Russian Troops Said To Attempt Coast Guard Takeover

Amid the uncertainty, about 300 gunmen wearing Russian special forces uniforms attempted to take over the Sevastopol unit of the Ukrainian Coast Guard, a senior official with the Ukrainian Border Service said Saturday.

The gunmen were positioned outside the Ukrainian Coast Guard building, with local residents standing between the two groups, said Col. Sergii Astakhov, assistant to the chief of the Ukrainian Border Service.

The residents were reportedly trying to negotiate and asking the gunmen not to attack, Astakhov said.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Coast Guard had moved its ships to a position away from the coast where they were approached by three motorboats and a cruiser from the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Astakhov said.

The Russian upper house vote came on the day that the newly installed, pro-Russian leader of Crimea, Sergey Aksyonov, asked Putin for help in maintaining peace on the Black Sea peninsula -- where Russia's fleet is based at Sevastopol.

Security forces "are unable to efficiently control the situation in the republic," he said in comments broadcast on Russian state channel Russia 24. Aksyonov was installed as the region's premier after armed men took over the Crimean Parliament building on Thursday.

Aksyonov said Saturday that a referendum on greater Crimean autonomy, originally set for May 25, would be moved to March 30.

Ukrainian government officials suspect Moscow of fomenting separatist tensions in the autonomous region -- and they accused Russia of having already sent troops into its territory.

Yatsenyuk: Russian actions are provocation

Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk, speaking Saturday at a Cabinet meeting, called the Russian presence in Crimea "nothing but a provocation."

But, he said, it failed.

"Ukraine will not be provoked, we will not use force, we demand that the government of the Russian Federation immediately withdraw its troops and return to their home bases," he said.

Acting President Turchynov insisted Friday that Ukraine would defend its sovereignty and that "any attempts of intrusion or annexation will have very serious consequences."

Airspace reopened

Ukraine on Friday accused Russian Black Sea forces of trying to seize two airports in Crimea but said Ukrainian security forces had prevented them from taking control.

Groups of armed men, dressed in uniforms without identifying insignia, patrolled the airports in the regional capital, Simferopol, and the nearby port city of Sevastopol.

The armed men remained at the airports Saturday and Yevgey Plaksin, director of the airport in the regional capital, Simferopol, said Crimean airspace would remain closed until evening.

But by 6:30 p.m. Saturday, the airspace had reopened, and airport services were working, Plaksin said.

Unidentified, balaclava-clad armed men took up positions outside the Crimean Parliament building on Saturday, as a small pro-Russian demonstration was held, and controlled who could enter. A roadblock was also reported on the route into the city.

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, Vitaliy Churkin, said Friday that the reports of Russian troops taking charge of positions on the ground were rumors and noted that rumors "are always not true."

"We are acting within the framework of our agreement," he said.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said that maneuvers of armored vehicles from the Russian Black Sea fleet in Crimea were needed for security and were in line with bilateral agreements.

Russia has been conducting a military exercise near its border with Ukraine -- snap drills that Moscow announced Wednesday.