10.34pm GMT

We’re going to wrap up our live blog coverage for the day. Here’s a summary of where things stand:

• Partial results indicate more than 90% of Crimeans favor secession, according to an election official via RIA Novosti. Crimean officials say turnout was 83%. Revised numbers are expected late tonight.

• Vladimir Putin and Barack Obama spoke by phone, with the White House saying it would ‘never recognize’ the referendum. The Russian president, however, insisted to his American counterpart that the vote accords to international law, adding that “ultra-nationalists and radical groups” threaten Russian “compatriots” in Ukraine.

• The White House condemned Russia’s “dangerous and destabilizing” actions and called the vote “illegal”, as did the EU and several European nations. The US statement warned Russia that it faces “increasing costs”.

• Ukraine’s acting PM Arseny Yatseniuk vowed to apprehend separatists ”under the cover of Russian troops” and “bring them to justice”. He said: “the ground will burn beneath their feet.”



• Russian and Ukraine agreed to a military truce until 21 March, but offered no solution for what happens after the deadline passes. Ukraine announced it would call up a 20,000-large national guard.

• Competing demonstrations continued in eastern Ukrainian cities of Donetsk and Kharkiv, and Ukraine tightened border control.