(Transcript from World News Radio)
Russian President Vladimir Putin has admitted for the first time that he ordered the annexation of Crimea weeks before a controversial referendum on independence.
Russia absorbed the Ukrainian region on March the 18th last year, to international condemnation.
Previously, Russian officials have argued the decision to annex Crimea came only after the referendum on the 15th of March.
Brianna Roberts reports.
(Russian, then translated:) "'Crimea -- The Road to the Motherland,' coming soon to Russian state television." (Russian ...)
It has all the hallmarks of a trailer for an action film -- starring Vladimir Putin.
But it is actually the trailer for an upcoming documentary to be shown on Russian-owned television that features an interview with the Russian president.
In it, Mr Putin acknowledges for the first time he decided to return Crimea to Russia, as he puts it, in February, long before a controversial vote on self-determination for the region.
It followed the removal of then-Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych following mass protests against his government.
(Russian, then translated:) "I invited the chiefs of our special services and of the defence ministry to the Kremlin and set them the task of saving the life of the Ukrainian president. And as I said goodbye, I told my colleagues that we have to begin work to bring Crimea back into Russia."
Just four days after that meeting, unidentified soldiers took over the Ukrainian parliament.
Russia formally annexed the Ukrainian province on March the 18th, triggering international condemnation.
At the time, Mr Putin denied Russia was involved, but he later admitted the soldiers were, in fact, Russian special forces.
Mr Putin's new admission comes as Crimean leader Sergei Aksyonov has expressed confidence in the referendum's outcome.
(Russian, then translated:) "Currently, more than 90 per cent support what happened in March last year. I personally have no doubt about it. And to other Western media, I say, 'Please, at any time, come out on the street here and ask the people what they think of what happened.' I can assure you that nine out of 10 will say they support it and would go again and vote, if need be." (Russian ...)
But not everyone in Crimea agrees.
This resident says there have been problems, including rising food prices, as a result of Western sanctions.
(Russian, then translated:) "Prices? What's happening to the prices? A lot has been said about it. The dollar? Okay, the dollar rate went up. But now the dollar rate went down. But the prices are still going up. It's unbelievable. There's no order anywhere, no matter where you go. You have to re-register documents. It's a mess!"
Mr Putin's admission has raised further doubt over his credibility internationally -- and raised more questions over alleged Russian involvement in the fighting in eastern Ukraine.
It also comes as Russia faces increased international scrutiny over the killing of Russian opposition politician Boris Nemtsov. (NYEMT-sov)
A colleague of Mr Nemtsov has rejected allegations that Chechen rebels were behind the killing.
Mr Nemtsov's ally, Ilya Yashin, says he is certain the Russian government is to blame.
"I'm totally sceptical about investigators, because I know how they work. And I'm a sceptic because I see the comments about people who organised the murder. I do not believe that they are out of Russia. I believe that the organisers of that murder are in Russia, and I believe that they are in the Russian government."
Two men from the Muslim Chechnya region have been charged with organising the shooting in Moscow on February the 27th.
Five suspects in total have faced court in connection with the murder.
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