Crimean separatist leader Sergei Aksyonov, rumored to have been a low-level gangster before his sudden political rise, has been elected head of the Russian-annexed republic in a unanimous parliamentary vote. In addition to his five-year term as head, he will also continue to serve as the prime minister of Crimea, putting him in charge of the peninsula's two top executive posts.
Russia's War Against Ukraine
Vice News: Separatist leader with murky past cements control of Crimea
Pro-Russia leader of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov (c) reacts after the announcement of the results of an election held by the deputies of the State Council of Crimea in Simferopol on Oct. 9, 2014.
