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Ukrainian Army servicemen en masse pledging allegiance to new Crimean government

“Everyone who doesn’t obey will be held accountable to the full extent of the law", - Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov underlined

© EPA/MAXIM SHIPENKOV

SIMFEROPOL, March 02, /ITAR-TASS/. Ukrainian Army men and officers deployed in the Crimea are en masse pledging allegiance with the new legitimately elected authorities of the Autonomous Republic, Prime Minister Sergei Aksyonov said in an address Sunday night.

“I am thankful to them for their patriotism, since the military as a special category of people - they have a particularly keen understanding of the dangers of combat operations and I feel confident that they will do everything in their power to prevent bloodshed and to cool off the mischief-making politicians who have taken over Kiev,” he said.

“The military don’t want to be speechless tools in the hands of followers of (Stepan) Bandera (the chieftain of far-right militant Ukrainian nationalist during World War II - Itar-Tass) and won’t take on that role,” Aksyonov said.

“I’d like to warn the commanding officers who might be pushing their soldiers towards wrongful acts that measures envisioned by law will be taken against them,” he said. “Everyone who doesn’t obey will be held accountable to the full extent of the law.

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