Ukrainian servicemen haven't received order to leave Crimea yet - Ukraine defense ministry

Ukrainian servicemen based in Crimea have not yet received the order to leave their bases, said Vladyslav Selezniov, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry's spokesman in Crimea.

"Concerning the situation in Crimea, as far as I know, the order for the troops to stay at their bases remains in force. This order was voiced by the defense ministry. I have not heard of any other order so far," he said in a live broadcast from Crimea on Monday.

Ukraine's parliamentary speaker and interim president Oleksandr Turchynov said on Monday morning that the National Security and Defense Council had instructed the Defense Ministry to redeploy the troops based in Crimea and to evacuate the servicemen's families from the peninsula.