Wednesday, 19 March 2014

Ukraine 'preparing withdrawal of troops from Crimea'

 

Ukraine is drawing up plans to withdraw its soldiers and their families from Crimea, Kiev's security chief says.


Andriy Parubiy said they wanted to move them "quickly and efficiently" to mainland Ukraine.

Earlier, pro-Russian forces seized two naval bases - including Ukraine navy's HQ - in Crimea. Kiev says its navy chief has been detained.

It comes a day after Crimean leaders signed a treaty with Moscow absorbing the peninsula into Russia.

He said arrangements were now being set up to introduce visas for Russian nationals travelling to Ukraine.

And he said Kiev was seeking UN support to "proclaim Crimea a demilitarised zone", which would involve the withdrawal of Russian troops and the "relocation of Ukrainian troops to continental Ukraine as well as facilitate evacuation of all the civilian population who are unwilling to remain on the occupied territory".

Ukraine is also leaving the Moscow-led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) alliance, and is preparing for military exercises with the US and the UK, Mr Parubiy added.

Crimean self-defence forces enter the Ukrainian naval HQ in Sevastopol on 14 March 2014

 Pro-Russian crowds broke into the Ukrainian navy headquarters in Sevastopol


 Pro-Russian activist takes down Ukraine's flag at Ukraine's navy HQ in Crimea on 19 March 2014
 Ukrainian flags have been removed and replaced with Russian ones

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