MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti) – A new version of the Russian Constitution was officially released Friday with the Republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol included in the list of the country's federal subjects.
The new version is available on the official Russian news portal for legal information.
Until Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev transferred Crimea and Sevastopol in 1954 to what was then the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, the two territories officially belonged to Russia.
In February, the Ukrainian parliament backed by far-right movements ousted President Viktor Yanukovych, amended the constitution and scheduled an early presidential election for May 25.
The coup sparked concerns, including in Crimea, about the dangers of ultranationalist forces in the country's central government.
A referendum in Crimea last month saw over 90 percent of Crimean citizens vote to join Russia. Following the vote, Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and signed a treaty to rejoin Russia on March 18. The reunification treaty was ratified by the Russian president and parliament the same week.
