Crimea’s Parliament Votes to Join Russia

Crimea's parliament voted to make the peninsula a full-fledged part of Russia on Thursday, declaring its intention to officially split from Ukraine. Members of the region's council in Simferopol also voted to move a referendum on the issue up to March 16. Crimea has an ethnic Russian majority, and local politicians have already declared the referendum as a mere formality. The bigger question is what the Kremlin's reaction will be.

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting about Crimea with his security council, and deputies in Russia's parliament suggested that a law that would allow Crimea to join Russia could be reviewed as early as next week.

In the meantime, Russian troops appear to have stepped up efforts to take over Ukrainian military facilities. VICE News was on the scene at the harbor in Yevpatoria, where Russian forces are believed to have sunk a disused vessel overnight, blocking the harbor in order to prevent Ukrainian naval ships from fleeing.

Read more: Why Putin Will Get Everything He Wants in Crimea