MOSCOW, March 27 (RAPSI) – In a move to further incorporate the office of Crimea's General Prosecutor into the Russian legal system Russian Prosecutor General Yury Chaika bestowed the class rank of Senior Counselor of Justice upon Crimea's acting Prosecutor General Natalia Poklonskaya, spokesperson for the Russian Prosecutor General's Office Marina Gridneva told journalists.

Poklonskaya was recently appointed acting Attorney General of Crimea. Following her appointment, Poklonskaya described the political unrest in Ukraine as an "anti-constitutional coup," stating that she did not "propagate Nazism, unlike certain regime functionaries in Kiev.”

In the weeks following her first televised address, Poklonskya has become an unexpected viral sensation on the internet, even inspiring anime-style fan art.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian Security Service placed Poklonskaya on a wanted list.

Crimea, a largely Russian-speaking republic within Ukraine, was part of Russia until it was given to Ukraine by former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1954. Putin said in an official address to federal and regional officials that Khrushchev’s decision had been made with clear violations of the constitutional standards at the time.

On March 17, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree recognizing Crimea as an independent state, following a referendum that saw voters overwhelmingly support secession from Ukraine and reunification with Russia.

On March 18, leaders of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastapol and Putin signed a treaty unifying Crimea with Russia.

Crimea moved for independence from Ukraine after having refused to recognize the legitimacy of the new government that came to power following the ouster of President Viktor Yanukovich in February.