March 24, 2014 -- Updated 1303 GMT (2103 HKT)
Russian troops stormed and seized a Ukrainian naval base at a port in Crimea, and captured Ukrainian troops. FULL STORY
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FORCES SMASH INTO BASE
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RUSSIA'S NEXT MOVE?
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RUSSIA'S NEXT MOVE?
Ukraine orders Crimea troop withdrawal as Russia seizes naval base
March 24, 2014 -- Updated 1207 GMT (2007 HKT)
Russia takes control of Ukrainian bases
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- NEW: Russian defense minister travels to Crimea, ITAR-Tass reports
- Russian threats cited as reason for withdrawal, spokeswoman says
- Russia seizes naval base in Crimea, captures troops
- NATO commander concerned about buildup of Russian forces on Ukraine's border
Russian troops have seized most of Ukraine's
bases in the peninsula, including a naval base at Feodosia on Monday.
Russia annexed Crimea last week after a controversial referendum that
Ukraine and the West say was illegal.
"The acting President of
Ukraine has given an order to the Ukraine Defense Ministry for the
withdrawal of all Ukrainian forces from Crimea," a spokeswoman for
Turchynov told CNN. The soldiers' families will be evacuated as well.
Earlier, Russian troops
stormed and seized the Ukrainian naval base in Feodosia, a port in
Crimea, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman said. Witnesses said
several Mi-24 and Mi-8 helicopters were involved in the raid. Between 60
and 80 Ukrainian troops were captured and taken from the base, said
Vladislav Seleznev, a Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman in Crimea.
What is Russia's next move?
NATO concerned about Russian buildup
Ukrainians had said they would leave the base if they were allowed to take their weapons with them.
Russian forces consolidated their control of the Black Sea peninsula over the weekend.
On Saturday, six Russian
special forces armored personnel carriers broke through the gates of
Belbek air base, firing warning shots into the air. In separate
incidents, pro-Russian self-defense forces stormed the Novofederoskoe
military base as well as a Ukrainian ship, the Slavutych.
On a trip to Crimea
Monday, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu appointed Rear Admiral
Denis Berezovsky deputy commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet,
Russia's ITAR-Tass reported. That fleet is based in the Crimean city of
Sevastopol, making it strategically important to Moscow.
Shoigu also met with
former Ukrainian military personnel, who are now willing to serve in the
Russian army, state news agency Ria Novosti reported.
NATO concerns
NATO's top military commander expressed concern Sunday about the buildup of Russian forces on Ukraine's border.
Supreme Allied Commander
Europe Gen. Philip Breedlove said that Russia had a large force on
Ukraine's eastern border and that he was worried it could threaten
Moldova's separatist Transnistria region.
"The (Russian) force
that is at the Ukrainian border now to the east is very, very sizable
and very, very ready," said Breedlove, a U.S. Air Force general.
Russia said the presence of its forces complied with international agreements. Moscow
annexed Crimea after a snap referendum in the autonomous region last
week that produced an overwhelming majority of votes in favor of leaving
Ukraine to join Russia.
"Russia is acting much
more like an adversary than a partner," Breedlove said, speaking at an
event held in Brussels, Belgium, by the German Marshall Fund think tank.
Claims on Crimea
Ukraine's new leaders --
who took office after months of protests forced President Viktor
Yanukovych, a Russian ally, from office -- as well as the United States
and other Western powers say Crimea is still a part of Ukraine.
Russia insists its
actions are legitimate. Crimea had belonged to Russia until 1954, when
it was given to Ukraine. The region also has a majority ethnic Russian
population and other long historic ties to Russia.
Moscow has doggedly
pursued its own course, even as Western leaders have denounced its
actions as violations of Ukraine's sovereignty and a breach of
international law.
U.S. President Barack
Obama arrived in The Netherlands Monday for a meeting of the G7, which
is considering a collective response to the crisis during talks in The
Hague. The G7 leaders are meeting on the sidelines of a long-planned
summit on global threats to nuclear security.
A planned EU-Russia summit has been canceled, as the West seeks to increase Moscow's isolation over its actions in Ukraine.
EU leaders imposed a new
round of sanctions against 12 people last week, bringing the total
number of people facing EU asset freezes and travel bans to 33.
The United States
announced its own new round of sanctions against 20 people and a bank
that U.S. officials say is linked to Putin and senior Russian officials.
Washington had already announced sanctions on 11 people.
CNN's Marie-Louise Gumuchian and journalist Azad Safarov in Kiev contributed to this report.
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