Ukraine officer 'killed in attack on Crimea base'
Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/
Ben Brown reports from outside the Simferopol base where automatic gunfire has been heard
Ukraine's military says an officer has been killed in an attack on a base in Crimea, the first such death since pro-Russia forces took control in February.
It said all its troops at the Simferopol base had been arrested.
The attack came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Crimea signed a bill to absorb the peninsula into Russia.
Western powers condemned the treaty and a G7 and EU crisis meeting has been called for next week in The Hague.
The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned an EU deal in favour of stronger ties with Russia. He fled Ukraine on 22 February after protests in which many died.
'Military stage'
The Ukrainian government said a junior officer who was on duty in a park inside the Simferopol base had been killed and another officer injured. A third serviceman had leg and head injuries after being beaten with iron bars, it said.
President Putin told Russia's parliament that Crimea had "always been part of Russia"
Defence ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by "unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered".
The Ukrainians had had their IDs, weapons and money confiscated, he said.
The government said it had now authorised the use of weapons by its troops in Crimea.
Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told an emergency government meeting: "The conflict is shifting from a political to a military stage.
"Russian soldiers have started shooting at Ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime."
Reports from the Crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russia defence force member had been shot dead.
Neither of the accounts can be independently confirmed or whether they relate to the same incident.
The BBC's Mark Lowen, in Simferopol, says up until now only warning shots have been fired amid a truce - but it appears the tension has boiled over and there are fears that further clashes could follow.
'Glory to Russia'
Earlier, Mr Putin told Russia's parliament that Crimea had "always been part of Russia" and in signing the treaty he was righting a "historical injustice".
Ben Brown reports from outside the Simferopol base where automatic gunfire has been heard
Ukraine's military says an officer has been killed in an attack on a base in Crimea, the first such death since pro-Russia forces took control in February.
It said all its troops at the Simferopol base had been arrested.
The attack came shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin and the leaders of Crimea signed a bill to absorb the peninsula into Russia.
Western powers condemned the treaty and a G7 and EU crisis meeting has been called for next week in The Hague.
The Ukrainian crisis began in November last year after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych abandoned an EU deal in favour of stronger ties with Russia. He fled Ukraine on 22 February after protests in which many died.
'Military stage'
The Ukrainian government said a junior officer who was on duty in a park inside the Simferopol base had been killed and another officer injured. A third serviceman had leg and head injuries after being beaten with iron bars, it said.
President Putin told Russia's parliament that Crimea had "always been part of Russia"
Defence ministry spokesman Vladislav Seleznyov told Reuters the attack was by "unknown forces, fully equipped and their faces covered".
The Ukrainians had had their IDs, weapons and money confiscated, he said.
The government said it had now authorised the use of weapons by its troops in Crimea.
Interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk told an emergency government meeting: "The conflict is shifting from a political to a military stage.
"Russian soldiers have started shooting at Ukrainian military servicemen and that is a war crime."
Reports from the Crimean news agency, Kryminform, said a pro-Russia defence force member had been shot dead.
Neither of the accounts can be independently confirmed or whether they relate to the same incident.
The BBC's Mark Lowen, in Simferopol, says up until now only warning shots have been fired amid a truce - but it appears the tension has boiled over and there are fears that further clashes could follow.
'Glory to Russia'
Earlier, Mr Putin told Russia's parliament that Crimea had "always been part of Russia" and in signing the treaty he was righting a "historical injustice".