Ukraine's interim President Olexander Turchynov says he has ordered the withdrawal of armed forces from Crimea.

The decision was taken because of Russian threats to the lives of military staff and their families, the president announced.

Russian troops have seized most of Ukraine's bases in the peninsula, including the naval base at Feodosia.

Earlier this month, Russia annexed Crimea after a referendum which Ukraine and the West considered illegal.

The G7 group of industrialised countries is to consider a collective response to the crisis during talks in The Hague.

G7 leaders are meeting on the sidelines of a long-planned summit on global threats to nuclear security.

(BBC)