Crimea is today voting on whether to re-join Russia or stay with Ukraine – a referendum condemned as illegal by Kiev and the West but backed by Moscow.

Russian troops have taken de facto control of the majority ethnic-Russian region, and voters are expected to support leaving Ukraine.

Crimean Tatars are boycotting the vote, pledging their allegiance to Kiev. Russia earlier vetoed a draft UN resolution criticising the vote – the only Security Council member to do so.

Polling stations across Crimea opened at 08:00 local time and close 12 hours later.