Crimea declared independence after a referendum on Sunday, in which most voters agreed to split from Ukraine and become part of the Russian Federation, according to a Reuters report.

The Crimean electoral commission announced that 83 percent of registered voters cast their ballot, and 96.6 percent of them voted in favour of joining Russia.

The result was not at all surprising, considering about 60 percent of the Crimean population is ethnic Russian. The peninsula's ethnic minorities, Ukrainians and Muslim Tatars, boycotted the referendum.

The referendum paper, however, did not present a choice that allowed maintaining the status quo in the peninsula.

In the ballot paper, the first question asked voters if they were in favour of the reunification of Crimea with Russia as a part of the Russian Federation, while the second questioned voters if they agreed to restore the 1992 Constitution and the status of Crimea as a part of Ukraine. The 1992 Constitution empowered Crimea to be an independent entity within Ukraine which can establish relations with any power, including Russia.

The European Union and the United States called the referendum illegitimate and unconstitutional.

The heavy presence of Russian troops prior the referendum likely intimidated voters and helped stifle opposition, according to critics. Currently, Russia's Black Sea Fleet is located in the port of Sevastopol in Crimea. Under the pact, Russia is allowed to place 12,500 troops in the port. Ukraine, however, said Russia had deployed 22,000 troops throughout Crimea prior the referendum. Moscow denied the allegation and said that the armed men were "Crimea's self-defence forces".

Russia also made a move into Ukraine proper on March 15, as it launched an offensive against the village of Strilkove. Four helicopter gunships and three armored combat vehicles were sent to occupy a natural gas facility.

Many fear the Kremlin will also send troops to the pro-Russia eastern Ukraine.