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US Department of the Treasury has imposed new sanctions against seven Crimean top officials and the Crimea-based Chernomorneftegaz energy company, Friday.

Crimea can receive six million tourists, who will be offered a discount of up to 25% on hotel accommodation, Crimean Tourism Minister Yelena Yurchenko announced, Friday.

Concerns for Crimean Tatars increase

After boycotting the referendum, Crimean Tatars became open targets for the local militia and Russia as well, experts warn.

Demonstrators hold a combination Ukrainian-Crimean-Tatar flag during a rally at Independence Square in Kiev on March 23rd. [AFP]

Turkey will close the Bosphorus for Russian ships, if there is violence against the Crimean Tatars, said Turkish prime minister Recep Erdogan. 

Ex-Ukraine minister says Crimea nears 'point of no return'

NATO and the European Union say that the vote in Crimea will not be recognised.

A man is searched as armed militiamen secure the area near the Crimean parliament building in central Simferopol on Monday (March 17th). [AFP]

Ukraine’s presidential candidate and former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko has warned of a humanitarian crisis in Crimea.

The turnout in the referendum on whether Crimea should remain a part of Ukraine or separate from it reached 44.27 % Sunday noon local time.

According to the chief of the Crimean legislature's commission for holding the referendum, Mikhail Malyshev, as cited by ITAR-TASS, the highest turnout rates so far were registered in Kerch - 64.3 %, and in Armyansk, 73.1 %.