The red dot above, indicating the Donetsk region, was not taken from Vladimir Putin's Pinterest account. We swear. (Photo/Wikimedia)

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are declaring the Donetsk region a "sovereign state" after the majority of its residents voted to secede from the volatile Eastern European nation on Sunday.

SEE ALSO: Crimean Crisis: A Story Of Kidnapping

Now, backers of the referendum are looking to join Russia, as President Vladimir Putin continues to collect remnants of the old Soviet Union like the shirtless Bond villain he is. Ukraine called the referendum "illegal" and Moscow has not commented directly on the matter, but the Kremlin called for "a dialogue" in an earlier statement. Whatever that means.

Not one to escalate an international crisis with an inappropriate visit, Putin toured the newly annexed territory of Crimea over the weekend. Ukrainian officials in Kiev, however, were not thrilled.

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