SIMFEROPOL, March 03. /ITAR-TASS/. The number of Ukrainian servicemen who had taken an oath of loyalty to people of Crimea doubled over the past 24 hours to exceed 3,000, a source in the government of Ukraine’s autonomous republic told Itar-Tass on Monday.

“Over 1,500 servicemen of the Interior Troops and around 1,700 guards of Ukraine’s State Border Service deployed on the territory of the peninsula have taken an oath of loyalty,” the source said.

Several Ukrainian military commanders, who are participating in the relevant talks, will also take an oath of loyalty to the Crimean authorities, the source says without disclosing any concrete names.

The commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian Navy, Denis Berezovsky, had already pledged allegiance to Crimea.