Brass band and medals for returning Crimea soldiers

A hero's welcome replete with a brass band and medals greeted soldiers returning to Kiev last week after their hasty and meek retreat from Crimea, many still stunned by Russia's rapid takeover of the Black Sea peninsula.
Around 130 marines from an elite battalion from Feodosiya in Crimea's southeast stood in rows on a parade ground in the Ukrainian capital in black berets and striped shirts.
They are all that remain of a unit of about 500 men, the rest choosing to switch allegiance to the peninsula's new master, Moscow.
Demoralised and set adrift by the rapid loss of their bases to Russia, the soldiers were warmly greeted by newly-appointed Defence Minister Lieutenant General Mykhailo Koval, whose predecessor was dismissed over his handling of the Crimea crisis.
After a military salute to the marines, Koval embraced the battalion's deputy commander Major Vladimir Baraniuk.
"We express our gratitude for your courage and your steadfastness," said Koval, handing out medals to Baraniuk and several other officers "for military service to Ukraine".
"I serve the Ukrainian nation," they responded in turn.
The Feodosiya unit is one of several which had been blockaded in their bases by Russian troops shortly after the pro-Moscow government in Kiev was ousted by a pro-European protest movement.
Moscow then backed a referendum in which the largely Russian-speaking Crimea overwhelmingly voted to split from Ukraine, although the vote was not recognised by Kiev and much of the international community.
Russian troops stormed the bases without having to put up a fight after many soldiers had already been disarmed, and Ukraine ordered its outnumbered troops to withdraw.
Back in Kiev, clearly trying to boost the soldiers' morale, Koval told them they were "an example to all troops of the Ukrainian armed forces".
"The whole world has followed your heroic behaviour," he said.
Ukraine has insisted it will eventually win back Crimea, and Koval told the troops to ready themselves to "do their duty and return to the native soil of Crimea".
As for the soldiers themselves, it seems they cannot quite get over what has happened.
"The Russians carried out a despicable act. It is easy to make prisoners of those who are unarmed," said Vadim Gontchar, a marine from the south-western city of Odessa. "Talks were under way on the evacuation of our unit. We had prepared our equipment, given up our arms, and it was at that moment that they struck," he said.
Some 12,000 of the Ukrainian navy's 15,450 personnel were based in Crimea, according to London-based defence analysts Jane's, and many from the now-decimated military chose to switch allegiance and serve in Russia's army.
"The Ukrainian army no longer exists (here). So what else would you have me do?" young army mechanic Oleg told AFP after signing up to join the Russian army in Sevastopol.
He said the decision was "very emotional".
A downcast soldier named Sergei also decided to defect. "I've decided to stay. I have my parents here, my wife's parents and my children," the grizzled soldier said softly.
But while family was behind the decision of many of those who stayed, it also propelled others to stick with Ukraine.
"I decided to stay in Ukraine because my family is here, my mother lives here and there is nothing keeping me in Crimea," said machine-gunner Oleg Korienok in Kiev.
"And on top of that I swore allegiance to the nation of Ukraine."
Major Baraniuk said those who had chosen to stay had done so out of patriotism.
"Now spirits are excellent, we have received a very warm welcome. It is nice to come home after such shocks."
Those who returned are being housed at the barracks of the presidential regiment, but are soon to leave for Odessa.
"We are waiting to be told where we will be stationed, where we can continue our military life," said ordinary seaman Gontchar.