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Ukraine crisis: Crimea military base stand-off 'ends' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
Pro-Russian soldiers are reported to have stormed a Ukrainian military base outside the Crimean city of Sevastopol, before withdrawing soon afterwards. | |
A BBC correspondent saw two lorries from Russia's Black Sea Fleet outside the gates, surrounded by armed men. | |
But no shots are believed to have been fired, and the assailants and lorries reportedly left after "negotiations". | |
Troops wearing Russian uniform without insignia have blockaded bases since taking control of Crimea last week. | |
Some military installations and other buildings in the peninsula have been taken over, but both sides have so far held their fire. | |
Journalists beaten | |
On Friday evening, the Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that about 100 Ukrainian personnel were stationed at missile defence base A2355. | |
Citing a duty officer and Ukraine's defence ministry, the agency said a lorry had rammed open the gates of the facility and about 20 "attackers" had entered, throwing stun grenades. | |
The Ukrainian troops immediately barricaded themselves inside a building and their commander began negotiations before any shots were fired, it added. | |
The BBC's Christian Fraser, who visited the scene, said the gates did not appear to have been driven through, and there was no sign that the base had been seized. | |
There were two military lorries with Russian number plates outside the gates, surrounded by irregular soldiers and a very hostile crowd of pro-Russian demonstrators, our correspondent adds. | |
Two journalists who attempted to take photographs were beaten badly. | Two journalists who attempted to take photographs were beaten badly. |
Later, a Ukrainian officer told a Daily Telegraph journalist that the stand-off had ended after the "talks", and that the Russian lorries and about 30 to 60 Russians troops had withdrawn. | |
The incident comes hours after Russian parliamentarians gave a standing ovation to a delegation of pro-Moscow politicians from Crimea, promising support if they wanted to become part of Russia. | The incident comes hours after Russian parliamentarians gave a standing ovation to a delegation of pro-Moscow politicians from Crimea, promising support if they wanted to become part of Russia. |
The region is due to hold a referendum on 16 March, on whether to join Russia or remain part of Ukraine. The vote has been denounced by the interim government in Kiev as illegitimate. | |
Meanwhile, Russia's state-owned energy company, Gazprom, warned Ukraine that its gas supply might be cut off unless its $1.89bn (£1.13bn) of debts were cleared. | |
Gazprom halted supplies to Ukraine for almost two weeks in 2009, a move that caused shortages in Europe. | |
Ukrainian officials have said the state has come close to bankruptcy since protesters ousted President Viktor Yanukovych at the end of February. | |
Officials say $35bn (£21bn) is needed to get through this year and 2015. |