All quiet on the Crimean front?

Some 250 uniformed Kuban Cossacks arrived from Russia's Krasnodar region and were sworn in Sunday by Sevastopol's newly installed pro-Russian authorities. The volunteer militia announced they would conduct joint patrols with local police to protect Crimea's local population.

Wielding traditional bullwhips, the volunteer Kuban Cossack militia stands to attention after arriving in Sevastopol on Sunday. Their commander said they had arrived at the invitation of Crimea's newly installed pro-Russia authorities and they didn't seem to perturb the Crimean public who turned out to watch their parade.

Kuban Cossacks will start joint patrols with Sevastopol's local police force. The men wear their signature Kubanka wool hats, and have been walking the streets since Sunday. In 2005, Vladimir Putin approved a bill that recognised the Cossacks not only as a distinct ethno-cultural entity, but also as a powerful military force.

Surrounded by reporters from the Russian and local Crimean television and radio stations the Kuban Cossack's leader, Col. Sergei Savonin Yurievich, says his men have come to protect Sevastopol's population from unspecified threats. "I'm very happy to be here today, taking into consideration these very difficult times that we have here in the Crimea and in Sevastopol," he states.

Waving the Crimea Autonomous Republic and Russian national flag doesn't mean secession from Ukraine, this group of friends from Crimea's provincial capital Sevastopol said Sunday. They want autonomy and respect for their rights as ethnic Russians, not war with Ukraine which they consider a brother nation.

Crowds of thousands are entertained by acrobats as they chant patriotic slogans. At recent rallies many pensioners have been the most ardent supporters. This woman waves a Soviet-era Russian and Soviet naval flag. In the growing elderly population, women outnumber men two to one.

But men are supportive too. Here a veteran has come to support the Cossacks. As a pro-Russian sympathiser he is wearing the orange and black colors of Russian military valor with words "Sevastopol 1942 - We Remember." His other medals are for service in the liberation of Warsaw 1945 and whilst in the Red Army for outstanding bravery and resourcefulness leading to victory.

And it's not just Russian troops in Crimea. Hooded pro Russian militia have set up road checkpoints to inspect vehicles on the highway between Simferopol and Sevastopol. They check vehicles by asking owners to open the boot, flashlights are directed at occupants, questions are short and brisk.

Local traders worry that the crisis might hurt business. Souvenir seller Liliya Voznuk, 33, says she's worried the crisis will ruin tourism this summer. Reflecting the political leanings of the region, the rubber mask of Russian President Vladimir Putin is a much higher seller than Yulia Tymoshenko, Ukraine's ex-prime minister and presidential candidate for the May elections.

Tourists who do visit the city will often take in a concert of the Black Sea Fleet Ensemble. They are a song-and-dance company from Sevastopol. The repertoire of songs is centred about the sea complemented by Russian folk melodies. The centerpiece is the famous Russian Yablochko (little apple) dance.

Most people in Sevastopol seem to support Russian nationalism. They distrust Ukranian nationalists, calling them far right. They think the Russian army presence is a way of safeguarding their region's autonomy which they view as being threatened by the Ukranian nationalists in the caretaker government.

Billboards and signs reading "Glory to the Naval Battle Fleet" are common in Sevastopol. This part of Ukraine has always had strong Russian and Soviet ties. The Russian navy has been operating from this area since the 18th century. Russia's engagement in the area and population has increased significantly in recent years with oil pipelines and a larger fleet stationed there.