"took"
In no part of the civilized world is it legal to club someone over the head and take his walled.
To drive the long way around is a lot of opportunity to be blown to smithereens, not the same as a quick escape out the back door.
Yes, because of the large scale ethinc cleansing in soviet times, a lot life in Uzbekistan, Turkey, Bulgaria...
Not my hope, i am not Crimean, Ukrainean, Muslim..., just stating facts.