Crimea in landslide vote to return to Russia, formally declaring independence from Ukraine

The political upheaval between Russia and Ukraine reached boiling point as Crimea's parliament declared independence.

By Dave Lancaster |

10:24 17 March 2014

On Sunday, a referendum stated that 97% of Crimeans voted to move away from Ukraine and now Crimea's parliament has formally declared independence.

On Monday, Ukrainian laws are void in Crimea and all previously Ukrainian state property has been claimed by Crimea.

Crimea has now asked to join the Russian Federation. However, the government in Kiev has said that it 'will not recognise' the vote and request.

Ukraine's interim Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk summarised the vote as "a circus performance" starring "21,000 Russian troops, who with their guns are trying to prove the legality of the referendum".

The EU and US also declared the vote as illegal and look set to impose their own sanctions on Moscow.

The situation has been a tense one: Following violent clashes and protests, Ukraine's pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted on February 22nd and since then the Crimean peninsula has been breached by pro-Russia forces, but Moscow state that these are 'self-defence' forces and imposing direct control.

In Kiev, the Ukrainian parliament has given the go-ahead for 40,000 reservist troops to be mobilised.