Today is the tenth anniversary of the beginning of Russia's occupation of Crimea: how did Russian aggression against Ukraine begin
Kyiv • UNN
Exactly ten years ago, on February 20, 2014, Russia launched an undeclared war against Ukraine, and chose Crimea as its first target. It was on this day that the units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet stationed in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were transferred to an enhanced mode of service.
Exactly ten years ago, on February 20, 2014, Russia launched an undeclared war against Ukraine, and chose Crimea as its first target, UNN writes.
It was on this day that the units of the Russian Black Sea Fleet stationed in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea were transferred to an enhanced mode of service. In fact, this was the beginning of the occupation of Crimea, which was recorded by the decision of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.
On February 24, Russian special forces without insignia began to be deployed to Crimea. Three days later, they blocked the buildings of the Verkhovna Rada and the Government of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The next day, the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea partly at gunpoint and partly on its own initiative decides on the status of the peninsula.
Pro-Russian politician sergei aksyonov is elected head of the Crimean government.
On the same day, the gradual blocking and disarmament of Ukrainian military units in Crimea, which had not received orders from Kyiv to resist the Russian occupiers, began.
On February 27, Ihor Tenyukh becomes acting Minister of Defense of Ukraine. On March 1, Tenyukh appoints Rear Admiral denys berezovsky as Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, who openly defects to the enemy the next day, ordering no resistance to the Russian occupiers and "swearing an oath to the people of Crimea.
Almost all the ships of the Ukrainian Navy were captured by the Russians.
The West condemned Russia's actions, but did not force putin to stop the aggression.
On March 16, a pseudo-referendum on the status of Crimea was held, which was not recognized by the entire civilized world. The next day, the illegitimate "parliament" of Crimea proclaimed the "independence" of the peninsula, and the very next day, Crimea "joined" the Russian Federation.
Despite the ten years of temporary occupation, putin is well aware that Crimea is Ukraine, and therefore repressions against the citizens of our country continue on the peninsula.
According to the representative office of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, 180 Ukrainian citizens are currently detained on the peninsula. Out of the total number of political prisoners, 24 are arrested, 138 are imprisoned, and 18 are without status. 117 of them are Crimean Tatars.
