Per BBC:
http://www.bbc.com/n...d-europe-26415508
Under the terms of its agreement with Ukraine, Russia is entitled to have 25,000 troops on the peninsula and currently has an estimated 16,000 deployed there. But these troops have to remain on base. Pro-Russian troops have been deployed across Crimea. Moscow insists they are local self-defence forces, but there are widespread reports that they are from Russia.And that's a *Navy* base! The fact that the uniforms of the armed goons running around Crimea have no insignia is an admission they are in violation and know it. Some admit to being Russian soldiers.
My Viking River cruise ship in July of 2012 stayed in the Sevastopol Russian Navy base. My primary tour guide was Russian lady who was an English instructor to Russian officers (and on maternity leave). Her husband was a Russian officer (along with the baby) we briefly met. There were not that many people there and the ones I saw were sailors.