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
Timeline of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation armed forces of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine until the normalization of the socio-political situation in that country." Hours later, the Federation Council voted unanimously to grant permission. The Consulate of the Russian Federation in Simferopol started to issue Russian passports to residents of Ukraine. Members of the former Ukrainian riot police, Berkut, were among the first in Crimea to be granted Russian citizenship. The Ukrainian Navy was forced to leave its base in Sevastopol, as was the Ukrainian Sea Guard. Some journalists later claimed that this was disinformation posted by RIA News. Beginning March 1, Ukrainian