 Serviceman was killed at a Ukrainian base that came under attack in Crimea's main town, Simferopol.  news spread of the death of the serviceman, as an assault on the base by unknown attackers  Ukraine's pro-Western prime minister denounced it as a "war crime" and called for international talk to prevent the conflict from escalating.

 Ukraine's defense ministry identified the attackers as Russian servicemen in uniform  An order was issued authorizing Ukrainian servicemen in Crimea to use weapons to protect their lives - in contrast to previous orders to exercise restraint.  Ukraine's president said Russia was recreating actions like those of Nazi Germany's takeover of Austria and Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland in the run-up to World War Two

 A defense ministry statement later said the dead serviceman had been shot and killed while manning a tower overlooking a vehicle pool at the base  It said the attackers had been wearing Russian military uniforms and were holding the base commander in a nearby building.  Moscow and the region's pro-Russian leaders deny Russian forces are directly involved, saying "self-defense forces" are controlling the Black Sea peninsular region.