More Defections to Crimea

A gaggle of Ukrainian military leaders based in the Crimea have defected.

The oath of allegiance to the people of Crimea has been taken by Pyotr Zima, head of the Securiy Service of Crimea, Sergei Abisov, chief of the Crimea Directorate for Internal Affairs, Sergei Shakhov, chief of the Emergencies Directorate of Crimea, Viktor Melnichenko, actinh Chief of the Border Service of Crimea, and Rear-Admiral Denis Berezovsky, who had been earlier appointed Commander of the ARC Navy.

Aksyonov said the day 'will go down in the history of the ARC as a day of the formation of all its security organizations'. 'We shall prove that people of Crimea are capable of defending themselves independently and also of ensuring security and freedom for our citizens,' he said.

Aksynov also said that the chiefs of a number of other units and state services are also ready to take an oath of allegiance to the people of Crimea in the coming days.

'As of now, 90 percent of all secuirty organizations are subordinated to the Supreme Council of Crimea,' the Chairman of the ARC Council of Ministers pointed out.

There are reports, Russian naturally, that most Ukrainian military units in the Crimean area are likewise defecting.