(MENAFN- Qatar News Agency) Russia's military has given Ukrainian forces in Crimea until dawn on Tuesday to surrender or face an assault, Ukrainian defence sources have said, according to the BBC. The head of Russia's Black Sea Fleet Aleksander Vitko set the deadline and threatened an attack "across Crimea", the BBC added. He also reportedly told two warships to surrender or be attacked at 17:00 GMT on Monday. Moscow says it is protecting civilians from "ultra-nationalist threats", but its actions have been widely condemned. Russia is now said to be in de facto control of the Crimea region. No shots have been fired and no treaties signed but Crimea is now de facto under Russian armed control. Two large Ukrainian military bases are surrounded, with Russian troops standing alongside local self-defence groups, who demand that the Ukrainian soldiers inside defect from Kiev to Crimea's new pro-Russia government. The naval headquarters remains blockaded and key installations like airports are still occupied. Thousands of newly arrived Russian elite troops far outnumber Ukraine's military presence. Crimea has in effect been cut off by roadblocks, where vehicles are being denied access to the peninsula. Ukraine has ordered full mobilisation to counter the interventio
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.