Acting Ukrainian President and Verkhovna Rada Chairman Oleksandr Turchynov announced Tuesday that a national guard is being created to mobilize, along with the armed forces, "to protect the country and citizens."
Turchynov made the declaration during a parliamentary session on Tuesday in Kiev.
"It's necessary to create the National Guard on the basis of the Ukrainian Troops, whose purpose will be to protect the country and citizens against all criminals, external and internal aggression. It's necessary to announce partial mobilization into the National Guard and the Armed Forces of Ukraine."
The decision follows the Russian occupation of Ukraine's mostly pro-Russian Crimea region.
[Interfax Ukraine News Agency]
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