SEVASTOPOL, Ukraine
The Ukrainian government said Wednesday that it is drawing up preliminary withdrawal plans for its armed forces stationed in the breakaway Crimea region after a number of its bases were overrun by pro-Russian forces in the last few days.
In a highly disputed referendum held Sunday, the strategic peninsula voted to secede from Ukraine and join the Russian Federation. Moscow has tightened its grip over Crimea since February 27-28 when masked gunmen, believed to be Russian Special Forces, seized the capital Simferopol's airport.
The first fatality in the crisis occurred Tuesday night when a Ukrainian officer was shot and killed.
On Wednesday, pro-Russian forces captured the headquarters of Ukraine's Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
