near military vehicles with Russian plates – the forces that Vladimir Putin aren’t there.

As the Ukrainians sang their national anthem, the men whom we totally know are Russians fired warning shots above the Ukrainians’ heads.  And if you listen closely, you can hear one of the Ukrainians yell, “The Americans are with us!” in his language as his commanding officer tried to talk with the Russians.

No one was hurt, and the two sides maintained a standoff – the Ukrainians surreally produce a yellow ball and start to play Soccer.  While Russian snipers watched.  Because Europe.

Eventually, some really-really big, really-really scary Russians wearing commando drag show up and the Ukrainians literally take their ball and go back home.