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Defence & Security News - Russia
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| Monday, March
24, 2014 04:07 PM |
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| All
Ukrainian military units stationed in Crimea are now under the control of
the Russian army. |
All
military units stationed in Crimea are now under the control of the Russian
military, and remaining Ukrainian servicemen are departing the peninsula,
the region’s first deputy prime minister, Rustam Temirgaliyev, said
on Monday, March 24, 2014.
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At this moment there are around 25.000 Russian troops on the territory
of Crimea and Eastern regions. About 11.000 represent the Black Sea
fleet of Russian Federation. The rest 14.000 are the actual military
forces of the Russian Federation.
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As Crimea’s reunification
process began last week, a total of 147 military units in the predominantly
Russian-ethnic region have replaced Ukrainian flags with Russian ones
and applied to join the Russian armed forces.
“All Ukrainian military personnel have either joined Russia or
are leaving Crimea,” Temirgaliyev said.
Shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on Friday
to ratify the reunification treaty, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said
those soldiers wishing to continue their service with the Ukrainian
armed forces were free to leave Crimea and will receive the required
assistance to do so.
The Russian Defense Ministry said over the weekend that only 2,000 out
of 18,000 Ukrainian troops serving in Crimea decided to leave the peninsula.
On Monday, Shoigu appointed the former head of Ukraine’s navy
as deputy commander of the Russian Black Sea fleet during a visit to
Crimea.
Rear Adm. Denis Berezovsky swore allegiance to the people of Crimea
earlier this month two days after he had been appointed commander of
the Ukrainian navy by the country’s Western-backed government.
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