Pro-Russian forces board 3 Ukrainian warships
Iran Press TV
Thu Mar 20, 2014 6:47PM GMT
Pro-Russian forces have seized three Ukrainian warships in the strategic Black Sea peninsula of Crimea as Ukraine says its troops are being threatened in the breakaway region.
On Thursday, gunmen opened fire as the Ukrainian corvette, Khmelnitsky, was seized at the Crimean port of Sevastopol. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
Another ship, the Lutsk, was surrounded by pro-Russian forces. Unknown armed men also stormed the Ternopil corvette, forcing Ukrainian servicemen to disembark the ship.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Leonid Polyakov has accused Russian troops of constantly threatening to storm military bases in Crimea where Ukrainian soldiers are located.
Ukraine's ambassador to the United Nations has also warned of a sharp deterioration in relations between Kiev and Moscow, saying that Russia appears to be preparing for a military 'invasion' in more areas of his country.
Yuri Klymenko said there were 'indications that Russia is on its way to unleash a full-blown military intervention in Ukraine's east and south' since its annexation of Crimea. He said his statement was based on information from non-governmental organizations.
Crimea declared independence from Ukraine on March 17 and formally applied to become part of Russia following a referendum a day earlier, in which 96.8 percent of Crimean residents voted in favor of the secession. The voter turnout in the referendum stood at 83.1 percent.
Ukrainian lawmakers have announced that they will never recognize Russia's accession of Crimea, vowing to fight for the liberation of the region as long as it takes.
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