As night fell on Friday , there were signs that the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea was slipping beyond Kiev's reach. The parliament remained under siege by pro-Russian protesters, armed men of unknown allegiance were guarding the airports and the Night Wolves, a biker gang with close ties to the Kremlin, blockaded the roads.
Three hundred men in military uniforms with no identifying insignia had entered the Sevastopol airport compound on Thursday night, witnesses said, in what Ukraine's new interior minister, Arsen Avakov, described as a "military invasion and occupation".
"They came very quietly, it was very professional," said a man at the airport who declined to give his name but said he was a captain in the Sevastopol Tactical Aviation Brigade, part of the Ukrainian army. "We don't consider it any invasion of our territory," he added, perhaps hinting at his pro-Russian loyalties. The man said the intruders had AK-47s and sniper rifles, which "are not easy to come by for civilians, but we don't know who they are or where they have come from". A major from the Ukrainian army based at the airport's military side later said senior commanders had been in touch with the gunmen, who said they were there "to prevent unwanted landings of helicopters and planes".
But uncertainty over their origins has fuelled speculation about Moscow's involvement, especially as Ukrainian border guard service said that more than 10 Russian military helicopters had flown into Ukrainian airspace over the Crimea region on Friday.
On the main and side roads leading to Sevastopol airport, more men in camouflage and military-style helmets were standing guard. A defence unit had gathered outside entrance to the civilian section of the airport, claiming to be locals.
"We are here to help protect against panic," said Maxim Lovinetsky, a member of a unit of around 30 men. "I have no political allegiances, I am just here to observe and protect." He said he lived in a nearby village, although his accent was Russian – which he attributed to spending three months in Moscow last year.
Lovinetsky, who arrived at the airport at 7am, said the men had come on their own initiative and had not had any contact with the armed men standing just 20 metres away.
More suggestions of Russian involvement came in the form of the Sevastopol branch of Night Wolves, a pro-Moscow motorbike gang clad in leathers decorated with black and orange striped ribbons, who built five roadblocks covering all the main routes into the city. "People in Sevastopol are the most patriotic on the planet," said Dmitry Simichein, the leader of the Night Wolves. "They don't need organising, they just come out to protect their country and their families." He said the police were supporting the bikers in their efforts to protect the city.
Simichein's comments echoed the sentiments of many in Sevastopol, who see Russia as the motherland. Until 60 years ago Crimea was part of Russian territory: a time many of the peninsula's residents, who identify themselves as ethnic Russian, look back to fondly.
Residents gathered outside Sevastopol's administrative buildings on Friday to hear a speech from Vladimir Zhirinovsky, a nationalist politician and former deputy of the duma, who also toured the barricades surrounding the city.
Russian flags were flown and the crowd cheered and clapped as Zhirinovsky assured them of Russia's support. "I want you to know the position of Moscow is that you will not be left alone or be in trouble," he said. "Everyone is afraid of Russia. We have the most modern weapons, the most impressive. This is why Russia is feared by every country," he added.
Following the day of drama, the mood in the city centre on Friday night was celebratory. Hundreds of people gathered in a small park to dance to Russian pop music blaring over speakers at a stage with accompanying screen projections.
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