(Adds details)
SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine, March 19 (Reuters) - Russian forces
took control of another Ukrainian naval base in Crimea late on
Wednesday, a Ukrainian naval officer said.
Major Eduard Kusnarenko said there was no violence as the
troops seized the naval transportation facility in Bakhchisaray,
about 30 km (19 miles) southwest of the regional capital
Simferopol.
"Russian troops came and asked us to leave the base, which
we did," he told Reuters outside the base. "We will try again
tomorrow to return to our post."
Russian troops fired a shot in the air as journalists tried
to approach the gate to the base.
Earlier on Wednesday Russian troops seized a Ukrainian naval
base in the Black Sea port of Sevastopol and raised the Russian
flag.
Kusnarenko said he and 14 other servicemen had been driven
away from the Bakhchisaray base and could not get in touch with
their superiors in Sevastopol or with the Ukrainian capital,
Kiev.
Crimea voted for union with Russia in a referendum on Sunday
and President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on Tuesday on
annexing the Black Sea peninsula. Ukraine and Western leaders do
not recognise the outcome of the referendum.
(Reporting by Aleksandar Vasovic, Writing by Gabriela
Baczynska, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
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