Ukraine Defection: Newly Appointed Head of Navy Pledges Allegiance to Crimea - Navy Told To 'Disregard' Orders From Kiev

Rear Admiral Denys Berezovsky: "I swear allegiance to the residents of the
Autonomous Republic of Crimea." (Screen capture from video)

By Bridget Kendall

The newly appointed head of Ukraine's navy has sworn allegiance to the Crimea region, in the presence of its unrecognised pro-Russian leader. 

Rear Admiral Denys Berezovsky was only made head of the navy on Saturday, as the government in Kiev reacted to the threat of Russian invasion...

Admiral Berezovsky appeared in Sevastopol before cameras alongside Sergiy Aksyonov, the pro-Russian politician elected by Crimea's regional parliament as local prime minister.

Mr Aksyonov announced he had given orders to Ukrainian naval forces on the peninsula to disregard any orders from the "self-proclaimed" authorities in Kiev.

Sunday, he said, would go down in history as the birthday of the "navy of the autonomous republic of Crimea".

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