Topic - Yuliy Mamchur

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FILE - In this Tuesday, March 4, 2014 file photo, Air Force Col. Yuliy Mamchur, commander of the Ukrainian Belbek Air Base, leads his men to the base outside Sevastopol, Ukraine. The day after Crimeans voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia, a man in a black raincoat turned up at the gate of the Belbek Air Base to demand that the Ukrainian forces holed up inside surrender to Russia. The Ukrainian commander of the base came out proudly wearing his visor cap decorated with gold wings - and refused. Having withstood five days of sustained intimidation and pressure to defect from his captors, Mamchur now awaits a hero’s welcome in the capital, Kiev. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev, File)

Ukraine finds new hero in besieged base commander

By JOHN-THOR DAHLBURG and PETER LEONARD - Associated Press

Colonel Yuly Mamchur, right, holds flowers as other Ukrainian airmen line up to greet their comrades who arrived to celebrate their wedding at the Belbek airbase outside Sevastopol, Crimea, on Saturday, March 22, 2014. Two young Lieutenants, medic Galina Volosyanchik and communication officer Ivan Benera got married today and arrived to their unit for a short celebration as Russian troops continue to occupy part of the airbase and demand surrender of Ukrainian airmen. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Ukraine says top commander held after base stormed

By JIM HEINTZ - Associated Press

AP News in Brief at 10:58 p.m. EDT

Associated Press