- Russia took control of Ukraine's Crimea in March 2014 after its troops had occupied the peninsula. An illegal referendum was held for Crimeans to decide on accession to Russia. De-facto Crimean authorities reported that allegedly 96.77% of the Crimean population had voted for joining Russia.
- On March 18, 2014, the so-called agreement on the accession of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol to Russia was signed in the Kremlin.
- The West did not recognize the so-called annexation in response to which sanctions against Russia were introduced.
- Ukraine's parliament voted to designate February 20, 2014, as the official date when the temporary occupation of Crimea began.
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry asks BBC News not to promote Russian false narratives

The media outlet included Sevastopol and Simferopol in a list of Russian cities.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) has commented on a publication by BBC News Russian where the Russia-occupied cities of Simferopol and Sevastopol were added to the list of Russian cities.
Spokesperson for Ukraine's MFA Oleh Nikolenko wrote about this on Twitter.
"@bbcrussian, don’t promote Russian false narratives. Sevastopol and Simferopol have never been Russian cities. #Crimea is not annexed but occupied. International law matters. #CrimeaIsUkraine #Navalny," he tweeted on January 24.

The publication by BBC News Russia listed the cities where rallies in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny were held. In particular, it included the Russia-occupied cities of Sevastopol and Simferopol on Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in the list of cities in the Russian Federation.
Russian occupation of Crimea
Latest news
Latest newsUzbekistan Bets on Georgian Ports as Tashkent Expands Its Trade Route to European Markets via the Black Sea
14.Jul.2026
Turkmenistan and the USA Explore New Areas of Cooperation as Ashgabat Hosts U.S. Senator Steve Daines
13.Jul.2026
Engineers Instead of Soldiers: Kazakhstan Hosts Its First Engineering Technologies Championship
12.Jul.2026
Transit Instead of Confrontation: Russia Expands Cargo Shipments to Armenia via Azerbaijan
12.Jul.2026
Europe Accelerates Rearmament: EU Countries Prioritize Missiles, Air Defense Systems, and Drones
10.Jul.2026
Russia Begins Using New FPV Drones to Strike Ukraine's Energy Infrastructure
10.Jul.2026
US Ready to Lift Sanctions on Turkiye and Restore Its Participation in the F-35 Program
09.Jul.2026
Trump Announces Transfer of License to Ukraine for Patriot Interceptor Missile Production
09.Jul.2026
The NATO Summit in Ankara Marked a New Stage in the Alliance's Transformation
08.Jul.2026
The war in Ukraine - the “liberation of Novorossiya” is a mission impossible
07.Jul.2026

18 Jul 2026


