Abducted Ukrainian Navy commander, taken in Crimea raid, released along with others

Ukrainian Navy Commander Serhiy Haiduk, who was reportedly abducted by the FSB on Wednesday during a Russian raid on Ukrainian Navy headquarters in Crimea's Sevastopol, has been released.

Ukraine's presidential website announced Thursday that Haiduk and several others taken hostage had been released Wednesday night and were making their way to the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu had ordered Haiduk's release after Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov issued an ultimatum that all hostages were to be released from Crimea by 9 p.m. local time Wednesday or else he would order authorities to take "technical and technological" action, presumably threatening to turn off utilities in Crimea.

The hostage situation followed Tuesday's death of a Ukrainian military officer, the first Ukrainian military fatality since the Crimea crisis began and the catalyst for Ukraine's Defense Ministry authorizing the use of deadly force in self-defense.

[CNN]