our senior international correspondent nick peyton walsh is joining us from crimea with the latest. orter: wolf, a day for tit for tat document putin signing the final order that makes this now part of russia in his mind but also ukraine's new government signing paper work. it brings it closer to each u. vital step in ukrainians taking them east instead of westward. very little has changed. we went to one air base where the commander said he's still holding out, still obeying orders from kiev. hopes to hear something final tomorrow morning whether to stay or return to the ukrainian mainland. people watching how these sanctions will impact on the russian government. they said they would respond to tough measures from barack obama tomorrow in kind. relations deteriorating. what's happening in crimea a done deal. all eyes on eastern ukraine. 20,000 troops u.s. military officials say motorized, able to move very fast, amassing on the border and the concern everybody still has ringing in their ears russian officials say they reserve thing right to protect compatriots. still tense times ah

let's go to nick peyton walsh. the speed of these moves has been blinding. what can the west do? >> reporter: very little at this point. we've seen a pattern of outstanding bases here. one you mentioned cleared out about an hour and a half ago, russian troops moving in, i spoke to the captain of those remaining soldiers, they were simply marched off at gunpoint, not going to be allowed back. barack obama will meet with the g-7 in the hague next week and perhaps will hear harder rhetoric. we heard from nato's chief that crimea is not the end game for putin, so there's a part of the recognition this the west that russia is about the broader project. perhaps it seemed we listen to putin just two days ago, almost reveling in the isolation this is creating for russia. he sees the soviet past as something to be brave, not failed. >> thank you so much. stay safe, please. vice president joe biden today condemned putin's move as part of russia's dark past. >> as long as russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic ice laigs. >> but could that dark p

one of our crews saw two ballots being put into the box by one person and nick peyton walsh said earlier a lot of people were showing up at a polling place with no basically proof of who they were, other than a passport and a vote was taken pong the people at the polling place, whether they would be allowed to vote. most of the time they were, indeed, allowed to vote. not what you would expect the u.s. or elsewhere but all along a foregone conclusion in three hours when the polls closed, pretty shortly after there would be a declaration that crimea will join the russian federation. it doesn't end there, of course. later in the week it's the russia duma has to vote, the parlment vote on whether to accept that. it seems they will. of course the big question then is what next? the rest of the world says that this is an illegal referendum and that any annexation in crimea will be illegal. we're in len be square here in simferopol the capital and expecting a large crowd to turn out a few hours from now and the party will begin. candy? >> thanks so much, michael. i'm sure we will be with you t

senior international correspondent for cnn nick peyton walsh explained what's ahead. >> jim, what happense, certainly we've had long advertised a tight timetable ahead. the defacto prime minister here said he is going to send a delegation to moscow to address the practicalities. we've heard they'll adopt the same time zone as russia, adopt the russian ruble. of course there are infrastructure questions ahead. the mainland may clues to isolate them. they'll have to then work out their own water, internet, phone supplies from the russian mainland. the question, what happens to those crimeans here who did not support the idea of joining up with russia? that's the pro ukrainian groups that we've not heard from at all during this electoral campaign. very much a one-sided contest. the other question, too, the 10% ethnic minority here muslims have been deeply concerned. boycotted the vote, many of them. many worried about what will happen when pro russian forces take a stronger grip of the peninsula here vefl troubling days ahead. there are still ukrainian traps on military bases here holding ou

senior international correspondent nick peyton walsh is in crimea.n incredible moment to witness there. the prime minister sounding confident, this is not only a symbolic referendum, but a done deal. that crimea is going to join russia. is that what you're hearing there? >> reporter: i think certainly it has been a done deal for a while. the sheer numbers you read out there, jim, letting you know how i think it's fair to say one sided this electoral contest was. we didn't hear anything or see anything of the pro ukrainian campaign. i think they're worried about expressing their opinions. very little space on media for them to get that point across. and even the ethnic that tar -- tatar population and they boycotted the vote. but the celebrations we saw on that square possibly 5,000 people, very welling organized. massive fireworks display showing the resources pumped in it's fair to say by moscow to making this referendum get pushed through, with the speed. but now we have a tight timetable. the de facto prime minister here, saying he'll send a deleg

let's start with nick peyton walsh live in crimea. what's the latest?june naval chief who was at that base stormed by hundreds of pro russian protesters some of them reportedly armed he's gone missing according to the june defense ministry. that's raising some concerns. seems that base has changed hands more or less peacefully despite the aggressive assault against it initially. and pictures of unarmed june soldiers leaving. tensions are high after yesterday's first death of june service member in the ruin takeover of the base. we're hearing reports across the peninsula, a path is emerging. pro russian protest is backed with the armed force of uniform men who go to bases, pressuring people. in the northwest a tractor smashing open its gates, protesters staying at the entrance. russian flag hoisted above that building as well we understand. despite june soldiers seemingly leaving peacefully the tension dissipating something could go wrong. people are concerned about that. >> yuk soldiers are leaving peacefully. this vote was seen as the end but this is p