the news came as evidence mounted that pro - russian forces were already in crimea , an autonomous region of eastern ukraine , where the new government warned of war , put its troops on high alert and appealed to nato for help .
acting president oleksander turchinov ordered troops to be placed on high combat alert .
putin 's move was a direct rebuff to western leaders who had repeatedly urged unidentified gunmen wearing camouflage uniforms block the entrance of the crimean parliament building in simferopol , ukraine , saturday , march 1 , 2014 .
prime minister arseny yatseniuk , leading a government that took power after moscow 's ally viktor yanukovich fled a week ago , said russian military action " would be the beginning of war and the end of any relations between ukraine and russia " .
in crimea , the pro - russian regional prime minister had earlier claimed control of the military and police there and asked putin for help in keeping peace , sharpening the discord between the two slavic
he sent the request to the russian president vladimir putin appeared to dismiss warnings from world leaders to avoid military intervention in crimea , a senior ukrainian official , andriy parubiy , said .
putin 's open assertion of the right to send troops to a country of 46 million people on the ramparts of central europe creates the biggest confrontation between russia and the west since the cold war .
the discord between russia and ukraine sharpened ... ( associated press ) kiev , ukraine ( ap ) — russian military base in ukraine , the kremlin said saturday .