MOSCOW, March 26. /ITAR-TASS/. Chief of the Russian Armed Forces General Staff General Valery Gerasimov told Russian reporters about the procedure of withdrawal of around 1,500 Ukrainian servicemen from the Russian Republic of Crimea.

“All servicemen who said they want to continue military service in Ukrainian armed forces handing in weapons under guarding are staying outside the territory of military units and are preparing for well-organized leaving for Ukraine with personal belongings,” Gerasimov said. “A temporary military registration station is opened for them at 6, Lazarev Street in the Russian city of Sevastopol where around 1,500 servicemen of Ukrainian armed forces have registered as of March 25,” he noted.

“According to the agreement between Russian Defense Ministry and Ukrainian military agency Ukrainian servicemen and members of their families will be withdrawn from Crimea by rail,” the general noted.

“Starting from March 26 at the main railway stations in the Russian Republic of Crimea Russian Defense Ministry in co-operation with leadership of the republic is booking passenger cars with reserved seats (eight passenger cars in Sevastopol, two passenger cars in Simferopol, Yevpatoria and Feodosia each and one passenger coach in Kerch) which will be attached to passenger trains bound for Ukraine,” he added.

After crossing the border all Ukrainian servicemen arriving from Crimea are sent to an assembly station deployed at a Ukrainian military unit in the town of Novoalekseevka, southern Ukraine’s Kherson region, where they will be given written orders to go to a new place of military service, Gerasimov noted.

“As of March 26, Russian national flags were hoisted at all 193 military formations and organizations of Ukrainian armed forces deployed in the Russian Republic of Crimea,” the chief of the Russian General Staff said. Meanwhile, line-ups of military staff were held at military townships in a festive atmosphere alongside a ceremony of lifting Russian national flag and performing Russian national anthem. “Inventory of military property and advanced training courses for military staff are underway at these military units and organizations,” Gerasimov noted.