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Sunday, March 16, 2014

Crimea holds secession referendum today as Ukraine crisis continues

Voters in Crimean referendum, 16 March 2014
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The Crimea referendum has been condemned as "illegal" by Kiev and the West but is backed by Russia. The excited voters are expected to support leaving Ukraine, but Crimean Tatars are boycotting the poll. They are voting on whether to rejoin Russia or stay with Ukraine but with more autonomy. Voting started at 08:00 local time and will close at 20:00 (18:00 GMT). Election official Mykhaylo Malyshev said there had been a "record-breaking turnout" of 44.27%, in the capital, Simferopol, and mainly Tartar Bakhchisaray. Since the fall of Ukraine's pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych, Russian troops have in effect taken control of the majority ethnic-Russian region.
  A woman casts her ballot during the referendum on the status of Ukraine's Crimea region at a polling station in Bakhchisaray March 16. (SERGEI KARPUKHIN/REUTERS)

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