Sevastopol's newly elected mayor, Alexei Chaly, has said that the city will stay away from a presidential election in Ukraine, set for May 25.

"Sevastopol refused to take part in the elections that were imposed [on the country] by the illegitimate authorities," Chaly said.

Sevastopol strictly adheres to the letter of the law and is committed to maintaining all of its economic ties with Kyiv, he said.

"The city continues to pay taxes and expects a similar attitude on the part of the capital. If the transfer of funds from the state budget is disrupted, we will use the money from the "stabilization fund", which is being formed with the help of donations from compatriots both from Russia and the rest of the world," he said.

A February 23 rally elected Russian businessman Alexei Chaly as chairman of Sevastopol's executive committee, which did not exist in the city previously, and chairman of the Sevastopol Coordinating Council for the City Infrastructure.