You're reading: Commander of pro-Russian activists’ forces becomes Crimean deputy prime minister

The Crimean State Council has appointed Mikhail Sheremet, who commanded Crimea's self-defense forces during the events that preceded the March 16 referendum on reunification with Russia, to the post of the republic's deputy prime minister.

The decision was supported by 79 of the 81 Crimean parliamentarians
present at the session hall on Friday. The Crimean legislature has 100
seats.

Sheremet’s predecessor at this post, Olga Kovitidi, recently joined
the Federation Council, the upper chamber of the Russian Parliament.

“He [Sheremet] made a great contribution to efforts aimed at
organizing and holding the referendum. He was always at the forefront,
so to speak,” Crimean State Council Speaker Vladimir Konstantinov said,
describing Sheremet as a “well-known and respectable” citizen.