Preliminary results in Sunday's referendum on whether Ukraine's Crimea region should join Russia or become an independent state show overwhelming support for Russia. With 75% percent of the ballots counted, close to 96% of voters want to become part of that country, according to the Crimean Electoral Commission. An official had announced earlier that more than 80% of voters had cast ballots by the time polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET) Sunday. Final results are expected later. "We are going home. Crimea is in Russia," Crimea's Prime Minister Sergey Aksyonov told crowds celebrating in Simferopol's Lenin Square. Music blared as they cheered and waved Russian flags.
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With 75% of votes counted, results show 96% of voters want to join Russia
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"You can't doubt that these people really are very happy," one analyst says
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United States says it's ready to impose "additional costs" on Russia
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Crowds wave Russian flags, celebrate in Simferopol's Lenin Square
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Victoria Khudyakova said she also had voted to join Russia, which she sees as being "spiritually close" to @placeholder.
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Tatars, who make up about 12% of the @placeholder population, have faced severe persecution in the past, when Crimea belonged to Russia.
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The region is key to neighboring @placeholder, because it gets electricity, fresh water and natural gas from there.
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In Simferopol and other places with Russian majorities, blue, white and red @placeholder flags have dominated the streets.
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"People are concerned that the @placeholder army will use force, guns to push (the) Ukrainian army from Crimea."