Ukraine's Security and Defense Council Secretary Andriy Parubiy on Monday pledged to preserve the territorial integrity of his country amid escalating tension in Crimea.

"I am sure that we can keep the territorial integrity and sovereignty of our state. The whole world today took the side of Ukraine," Parubiy told reporters.

Ukrainian troops "face provocations", but they perform their tasks well, refusing to be drawn into conflicts, Parubiy said.

Ukraine's Autonomous Republic of Crimea became the new epicenter of an ongoing tension in the East European country last week, when armed groups seized government and parliament buildings in Crimea and took control of the two airports. Russian flags were raised over the seized buildings.

Tensions flared up in the peninsula heavily populated by ethnic Russians and pro-Russian Ukrainians, following the dismissal of Kremlin-friendly President Viktor Yanukovych on Feb. 22.

On March 1, Russia's upper house of the parliament approved President Vladimir Putin's request for using armed forces in Ukraine "in connection with the extraordinary situation and the threat to the lives of citizens of the Russian Federation."

Russia has a Black Sea naval base in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea.

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