Russian soldiers have stormed through the walls of an airforce base in Crimea after a Ukrainian commander ignored demands to leave ordered his troops to 'stand their ground'.
At least one Ukrainian soldier is reported to have been shot and explosions have been heard at the Belbek base near Sevastapol after a tank broke through the gates.
Ukrainian forces had backed a lorry against the gate to stop an advancement, but pro-Russian forces managed to break through.
The armoured vehicle storms through the gates while troops smash through the walls in other parts of the compound
Members of pro-Russian self-defence units take cover behind cars outside the military base while Russian forces take it over
There were scenes of panic and chaos
as people did not know whether soldiers were shooting at others or just
firing warning shots.
An ambulance was seen driving to the gates of the base, but was not admitted inside, so two paramedics were pictured running inside.
It
is the first time Russia has launched a full on assault on a base in
the Crimea and now means only one or two Ukrainian strongholds are left
in the region.
Earlier Russian troops surrounded the compound and issued an ultimatum for their opponents to surrender.
Colonel Yuli Mamchur was seen talking with Russian opponents as the deadline set for them to leave the base lapsed.
He has now been taken away by Russian forces for questioning.
Stand off: A Russian military officer (back) talks to Colonel Yuli Mamchur (left) demanding Ukrainian servicemen to leave a military base in the Crimean town of Belbek near Sevastopol
Prepared: Ukrainian servicemen guard the military base in the Crimean town as tensions in the region heighten
Troops at the base are not said to be heavily armed, but have readied themselves with sticks and metal pipes.
The base, above which the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag was flying, is one of the few military facilities on Crimea still controlled by Ukraine after the annexation of the peninsula by Russian forces.
'The Russian troops at our aerodrome gave us an hour to surrender or they will start storming. We are going nowhere, let's see what this storming is,' Oleg Podovalov said.
The ultimatum was due to expire at 12.30 GMT, but there was no sign of the Russians moving in on the base.
The Russian takeover of the Black Sea peninsula has been largely bloodless, though one Ukrainian serviceman was killed and two others wounded in a shooting in Simferopol earlier this week.
Ukraine's Defence Ministry said on Friday Crimea's bases were still formally under Ukrainian control, but most are now occupied by Russian troops and fly Russia's tricolour flag.
Two weeks ago, it was reported that snipers were positioned in the area surrounding the Crimean base.
Armed men, believed to be Russian servicemen, gather on a hill near the military base
Earlier this week Ukraine started to withdraw its
troops from Crimea to the mainland amid fears Russia plans further
military incursions into their territory after militiamen seized three
Ukrainian ships.
Russian troops have majority control of the Black Sea peninsula after storming three Ukrainian warships following the takeover of several military bases.
Shots were fired and stun grenades as the Ukrainian corvette Khmelnitsky was seized in Sevastopol while another ship, the Lutsk, was also surrounded by pro-Russian forces.
Ukrainian servicemen were also seen disembarking a third ship, the
Ternopil corvette. There were not thought to be any casualties, however.
The action came hours before European Union leaders agreed to widen the list of Russian officials subject to personal sanctions over the seizure of Crimea - while asking the European Commission to prepare for broader economic sanctions if the crisis escalates.
Troops are seen gathering in the top left of the picture outside the base with as an armoured vehicle blocks the road
Final unit: The troops in Ukraine's last military base in the Crimea keep updated by watching a small television set
The troops in the base have been waiting for orders as thousands of other troops are withdrawn from the region as tensions with Russia heighten
Yesterday ethnic Russians
flooded the streets of Crimea as they celebrated the area's
referendum to join with neighbouring Russia with fireworks and street
parties.
Thousands
revelled in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea, where the population is
around 58 per cent ethnic Russia.
Soldiers at the Belbek base looked distraught as they received the news of the Moscow bill - regarded as illegal by the international community.
Today, more than 5,000 pro-Russia residents demonstrated in the eastern city of Donetsk demonstrated on Saturday in favor of holding a referendum on whether to seek to split off and become part of Russia.
A Ukrainian soldier holds the picture of Sergey Kokurin, 35, during his funeral. He was shot in the Crimea last week
A soldier looks up standing between the coffins of Ukrainian soldier Sergey Kokurin, right, and Russian Cossack militiaman Ruslan Kazakov, 34, left, during the service in Simferopoll
Devastated relatives of the dead Ukrainian soldier mourn next to his coffin
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