A convoy of Russian military trucks entering the Crimea region in Ukraine. REUTERS/Baz Ratner
TEMPO.CO, Kiev - Chief of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Anders Fogh Rasmussen, has asked Russia to withdraw its troops from Crimea, Ukraine. "We call on Russia to de-escalate tensions, to withdraw its forces to its bases and to refrain from any interference elsewhere in Ukraine," he said, as cited by BBC.
Hundreds of Russian troops have been seen surrounding the city of Simferopol. A group of armed men were seen taking control of Simferopol Airfield and Crimea Administrative Building, which they later tagged with Russian National Flag. The military action was taken following a series of event that ousted former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych.
Meanwhile, the situation in Ukraine continues to escalate after a series of demonstration forced the Ukrainian parliament to dismiss President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22, 2014. Yanukovych himself was reportedly fleeing to Russia and seeking protection in Moscow.