Simferopol: Dozens of masked and uniformed gunmen without any insignia took positions next to Crimea's regional parliament building on Saturday, an AFP reporter witnessed, as tensions in Ukraine's flashpoint peninsula continued to rise.
Two machine guns had been placed in front of the building to defend it, although it was unclear who they belonged to.
Pro-Russian gunmen had on Thursday taken control of parliament but had until now stayed inside.
The masked gunmen were seen near the parliament building moments after pro-Russian prime minister of Ukraine's restive Crimea claimed control of all military, police and other security services in the region on Saturday afternoon and appealed to Russia's president for help in keeping peace there.
On Friday President Barack Obama warned Moscow saying that, "there will be costs" if Russia intervenes militarily in Ukraine.
In a statement reported by local and Russian news agencies, Sergei Aksenov declared that the armed forces, the police, the national security service and border guards will answer only to his orders. He said any commanders who don't agree should leave their posts.
As armed men described as Russian troops took control of key airports and a communications center in Crimea on Friday, Ukraine accused Russia of a "military invasion and occupation" - a claim that brought an alarming new dimension to the crisis, and raised fears that Moscow is moving to annex a strategic peninsula where Russia's Black Sea fleet is based.
"Understanding my responsibility for the life and security of citizens, I appeal to the president of Russia Vladimir Putin for assistance in guaranteeing peace and calmness on the territory of the autonomous republic of Crimea," Aksenov, the head of the main pro-Russia party on the peninsula, said in his statement.
Aksenov was appointed by the Crimean parliament on Thursday after pro-Russia gunmen seized the building and as tensions soared over Crimea's resistance to the new authorities in Kiev, who took power last week.
