All military units and vessels of Ukrainian Armed Forces in Crimea follow orders of Defense Ministry and General Staff of Ukrainian Armed Forces

Russia continues to spread in the media and on the Internet false information about the "transfer of military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, deploying in the Crimea, on the side "of the Crimean government", thus trying to justify their illegal actions on the territory of a sovereign state.

In this regard, the Office of Press and Information of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine emphasizes once again that the data are completely untrue.

No military unit, no garrison or ship of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has complied with the ultimatum of the Russian military to hand over weapons and swear allegiance to the so-called "government of Crimea" or leave its base. The territories of military units are under the control of Ukrainian soldiers.

No case of Ukrainian troops’ desertion has been registered in the Crimea, apart from the fact of treason of former commander of Naval Forces of Ukraine Denis Berezovskiy.

Proposals received from various "representatives of the Crimean authorities" in order to join the non-existent "forces of autonomy" haven’t even been considered by Ukrainian soldiers.

This morning the soldiers’ column of Sevastopol military tactical aviation brigade named after Alexander Pokryshkin, that supposedly "moved to the side of the Crimean authorities”, after hoisting of the National Flag of Ukraine have departed without arms to their jobs at the airport.

According to Colonel Yuli Mamchur, they were met by armed Russian soldiers having worn unidentified military uniform. To stop the column, they made some shots in the air.

Negotiations between Colonel Yuli Mamchur with one of the commanders of the Russian military, which block the airfield, led to the access of about 15 Ukrainian soldiers to their jobs.

Press Service of the Ukrainian Defense Ministry stresses that personnel of military units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine stationed in the Crimea, blocked by armed persons, keeps calm and seeks for negotiations to prevent bloodshed, recognizing full responsibility for peace in Ukraine.