The Declaration of independence of the Republic of Crimea was a joint resolution adopted on March 11, 2014 by the Supreme Council of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council where they expressed their intention to self-declare themselves independent in the event of a Yes vote in a referendum to join the region to Russia, that was to be held on March 16 . The participants were at the time subnational divisions of Ukraine but expected to reunify as the Republic of Crimea and then declare their independence as a single and united sovereign state apart from Ukraine, should voters have approved joining Russia in the referendum The document explicitly cited the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo and the ICJ opinion on that case as a precedent for the action.