Crimea authorities release detained Ukraine navy chief: president

Crimean authorities have released the head of the Ukrainian navy whom they had seized during a raid on a base in the rebel peninsula, Ukraine's acting president said.

"Rear admiral Sergiy Gayduk was released tonight along with all the other civilian hostages... seized by Russian soldiers and members of the self-declared authorities of Crimea" on Wednesday, Oleksandr Turchynov was quoted as saying in a statement by the Interfax news agency.