Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation Yanukovych. At the end of the meeting Putin remarked that "we must start working on returning Crimea to Russia". On 23 February, pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the Crimean city of Sevastopol. On 27 February masked Russian troops without insignia took over the Supreme Council (parliament) of Crimea, and captured strategic sites across Crimea, which led to the installation of the pro-Russian Aksyonov government in Crimea, the conducting of the Crimean status referendum and the declaration of Crimea's independence on 16 March 2014. Russia formally incorporated Crimea as two federal subjects of the Russian Federation with effect from 18 March
Crimea Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Crimea Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine The Crimea Regional Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, commonly referred to as the Crimea CPU obkom, was the position of highest authority in the Crimean Oblast (1954–1991) of the Ukrainian SSR (from February 19, 1954). The position was created on November 20, 1920, and abolished on August 26, 1991. The First Secretary was a de facto appointed position usually by the Central Committee the Communist Party of Ukraine or the First Secretary of the Republic. Before 1954 the regional committee was part of the Crimean ASSR (1921–1945) and Crimean