Armed forces backed by armoured vehicles broke inside a Ukrainian airbase in Crimea on Saturday, firing from automatic weapons into the air, an AFP correspondent saw.
An armoured vehicle rammed through the gate of the base, and an ambulance was also seen approaching with sirens blaring, as armed men went inside and pointed guns at Ukrainian soldiers.
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A man in camouflage and sunglasses then dismantled a camera that provided a live feed of the front gate to the base. AFP reporters saw at least three armoured personnel carriers enter the airbase.
Earlier Saturday the Belbek base wrote on its website that troops inside had received an ultimatum from Russian forces to lay down their weapons and surrender or prepare to be stormed. [AFP]