Thread by @LubimayaRussiya

36) The population of #Crimea is 2.3 million.
The breakdown:
68% Russians,
16% Ukrainians
12-13% Crimean Tatars
The other 3-4% is made up of dozens of other nationalities like Belarussian, Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Uzbeks, Moldovans, Jews and 3000 Greeks.

37) Keeping in mind the breakdown of the population of #Crimea, consider this: the turnout for the referendum was 83.1% for Crimea and 89.5% for Sevastopol. Those who voted in favour of reunification with #Russia were 96.77% and 95.6% respectively.
youtube.com/watch?v=Z8EIwA…

38) The referendum was monitored by western observers who reported that it was conducted to western standards. #Crimea #Russia
globalresearch.ca/crimean-refere…

39) Evgenia Guseva, Crimean born actress, told BBC News that it was untrue that Crimeans were forced to vote for joining #Russia.
youtube.com/watch?v=MZkfCo…

40) Soon the results came in and were counted. A whooping turnout of 83.1% for Crimea and 89.5% for Sevastopol. The final vote was 96.77 percent for reuniting with #Russia.

41) This nonviolent, bloodless, democratic and legal action was in no violation of #Ukraine's constitution that has been shredded by a violent coup but was immediately denounced as a Russian "invasion". #Russia #Crimea aljazeera.com/news/europe/20…

42) Millions of people in #Crimea after the announcement began celebrating the reunification with Mother #Russia.
youtube.com/watch?v=boNqED…

43) On March 18 2014, #Crimea and Sevastopol signed to officially reunify with #Russia. Vladimir Putin, the former mayor of Sevastopol Aleksei Mikhailovich Chaly, and the PM of Crimea since 2014 Sergey Aksyonov were present. youtube.com/watch?v=lmXBJl…

44) Here is a speech that Vladimir Putin made after the reunification #Russia #Crimea
youtube.com/watch?v=TTe225…

45) On April 11, 2014, Crimean Parliament adopted the Constitution of the Republic. It guarantees equal rights and freedoms for the multi-ethnic Crimean people. Russian, Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages are recognized as official in #Crimea crimea.gov.ru/textdoc/ru/7/p…

46) The first Victory Day in #Crimea, after returning to Mother #Russia. Vladimir Putin visited the peninsula for the festivities! He was welcomed with joy!
youtube.com/watch?v=_Ygg8R…

47) Nikolai Starikov - a Russian writer, a co-chairman of Great Fatherland Party and its subsidiary social NGO, Union of Russian Citizens noted that Russia Day (June 12), should be changed to when #Crimea reunited with #Russia in March. Not when the nation was falling apart!

48) In December 2014, the Obama administration, applied sanctions on #Crimea that would ban trade between the US and the peninsula. The European Union also imposed sanctions. #Russia
bbc.com/news/world-eur…