Ukranian military forces given 1 hour to vacate

[Earth_First]

via Twitter:

@tombartonjourno Tom Barton: We are at #Ukraine's Belbek airbase in Crimea where the Russians have just given them 1 hour to surrender or face storming. 7:44 a.m. 22 MAR 14

Tom Barton is a freelance journalist with the BBC.

[dipsydoodle]

1. I thought they'd all been recalled by Kiev days ago.

Protesters storm Ukraine military base in west Crimea.

About 200 pro-Russian protesters on Saturday stormed a Ukrainian air force base in western Crimea, AFP correspondents saw.

The unarmed crowd broke through to the base in the town of Novofedorivka and started smashing windows as Ukrainian servicemen barricaded themselves inside buildings and threw smoke bombs at the intruders from the roof.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/world/a/22115612/protesters-storm-ukraine-military-base-in-west-crimea/

2,000 out of 18,000 Ukrainian Troops to Leave Crimea.

MOSCOW, March 22 (RIA Novosti) - Less than 2,000 of Ukrainian troops serving in Crimea decided to leave the peninsula for Ukraine, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Saturday.

"As of March 21, less than 2,000 out of 18,000 Ukrainian servicemen staying on the territory of the Republic of Crimea decided to go to Ukraine," the ministry said in a statement.

Those willing to continue their service in the Ukrainian armed forces will be provided with transport to carry their families and belongings to the Ukrainian territory.

A total of 147 military units in Crimea have hoisted Russian flags instead of Ukrainian and applied to join the Russian armed forces.

http://en.ria.ru/world/20140322/188664307/2000-out-of-18000-Ukrainian-Troops-to-Leave-Crimea-.html