Annexation of Crimea by The Russian Federation

11/25/2015
Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The internationally recognised Ukrainian territory of

Crimea was annexed by the Russian Federation in
March 2014. From the time of the annexation on 18
March 2014, Russia has de facto administered the
territory as two federal subjectsthe Republic of
Crimea and the city of Sevastopolwithin the
Crimean Crisis
Annexation of Crimea
Part of the Ukrainian crisis
Crimean Federal District.[30] The military

intervention and annexation by Russia took place in
the aftermath of the Ukrainian Revolution. It was a
part of the wider unrest across southern and eastern
Ukraine.[31][32] On 2223 February, Russian
President Vladimir Putin convened an all-night
meeting with security services chiefs to discuss
extrication of deposed President, Viktor
Yanukovych, and at the end of that meeting Putin
had remarked that "we must start working on
returning Crimea to Russia."[33] On 23 February
pro-Russian demonstrations were held in the
Crimean city of Sevastopol. On 27 February masked
Russian troops without insignias[2] took over the
Supreme Council of Crimea,[34][35] and captured
strategic sites across Crimea, which led to the
installation of the pro-Russian Aksyonov
government in Crimea, the holding of a disputed,
unconstitutional referendum and the declaration of
Crimea's independence.[36][37]
The event was condemned by many world leaders as
an illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory, in
violation of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine,
signed by Russia.[38] It led to the other members of
the then G8 suspending Russia from the group,[39]
then introducing the first round of sanctions against
the country. The Russian Federation opposes the
"annexation" label,[40] with Putin defending the
referendum as complying with international law.[41]
Ukraine disputes this, as it does not recognise the
independence of the Republic of Crimea or the
accession itself as legitimate.[42] The United Nations
General Assembly also rejected the vote and
annexation, adopting a non-binding resolution
affirming the "territorial integrity of Ukraine within
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annexation_of_Crimea_by_the_Russian_Federation
Crimea Russia Ukraine
Date
20 February 2014 19 March 2014[1]

(24days)
Location
Crimea
Result
Russian masked troops invade

and occupy key Crimean
locations, including Ukrainian
airports and military bases,
following Putin's orders.[2][3]
Head of Ukrainian Navy,
Admiral Berezovsky, defects
followed later by half of the
Ukrainian military stationed in
the region[4][5][6]
Russian forces seize the Supreme
Council (Crimean parliament).
The Council of Ministers of
Crimea is dissolved, a new proRussian Prime Minister is
installed.[7][8]
The new Supreme Council
declares The Republic of Crimea
to be an independent, selfgoverning entity, then holds a
referendum on the status of
Crimea, voting to join the
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its internationally recognised borders".[43][44] The

resolution also "[u]nderscores that the referendum
[in Crimea], having no validity, cannot form the
Russian Federation, on 16
March.[9]
Treaty signed between Crimea
and Russia at the Kremlin on 18
March to formally initiate
Crimea's annexation by the
basis for any alteration of the status of [Crimea]."[44]

The resolution draws attention to the obligation of
all States and international organizations not to
recognize or to imply the recognition of Russia's
Russian Federation.[10]
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are
evicted from their bases on 19
March by Crimean protesters and
Russian troops. Ukraine
subsequently announces
withdrawal of its forces from
annexation.[44]
Contents
1 Background
Crimea.[11]
1.1 Euromaidan and the Ukrainian

revolution
2 History
2.1 Crimean crisis begins
2.2 Legal obstacles to Crimea
annexation
2.3 Crimean status referendum
2.4 Breakaway republic
2.5 Accession treaty and immediate
aftermath
3 Transition and aftermath
3.1 Human rights situation
3.2 Crimean public opinion
4 Ukrainian response
5 Russian response
6 International response
Belligerents
Russia
Ukraine
Strength
Protesters
Protesters
20,000
4,00010,000
(Sevastopol)[12][13]
10,000
(Simferopol)[18][19]
(Simferopol)[14]
Ukrainian military
forces
Volunteer units[13][15]
5,00022,000
5,000 (Sevastopol)
1,700 (Simferopol)
Russian military forces
20,00030,000
Ukrainian Armed
Forces defectors
12,000[17]
Casualties and losses

1 Crimean SDF trooper
6.3 Commentary
6.4 Sanctions
Crimea)[22]
troops[16]
6.1 United Nations resolutions

6.2 Recognition
troops[20][21]
40,000 reservists,
partly mobilised
(outside
killed [23]
2 soldiers killed,[24]
6080 detained[25]
3 protesters died (2 pro-Russian and 1 proUkrainian)[26][27][28][29]

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6.5 Mapping
All deaths were not related directly to military

activities
7 Economic impact
8 See also
9 Notes
10 References
11 External links
Background
Crimea became part of the Russian Empire in 1783, when the Crimean Khanate was annexed and
incorporated into the Empire as Taurida Oblast. In 1795, Crimea was merged into Novorossiysk
Governorate; in 1802, it was transferred to the Taurida Governorate. A series of short-lived governments
(Crimean People's Republic, Crimean Regional Government, Crimean SSR) were established during
first stages of the Russian Civil War, but they were followed by White Russian (General Command of
the Armed Forces of South Russia, later South Russian Government) and, finally, Soviet (Crimean
ASSR) incorporations of Crimea into their own states. After the Second World War and the subsequent
deportation of all of the indigenous Crimean Tatars, the Crimean ASSR was stripped of its autonomy in
1946 and was downgraded to the status of an oblast of the Russian SFSR.
In 1954, the Crimean Oblast was transferred from the Russian SFSR to the Ukrainian SSR by decree of
the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union.
In 1989, under perestroika, the Supreme Soviet declared that the deportation of the Crimean Tatars
under Stalin had been illegal,[45] and the mostly Muslim ethnic group was allowed to return to
Crimea.[46]
In 1990, the Crimean Oblast Soviet proposed the restoration of the Crimean ASSR.[47] The oblast
conducted a referendum in 1991, which asked whether Crimea should be elevated into a signatory of the
New Union Treaty (that is, became a union republic on its own). By that time, though, the dissolution of
the Soviet Union was well underway. The Crimean ASSR was restored for less than a year as part of
Soviet Ukraine before Ukrainian independence. Newly independent Ukraine maintained Crimea's
autonomous status,[48] while the Supreme Council of Crimea affirmed the peninsula's "sovereignty" as a
part of Ukraine.[49][50] The autonomous status of Crimea was limited by Ukrainian authorities in
1995.[51][52]
Euromaidan and the Ukrainian revolution

The Euromaidan movement began in late November 2013 with protests in Kiev against pro-Russian
President Viktor Yanukovych, who won election in 2010 with strong support in the Autonomous
Republic of Crimea and southern and eastern Ukraine. The Crimean government strongly supported
Yanukovych and condemned the protests, saying they were "threatening political stability in the
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country". The Supreme Council of Crimea supported the government's decision to suspend negotiations
on the pending Ukraine-EU Association Agreement and urged Crimeans to "strengthen friendly ties with
Russian regions".[53][54][55]
On 4 February 2014, the Presidium of the Supreme Council considered holding a referendum on the
peninsula's status and asking the government of Russia to
guarantee the vote.[56][57] The Security Service of Ukraine
responded by opening a criminal case to investigate the possible
"subversion" of Ukraine's territorial integrity.[58]
On 20 February 2014 during a visit to Moscow, Chairmen of the
Supreme Council of Crimea Vladimir Konstantinov stated that
the Soviet Union's resolution that led to the 1954 transfer of
Crimea from the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic to
the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic needed to be
denounced.[56]
Euromaidan in Kiev, 11 December

2013
The Euromaidan protests reached a fever pitch in February 2014, and Yanukovych and many of his
ministers fled the capital on 22 February 2014.[59] After opposition factions and defectors from
Yanukovych's Party of Regions cobbled together a parliamentary quorum in the Verkhovna Rada, the
national legislature voted on 22 February to remove Viktor Yanukovych from his post on the grounds
that he was unable to fulfill his duties,[60] although the legislative removal lacked the required three
quarter vote of sitting MPs according to the constitution in effect at the time, which the Rada also voted
to nullify.[61][62][63] The Russian government described it as a coup d'tat,[64] although the new
Ukrainian government was widely recognised internationally.[65]
History
Crimean crisis begins
The February 2014 revolution that ousted Ukrainian
president Viktor Yanukovych, driven by the Euromaidan
movement, sparked a political crisis in Crimea, which
initially manifested as demonstrations against the new
interim Ukrainian government, but rapidly escalated due to
Russia's overt support for separatist political factions. In
January 2014 the Sevastopol city council had already set up
local "self-defence" units.[66]
Crimean parliament members called for an extraordinary
meeting on 21 February. Crimean Tatar Mejlis chairman
Mustafa Dzhemilev said that he suspected that the meeting
was arranged to call for Russian military intervention in
Crimean "self-defence" members, 2 March

2014
Crimea, stating "Tomorrow may be a decision that will bring chaos and disaster to Crimea".[67] Several
scholars previously discussed the possibility of Russian military intervention in Crimea, due to its
unique geopolitical nature and demographics.[68] In response to this, the Security Service of Ukraine
(SBU) said that it would "use severe measures to prevent any action taken against diminishing the
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territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine".[nb 1] The party with the largest number of seats in the
Crimean parliament (80 of 100), the Party of Regions of Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych, did
not discuss Crimean secession, and were supportive of an agreement between President Yanukovych and
Euromaidan activists to end the unrest that was struck on the same day in Kiev.[70][71]
Crimean prime minister Anatolii Mohyliov said that his government recognised the new provisional
government in Kiev, and that the Crimean autonomous government would carry out all laws passed by
the Ukrainian parliament.[72] In Simferopol, a pro-Euromaidan rally of between 5,00015,000 was held
in support of the new government, and demanding the resignation of the Crimean parliament; attendees
waved Ukrainian, Tatar, and European Union flags.[73] Meanwhile, in Sevastopol, thousands protested
against the new Ukrainian government, voted to establish a parallel administration, and created civil
defence squads with the support of the Russian Night Wolves motorcycle club. Protesters waved
Russian flags, chanted "Putin is our president!", and claimed they would refuse to further pay taxes to
the Ukrainian state.[74][75] Russian military convoys were also alleged to be seen in the area.[75] In
Kerch, pro-Russian protesters attempted to remove the Ukrainian flag from atop city hall and replace it
with the flag of Russia. Over 200 attended, waving Russian, orange-and-black St. George, and the
Russian Unity party flags. Mayor Oleh Osadchy attempted to disperse the crowd and police eventually
arrived to defend the flag. The mayor said "This is the territory of Ukraine, Crimea. Here's a flag of
Crimea", but was accused of treason and a fight ensued over the flagpole.[76] On 24 February, more
rallied outside the Sevastopol city state administration.[77] Pro-Russian demonstrators accompanied by
neo-Cossacks demanded the election of a Russian citizen as mayor and hoisted Russian flags around the
city administration; they also handed out leaflets to sign up for a self-defence militia, warning that the
"Blue-Brown Europlague is knocking."[78]
On 25 February, several hundred pro-Russian protesters blocked the Crimean parliament demanding a
referendum on Crimea's independence.[79] On the same day, Sevastopol illegally elected Alexei Chaly, a
Russian citizen, as mayor. Under the law of Ukraine, it was not possible for Sevastopol to elect a mayor,
as the Chairman of the Sevastopol City State Administration, appointed by the President of Ukraine,
functions as its mayor.[80] A thousand protesters present chanted "A Russian mayor for a Russian city."
Crowds gathered again outside Sevastopol's city hall on Tuesday as rumours spread that security forces
could arrest Chaly, but police chief Alexander Goncharov said that his officers would refuse to carry out
"criminal orders" issued by Kiev. Viktor Neganov, a Sevastopol-based adviser to the Internal Affairs
Minister, condemned the events in the city as a coup. "Chaly represents the interests of the Kremlin
which likely gave its tacit approval," he said. Sevastopol City State Administration chairman Vladimir
Yatsuba was booed and heckled on 23 February, when he told a pro-Russian rally that Crimea was a part
of Ukraine. He resigned the next day.[81] In Simferopol, the Regional State Administration building was
blockaded with hundreds of protesters, including neo-Cossacks, demanding a referendum of separation;
the rally was organized by the Crimean Front.[82]
On 26 February, thousands clashed during opposing rallies in Simferopol.[83] Near the Supreme Council
of Crimea building 4,000 and 5,000 Crimean Tatars and supporters of the Euromaidan-Crimea
movement faced 600-700 supporters of pro-Russian organizations and the Russian Unity Party.[84]
Supreme Council Chairman Vladimir Konstantinov said that the Crimean parliament would not consider
separation from Ukraine, and that earlier reports that parliament would hold a debate on the matter were
provocations.[85] Tatars created self-defence groups, encouraged collaboration with Russians,
Ukrainians, and people of other nationalities, and called for the protection of churches, mosques,
synagogues, and other important sites.[86] By nightfall the Crimean Tatars had left; several hundred
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Russian Unity supporters rallied on.[87] The new Ukrainian government's acting Internal Affairs
Minister Arsen Avakov tasked Crimean law enforcement agencies not to provoke conflicts and to do
whatever necessary to prevent clashes with pro-Russian forces; and he added "I think, that way - through
a dialogue - we shall achieve much more than with standoffs".[88] New Security Service of Ukraine
(SBU) chief Valentyn Nalyvaichenko requested that the United Nations provide around-the-clock
monitoring of the security situation in Crimea.[89] Russian troops took control of the main route to
Sevastopol on orders from Russian president Vladimir Putin. A military checkpoint, with a Russian flag
and Russian military vehicles, was set up on the main highway between the city and Simferopol.[90]
On 27 February, unidentified troops widely suspected of being Russian special forces seized the building
of the Supreme Council of Crimea (the regional parliament) and the building of the Council of Ministers
in Simferopol.[91][92] Russian flags were raised over these buildings,[93] and barricades were erected
outside them.[94] Whilst the "little green men" were occupying the Crimean parliament building, the
parliament held an emergency session.[95][96] It voted to terminate the Crimean government, and replace
Prime Minister Anatolii Mohyliov with Sergey Aksyonov.[97] Aksyonov belonged to the Russian Unity
party, which received 4% of the vote in the last election.[96] According to the Constitution of Ukraine,
the Prime Minister of Crimea is appointed by the Supreme Council of Crimea in consultation with the
President of Ukraine.[98][99] Both Aksyonov and speaker Vladimir Konstantinov stated that they viewed
Viktor Yanukovych as the de jure president of Ukraine, through whom they were able to ask Russia for
assistance.[100]
The parliament also voted to hold a referendum on greater autonomy on 25 May. The troops had cut all
of the building's communications, and took MPs' phones as they entered.[95][96] No independent
journalists were allowed inside the building while the votes were taking place.[96] Some MPs claimed
they were being threatened and that votes were cast for them and other MPs, even though they were not
in the chamber.[96] Interfax-Ukraine reported "it is impossible to find out whether all the 64 members of
the 100-member legislature who were registered as present at when the two decisions were voted on or
whether someone else used the plastic voting cards of some of them" because due to the armed
occupation of parliament it was unclear how many MPs were present.[101] The head of parliament's
information and analysis department, Olha Sulnikova, had phoned from inside the parliamentary
building to journalists and had told them 61 of the registered 64 deputies had voted for the referendum
resolution and 55 for the resolution to dismiss the government.[101] Donetsk People's Republic separatist
Igor Girkin said in January 2015 that Crimean members of parliament were held at gunpoint, and were
forced to support the annexation.[102] These actions were immediately declared illegal by the Ukrainian
interim government.[103]
On the same day, more troops in unmarked uniforms, assisted this time by what appeared to be local
Berkut riot police (as well as Russian troops from the 31st Separate Airborne Assault Brigade dressed in
Berkut uniforms),[104] established security checkpoints on the Isthmus of Perekop and the Chonhar
Peninsula, which separate Crimea from the Ukrainian mainland.[94][105][106][107][108] Within hours,
Ukraine had effectively been cut off from Crimea.
On 1 March 2014, Aksyonov declared Crimea's new de facto authorities would exercise control of all
Ukrainian military installations on the peninsula. He also asked Russian President Vladimir Putin, who
had been Yanukovych's primary international backer and guarantor, for "assistance in ensuring peace
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and public order" in Crimea.[109] Putin promptly received authorisation from the Federation Council of
Russia for a Russian military intervention in Ukraine "until normalization of a socio-political
environment in the country".[110][111] Putin's swift manoeuvre prompted protests of intelligentsia and
demonstrations in Moscow against a Russian military
campaign in Crimea. By 2 March, Russian troops moving
from the country's naval base in Sevastopol and reinforced
by troops, armour, and helicopters from mainland Russia
exercised complete control over the Crimean
"Little green men" in Simferopol, 2 March

2014
Peninsula.[112][113][114] Russian troops operated in Crimea

without insignia. Despite numerous media reports and
statements by the Ukrainian and foreign governments
describing the unmarked troops as Russian soldiers,
government officials concealed the identity of their forces,
claiming they were local "self-defence" units over whom
they had no authority.[115] As late as 17 April, Russian
foreign minister Lavrov claimed that there are no spare
armed forces in the territory of Crimea.[116]
Russian officials eventually admitted to their troops' presence. On 17 April 2014, Putin acknowledged
the Russian military backed Crimean separatist militias, stating that Russia's intervention was necessary
"to ensure proper conditions for the people of Crimea to be able to freely express their will".[31] Defence
Minister Sergey Shoygu said the country's military actions in Crimea were undertaken by forces of the
Black Sea Fleet and were justified by "threat to lives of Crimean civilians" and danger of "takeover of
Russian military infrastructure by extremists".[117] Ukraine complained that by increasing its troop
presence in Crimea, Russia violated the agreement under which it headquartered its Black Sea Fleet in
Sevastopol[118] and violated the country's sovereignty.[119] The United States and United Kingdom also
accused Russia of breaking the terms of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, by which
Russia, the US, and the UK had reaffirmed their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force
against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine.[120] The Russian government said
the Budapest Memorandum did not apply due to "complicated internal processes" in Crimea.[121][122] In
March 2015 retired Russian Admiral Igor Kasatonov stated that according to his information the Russian
troop deployment in Crimea included six helicopter landings and three landings of IL-76 with 500
people.[123]
Legal obstacles to Crimea annexation

The RussianUkrainian Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet[a] signed in
1997 and prolonged in 2010, determined the status of the military bases and vessels in Crimea prior to
the current crisis. Russia was allowed to maintain up to 25,000 troops, 24 artillery systems (with a
calibre smaller than 100mm), 132 armoured vehicles, and 22 military planes, on military base in
Sevastopol and related infrastructure on the Crimean Peninsula. The Russian Black Sea fleet had basing
rights in Crimea until 2042. Usage of navigation stations and troop movements were improperly covered
by the treaty and were violated many times as well as related court decisions. February troop movements
were in "complete disregard" of the treaty.[125]
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Both Russia and Ukraine are signatories to the Charter of the United Nations. The ratification of said
charter has several ramifications in terms of international law, particularly those that cover the subjects
of declarations of independence, sovereignty, self-determination, acts of aggression, and humanitarian
emergencies. Vladimir Putin has claimed that Russian troops in the Crimean peninsula were aimed "to
ensure proper conditions for the people of Crimea to be able to freely express their will",[126] whilst
Ukraine and other nations argue that such intervention is a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty.[119] The
Russian President also noted that the United Nations International Court of Justice handed down an
advisory opinion in 2010 saying unambiguously that the unilateral declaration of independence in
Kosovo (for which there was no referendum nor agreement from Belgrade) was not prohibited by
international law.[127] On the other hand, United States and Ukraine point out that by annexing Crimea
Russia violated terms of the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, by which Russia, the
United States and the United Kingdom reaffirmed their obligation to respect the territorial integrity of
Ukraine (including Crimea) and to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity
or political independence of Ukraine.[128] The United States does not consider the Memorandum
binding.[129]
According to the Constitution of Russia, the admission of
new federal subjects is governed by federal constitutional
law (art. 65.2).[130] Such a law was adopted in 2001, and it
postulates that admission of a foreign state or its part into
Russia shall be based on a mutual accord between the
Russian Federation and the relevant state and shall take
place pursuant to an international treaty between the two
countries; moreover, it must be initiated by the state in
"Little green men" and lorries after the
seizure of Perevalne military base, 9 March
2014
question, not by its subdivision or by Russia.[131] This law

would have seemed to require that Ukraine initiate any
negotiations involving a Crimean annexation by Russia.
On 28 February 2014, Russian MP Sergey Mironov, along

with certain other members of the Duma, introduced a bill to
alter Russia's procedure for adding federal subjects. According to the bill, accession could be initiated by
a subdivision of a country, provided that there is "absence of efficient sovereign state government in
foreign state"; the request could be made either by subdivision bodies on their own or on the basis of a
referendum held in the subdivision in accordance with corresponding national legislation.[132] The
Venice Commission stated that the bill violated "in particular, the principles of territorial integrity,
national sovereignty, non-intervention in the internal affairs of another state and pacta sunt servanda"
and was therefore incompatible with international law.[133]
On 11 March 2014, both the Supreme Council of Crimea and the Sevastopol City Council adopted a
declaration of independence, which stated their intent to declare independence and request full accession
to Russia in case the pro-Russian answer received the most votes during the scheduled status
referendum. The declaration directly referred to the Kosovo independence precedent, by which the
Albanian-populated Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija declared independence from
Russia's ally Serbia as the Republic of Kosovo in 2008a unilateral action Russia staunchly opposed.
Many analysts saw the Crimean declaration as an overt effort to pave the way for Crimea's annexation
by Russia.[134]
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Crimean authorities' stated plans to declare independence from Ukraine made the Mironov bill
unnecessary. On 20 March 2014, two days after the treaty of accession was signed, the bill was
withdrawn by its initiators.[135]
Crimean status referendum

On 27 February, following the takeover of its building, the Supreme Council of Crimea voted to hold a
referendum on 25 May, with the initial question as to whether Crimea should upgrade its autonomy
within Ukraine.[136] The referendum date was later moved from 25 May to 30 March.[137] A Ukrainian
court declared the referendum to be illegal.[138]
On 4 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed Russia was not considering annexing Crimea. He
said of the peninsula that "only citizens themselves, in conditions of free expression of will and their
security can determine their future".[139] Putin later acknowledged that he had ordered "work to bring
Crimea back into Russia" as early as February.[140] He also acknowledged that in early March there
were "secret opinion polls" held in Crimea, which, according to him, reported overwhelming popular
support for Crimea's incorporation into Russia.[141]
On 6 March, the Supreme Council moved the referendum date to 16 March and changed its scope to ask
a new question: whether Crimea should accede to Russia or restore the 1992 constitution within Ukraine,
which the Ukrainian government had previously invalidated. This referendum, unlike one announced
earlier, contained no option to maintain the status quo of governance under the 1998 constitution.[142]
On 14 March, the Crimean status referendum was deemed unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court
of Ukraine,[143] and a day later, the Verkhovna Rada formally dissolved the Crimean parliament.[37]
The referendum was held despite the opposition from Kiev. Official results reported about 95% of
participating voters in Crimea and Sevastopol were in favour of joining Russia.[144] The results of
referendum are questioned,[145] Another report by Evgeny Bobrov, a member of the Russian President's
Human Rights Council, suggested the official results were inflated and only 15% to 30% of Crimeans
actually voted for the Russian option.[36][146][147] A poll conducted by German market research institute
GfK one year after the referendum showed that 82% of Crimeans fully supported Crimea's inclusion in
Russia, and another 11 percent expressed partial support.[148]
The means by which the referendum was conducted were widely criticised by foreign governments and
in the Ukrainian and international press, with reports that anyone holding a Russian passport regardless
of residency in Crimea was allowed to vote. After the OSCE refused to send observers Russia invited a
group of observers from various European far-right political parties aligned with Putin, who stated the
referendum was conducted in a free and fair manner.[149][150]
Breakaway republic
On 17 March, following the official announcement of the referendum results, the Supreme Council of
Crimea declared the formal independence of the Republic of Crimea, comprising the territories of both
the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, which was granted special status within
the breakaway republic.[151] The Crimean parliament declared the "partial repeal" of Ukrainian laws and
began nationalising private and Ukrainian state property located on the Crimean Peninsula, including
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Ukrainian ports[152] and property of Chornomornaftogaz.[153] Parliament also formally requested that
the Russian government admit the breakaway republic into Russia.[154] On same day, the de facto
Supreme Council renamed itself the Crimean State Council,[155] declared the Russian ruble an official
currency alongside the hryvnia,[156] and announced that Crimea would switch to Moscow Time
(UTC+4) on 30 March.[157]
Putin officially recognised the Republic of Crimea by decree[158] and approved the admission of Crimea
and Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia.[159]
Accession treaty and immediate aftermath

The Treaty on Accession of the Republic of Crimea to Russia
was signed between representatives of the Republic of Crimea
(including Sevastopol, with which the rest of Crimea briefly
unified) and the Russian Federation on 18 March 2014 to lay out
terms for the immediate admission of the Republic of Crimea and
Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia and part of the Russian
Federation.[160][161] It was ratified by the Federal Assembly by
21 March.[162]
During a controversial incident in Simferopol on 18 March, some
Ukrainian sources said that armed gunmen that were reported to
be Russian special forces allegedly stormed the base. This was
contested by Russian authorities, who subsequently arrested an
Signing of treaty of accession in

Moscow, 18 March 2014
alleged Ukrainian sniper in connection with the killings.[163][164]

At this stage, none of the accounts of this event could be verified
independently.[165] The Ukrainian and the Crimean authorities
provided conflicting reports of the event.[166] Furthermore,
witnesses of the event said that there was no immediate evidence
that any Russian soldiers were involved in the incident.[167]
The two casualties had a joint funeral attended by both the
Crimean and Ukrainian authorities, and both soldiers were
Medal "For return of Crimea" (20

February 2014 - 18 March 2014) by
the Ministry of Defense of Russia
mourned together.[168] The incident is now under investigation

by both the Crimean authorities and the Ukrainian military.[169][170]
On 19 March Putin submitted to the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, a treaty of Crimea's
reunification with Russia and a constitutional amendment on setting up two new constituent territories of
the Russian Federation.[171] Russian Constitutional Court found that treaty is in compliance with
Constitution of Russia. The court sat in an emergency session following a formal request by President
Vladimir Putin to assess the constitutionality of the treaty.[172][173]
After the Russian Constitutional Court upheld the constitutionality of the treaty, the State Duma ratified
it on 20 March.[174][175] The Duma also approved the draft federal constitutional law admitting Crimea
and Sevastopol and establishing them as federal subjects.[176][177] A Just Russia's Ilya Ponomarev was
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the only State Duma member to vote against the measures. A day later, the treaty itself and the required
amendment to article 65 of the Russian Constitution (which lists the federal subjects of Russia) were
ratified by the Federation Council[178] and almost immediately signed into law by Putin.[179] Crimea's
admission to the Russian Federation was considered retroactive to 18 March, when Putin and Crimean
leaders signed the draft treaty.[180]
On 24 March, the Ukrainian government ordered the full withdrawal of all of its armed forces from
Crimea.[181] In addition, the Ministry of Defence announced that approximately 50% of the Ukrainian
soldiers in Crimea had defected to the Russian military.[182][183][184][185]
On 27 March, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a non-binding resolution, which declared
the Crimean referendum and subsequent status change invalid, by a vote of 100 to 11, with 58
abstentions and 24 absent.[186][187]
Crimea and Sevastopol switched to Moscow Time at the end of March.[188][189]
On 2 April, Russia formally denounced the 2010 Kharkiv Pact and Partition Treaty on the Status and
Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet.[190] Putin cited "the accession of the Republic of Crimea and
Sevastopol into Russia" and resulting "practical end of renting relationships" as his reason for the
denunciation.[191] On the same day, he signed a decree formally rehabilitating the Crimean Tatars, who
were ousted from their lands in 1944, and the Armenian, German, Greek, and Bulgarian minority
communities in the region that Stalin also ordered removed in the 1940s.
On 11 April, the Constitution of the Republic of Crimea and City Charter of Sevastopol were
adopted,[192] and on same day, the new federal subjects were enumerated in a newly published revision
of the Russian Constitution.[193]
Transition and aftermath

The number of tourists visiting Crimea in the 2014 season was lower than in the previous years due to
worries about the political situation.[194] Russian government attempted to stimulate the flow of tourists
by subsidizing holidays in the peninsula for children and state workers from all Russia[195][196] which
worked mostly for state-owned hotels. In 2015 overall 3 million of tourists visited Crimea according to
official data, while before annexation it was around 5.5 million on average. The shortage is attributed
mostly to stopped flow of tourists from Ukraine. Hotels and restaurants are also experiencing problems
with finding enough seasonal workers, who were arriving from Ukraine mostly in the preceding years.
Tourists visiting state-owned hotels are complaining mostly about low standard of rooms and facilities,
some of them unrepaired from Soviet times.[197]
According to the German newspaper Die Welt, the annexation of Crimea is economically
disadvantageous for the Russian Federation. Russia will have to spend billions of euros a year to pay
salaries and pensions. Moreover, Russia will have to undertake costly projects to connect Crimea to the
Russian water supply and power system because Crimea has no land connection to Russia and at present
gets water, gas and electricity from mainland Ukraine. This will require building a bridge and a pipeline
across the Kerch Strait. Also, Novinite claims that a Ukrainian expert told Die Welt that Crimea "will not
be able to attract tourists".[198]
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The first Deputy to Minister of Finance of Russian Federation

Tatyana Nesterenko said in her interview to Forbes Woman that
decision to annexe Crimea was made by Russian President Vladimir
Putin exclusively without consulting Russia's Finance Ministry.[199]
The Russian business newspaper Kommersant expresses an opinion
that Russia will not acquire anything economically from
"accessing" Crimea, which is not very developed industrially,
having just a few big factories, and whose yearly gross product is
only $4 billion. The newspaper also says that everything from
Russia will have to be delivered by sea, higher costs of
transportation will result in higher prices for everything, and to
avoid a decline in living standards Russia will have to subsidise
Crimean people for a few months. In total, Kommersant estimates
the costs of integrating Crimea into Russia in $30 billion over the
next decade, i.e. $3 billion per year.[200]
On the other hand, western oil experts estimate that Russia's seizing
of Crimea, and the associated control of an area of Black Sea more
than three times its land area gives it access to oil and gas reserves
potentially worth trillions of dollars. It also deprives Ukraine of its
chances of energy independence. Most immediately however,
analysts say, Moscow's acquisition may alter the route along which
the South Stream pipeline would be built, saving Russia money,
time and engineering challenges. It would also allow Russia to
avoid building in Turkish territorial waters, which was necessary in
Federal Law on Ratifying the

Agreement between the Russian
Federation and the Republic of
Crimea on Admitting to the
Russian Federation the Republic
of Crimea and Establishing within
the Russian Federation New
Constituent Entities.
the original route to avoid Ukrainian territory.[201][202]

Russian/Chechen businessman Ruslan Baisarov announced he is
ready to invest 12 billion rubles into the construction of a modern
sea resort in Crimea, which is expected to create about 1,300 jobs.
Ramzan Kadyrov, the Head of Chechnya, said that other Chechen
businessmen are planning to invest into Crimea as well.[203]
The Russian Federal Service for Communications (Roskomnadzor)
warned about a transition period as Russian operators have to
change the numbering capacity and subscribers. Country code will
be replaced from the Ukrainian +380 to Russian +7. Codes in
Crimea start with 65, but in the area of "7" the 6 is given to
Kazakhstan which shares former Soviet Union +7 with Russia, so
city codes have to change. The regulator assigned 869 dialling code
to Sevastopol and the rest of the peninsula received a 365 code.[204]
At the time of the unification with Russia, telephone operators and
Internet service providers in Crimea and Sevastopol are connected
to the outside world through the territory of Ukraine.[205] Minister
of Communications of Russia, Nikolai Nikiforov announced on his
Twitter account that postal codes in Crimea will now have sixfigures: to the existing five-digit number the number two will be
Federal Constitutional Law on

Admitting to the Russian
Federation the Republic of
Crimea and Establishing within
the Russian Federation the New
Constituent Entities of the
Republic of Crimea and the City
of Federal Importance Sevastopol.
added at the beginning. For example, the Simferopol postal code 95000 will become 295000.[206]
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Regarding Crimea's borders, the head of Russian Federal Agency for the Development of the State
Border Facilities (Rosgranitsa) Konstantin Busygin, who was speaking at a meeting led by Russian
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in Simferopol, the capital of Crimea said the Russian state
border in the north of Crimea which, according to his claims, now forms part of the Russian-Ukrainian
border, will be fully equipped with necessary facilities.[207] In the area that now forms the border
between Crimea and Ukraine mining the salt lake inlets from the sea that constitute the natural borders,
and in the spit of land left over stretches of no-man's-land with wire on either side was created.[208] On
early June that year Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev signed a Government resolution 961[209] dated
5 June 2014 establishing air, sea, road and railway checkpoints. The adopted decisions create a legal
basis for the functioning of a checkpoint system at the Russian state border in the Republic of Crimea
and Sevastopol.[210]
In the year following the annexation, armed men seized various Crimean businesses, including banks,
hotels, shipyards, farms, gas stations, a bakery, a dairy, and Yalta Film Studio.[211][212][213] Russian
media have noted this trend as "returning to the 90's", which is perceived as a period anarchy and rule of
gangs in Russia.[214]
In 2015 the Investigative Committee of Russia announced about a number of theft and corruption cases
in infrastructure projects in Crimea, for example spending that exceeded the actual accounted costs three
times. A number of Russian officials were also arrested for corruption, including head of federal tax
inspection.[215][216]
Human rights situation

In March 2014, Human Rights Watch reported that pro-Ukrainian activists and journalists had been
attacked, abducted, and tortured.[217]
On 9 May 2014 the new "anti-extremist" amendment to the Criminal Code of Russia, passed in
December 2013, came into force. Article 280.1 designated incitement of violation of territorial integrity
of the Russian Federation[218] (incl. calls for secession of Crimea from Russia[219]) as a criminal offense
in Russia, punishable by a fine of 300 thousand roubles or imprisonment up to 3 years. If such
statements are made in public media or the internet, the punishment could be obligatory works up to 480
hours or imprisonment up to five years.[218]
Following the annexation of Crimea, according to report released on the Russian government run
President of Russia's Council on Civil Society and Human Rights website, Tatars who were opposed to
Russian rule have been persecuted, Russian law restricting freedom of speech has been imposed, and the
new pro-Russian authorities "liquidated" the Kiev Patriarchate Orthodox church on the peninsula.[36]
After the annexation, on 16 May the new Russian authorities of Crimea issued a ban on the annual
commemorations of the anniversary of the Deportation of the Crimean Tatars by Stalin in 1944, citing
"possibility of provocation by extremists" as a reason.[220] Previously, when Crimea was controlled by
Ukraine, these commemorations had taken place every year. The pro-Russian Crimean authorities also
banned Mustafa Dzhemilev, a human rights activist, Soviet dissident, member of the Ukrainian
parliament, and former Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars from entering Crimea.[221]
Additionally, Mejlis reported, that officers of Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) raided Tatar
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homes in the same week, on the pretense of "suspicion of terrorist activity".[222] The Tatar community
eventually did hold commemorative rallies in defiance of the ban.[221][222] In response Russian
authorities flew helicopters over the rallies in an attempt to disrupt them.[223]
In May 2015, a local activist, Alexander Kostenko, was sentenced to four years in a penal colony. His
lawyer, Dmitry Sotnikov, said that the case was fabricated and that his client had been beaten and
starved. Crimean prosecutor Natalia Poklonskaya announced that they were judging "not just
[Kostenko], but the very idea of fascism and nazism, which are trying to raise their head once again."
Sotnikov responded that "There are fabricated cases in
Russia, but rarely such humiliation and physical harm. A
living person is being tortured for a political idea, to be able
to boast winning over fascism."[224] In June 2015, Razom
released a report compiling human rights abuses in
Crimea.[225][226]
Crimean public opinion

A joint survey by American government agency
Broadcasting Board of Governors and polling firm Gallup
was taken during April 2014.[227] It polled 500 residents of
Crimea. The survey found that 82.8% of those polled
believed that the results of the Crimean status referendum
reflected the views of most Crimeans, whereas 6.7% said
that it did not. 73.9% of those polled said that they thought
that the annexation would have a positive impact on their
lives, whereas 5.5% said that it would not. 13.6% said that
Map denoting the subdivisions of Ukraine

and the percentage of people that indicated
Russian as their native language in the
latest local census. Sevastopol identifies
itself as the highest at 90.6% followed
immediately by Crimea at 77.0%.
they did not know.[227]

A comprehensive poll released on 8 May 2014 by the Pew Research Centre surveyed Crimean opinions
on the annexation.[228] Despite international criticism of 16 March referendum on Crimean status, 91%
of those Crimeans polled thought that the vote was free and fair, and 88% said that the Ukrainian
government should recognise the results.[228]
Ukrainian response
On 6 March, Ukraine's then-acting President, Oleksander Turchinov, stated that "The authorities in
Crimea are totally illegitimate, both the parliament and the government. They are forced to work under
the barrel of a gun and all their decisions are dictated by fear and are illegal."[229] Immediately after the
treaty of accession was signed in March, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the
Provisional Principal of Russia in Ukraine to present note verbale of protest against Russia's recognition
of the Republic of Crimea and its subsequent annexation.[230] Two days later, the Verkhovna Rada
condemned the treaty[231] and called Russia's actions "a gross violation of international law". The Rada
called on the international community to avoid recognition of the "so-called Republic of Crimea" or the
annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by Russia as new federal subjects.
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On 15 April 2014, the Verkhovna Rada declared the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol to
be under "provisional occupation" by the Russian military[232] and imposed travel restrictions on
Ukrainians visiting Crimea.[233] The territories were also deemed "inalienable parts of Ukraine" subject
to Ukrainian law. Among other things, the special law approved by the Rada restricted foreign citizens'
movements to and from the Crimean Peninsula and forbade certain types of entrepreneurship.[234] The
law also forbade activity of government bodies formed in violation of Ukrainian law and designated
their acts as null and void. The voting rights of Crimea in national Ukrainian elections were also
suspended.[235] The law had little to no actual effect in Crimea itself due to the mutual non-recognition
between Kiev and Simferopol.
Ukrainian authorities greatly reduced the volume of water flowing into Crimea via the North Crimean
Canal due to huge debt for water supplied in previous year, threatening the viability of the peninsula's
agricultural crops, which are heavily dependent on irrigation.[236]
The Ukrainian National Council for TV and Radio Broadcasting has instructed all cable operators on
March 11 to stop transmitting a number of Russian channels, including the international versions of the
main state-controlled stations, Rossiya-1, Channel One and NTV, as well as news channel Rossiya-cable
operators on.[237]They have claimed that this is because of Russian media showing them in a negative
light.
In March 2014, activists began organising flash mobs in supermarkets to urge customers not to buy
Russian goods and to boycott Russian gas stations, banks, and concerts. In April 2014, some cinemas in
Kiev, Lviv, and Odessa began shunning Russian films.[238]
In December 2014, Ukraine halted all train and bus services to Crimea.[239]
On 16 September 2015 the Ukrainian parliament voted for the law that sets 20 February 2014 as the
official date of the Russian temporary occupation of Crimean peninsula.[240][241] On 7 October 2015 the
President of Ukraine signed the law into force.[242]
Russian response
In a poll published on 24 February by the state-owned Russian Public Opinion Research Center, only
15% of those Russians polled said 'yes' to the question: "Should Russia react to the overthrow of the
legally elected authorities in Ukraine?"[243]
The State Duma Committee on Commonwealth of Independent States Affairs, headed by Leonid
Slutsky, visited Simferopol on 25 February 2014 and said: "If the parliament of the Crimean autonomy
or its residents express the wish to join the Russian Federation, Russia will be prepared to consider this
sort of application. We will be examining the situation and doing so fast."[244] They also stated that in
the event of a referendum for Crimea region joining Russian Federation they would consider its results
"very fast".[245] Later Slutsky announced that he was misunderstood by Crimean press and no decision
regarding simplifying the process of acquiring Russian citizenship for people in Crimea has been made
yet.[246] And added that if "fellow Russian citizens are in jeopardy you understand that we do not stay
away".[247] On 25 February, in a meeting with Crimean politicians he stated that Viktor Yanukovych
was still the legitimate president of Ukraine.[248] That same day in the Russian Duma, they announced
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they were determining measures so that Russians in Ukraine who

"did not want to break from the Russian World" could acquire
Russian citizenship.[249]
On 26 February, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the
Russian Armed Forces to be "put on alert in the Western Military
District as well as units stationed with the 2nd Army Central
Military District Command involved in aerospace defence,
airborne troops and long-range military transport." Despite media
speculation it was for in reaction to the events in Ukraine
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said it was in separate
consideration from the unrest in Ukraine.[250] On 27 February
2014, the Russian government dismissed accusations about
violation by the Russian side of the basic agreements in regards
of the Black Sea Fleet: "All movements of armored vehicles are
undertaken in full compliance with the basic agreements and did
not require any approvals".[251][252][253]
On 27 February, the Russian governing agencies presented the
new law project on granting citizenship.[254]
The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the West and
particularly NATO to "abandon the provocative statements and
Request ("ultimatum") by Council of

Ministers of Crimea to Ukrainian
55th Anti-Aircraft Artillery regiment
in Yevpatoria to lay down arms under
control of Russian Black Sea Fleet for
the period of Crimean referendum
respect the neutral status of Ukraine".[255] In its statement the

ministry claims that agreement on settlement of the crisis which was signed on 21 February and was
witnessed by foreign ministries from Germany, Poland and France has to this date, not been
implemented[255] (Vladimir Lukin from Russia had not signed it[256]).
On 28 February, according to ITAR-TASS, the Russian Ministry of Transport discontinued its further
talks with Ukraine in regards to the Kerch Strait Bridge project.[257] However, on 3 March Dmitry
Medvedev, the Prime Minister of Russia, signed a decree creating a subsidiary of Russian Highways
(Avtodor) to build a bridge at an unspecified location along the Kerch strait.[258][259]
On Russian social networks there is a movement to gather volunteers who served in the Russian army to
go to Ukraine.[260]
On 28 February President Putin stated it was of "extreme importance of not allowing a further escalation
of violence and the necessity of a rapid normalisation of the situation in Ukraine" in telephone calls with
key EU leaders.[261] Already on 19 February the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred to the
Euromaidan revolution as the "Brown revolution".[262][263]
The Federation Council approved that Russia may introduce a limited contingent of Russian troops in
Crimea for the security of the Black Sea Fleet and the Russians.[264]
In Moscow, on 2 March, an estimated 27,000 rallied in support of the Russian government's decision to
intervene in Ukraine.[265] The rallies received considerable attention on Russian state TV and were
officially sanctioned by the government.[265]
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Meanwhile, on 1 March, five people who were picketing next to the

Federation Council building against the invasion of Ukraine were
arrested.[266] The next day about 200 people protested at the building of
the Russian Ministry of Defence in Moscow against Russian military
involvement.[267] About 500 people also gathered to protest on the
Manezhnaya Square in Moscow and the same number of people on the
Saint Isaac's Square in Saint Petersburg.[268] On 2 March, about eleven
protesters demonstrated in Yekaterinburg against Russian involvement,
with some wrapped in the Ukrainian flag.[269] Protests were also held in
At least 30,000 people at 15

March protests, named
March of Peace, which took
place in Moscow a day
before the Crimean
referendum.
Chelyabinsk on the same day.[270] The opposition to the military

intervention was also expressed by rock musician Andrey Makarevich,
who wrote in particular: "You want war with Ukraine? It will not be the
way it was with Abkhazia: the folks on the Maidan have been hardened
and know what they are fighting for for their country, their
independence. [...] We have to live with them. Still neighborly. And
preferably in friendship. But it's up to them how they want to live".[271]
The Professor of the Department of Philosophy at the Moscow State
Institute of International Relations Andrey Zubov was fired for his article
in Vedomosti, criticising Russian military intervention.[272]
On 2 March, one Moscow resident protested against Russian intervention by holding "Stop the war"
banner, but he was immediately harassed by passers-by and when the police was arresting him, a woman
offered them fabricating a serious charge (beating up a child) against him; however, the proposal was
rejected by the police.[273] Andrei Zubov, a professor at the Moscow State Institute of International
Relations, who compared Russian actions in Crimea to the Anschluss of Austria, was threatened.
Akexander Chuyev, the leader of the pro-Kremlin Spravedlivaya Rossiya party, also objected to Russian
intervention in Ukraine. Boris Akunin, popular Russian writer, predicted that Russia's moves would lead
to political and economic isolation.[273]
President Putin's approval rating among the Russian
public has increased by nearly 10% since the crisis
began, up to 71.6%, the highest in three years,
according to a poll conducted by the All-Russian
Center for Public Opinion Research, released on 19
March.[275] Additionally, the same poll showed that
more than 90% of Russians supported unification with
the Crimean Republic.[275]
On 4 March, at press conference in Novo-Ogaryovo
President Putin expressed his view on the situation
that if a revolution took place in Ukraine, it is a new
country with which Russia did not conclude any
treaties.[276] He brought up an analogy with events of
1917 in Russia, when as a result of the revolution the
Russian Empire fell apart and a new state was
Russian President Vladimir Putin (seated, middle)

speaks to the press on 4 March 2014, denouncing
the events in Kiev as an "unconstitutional coup",
and insisting that Moscow has a right to protect
Russians in Ukraine.[274]
created.[276] However, he stated Ukraine would still have to honour its debts.
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Russian politicians have speculated that there are

already 143,000 Ukrainian refugees in Russia.[277]
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs refuted
those claims of refugees increase in Russia.[278] At a
briefing on 4 March 2014, the director of department
of information policy of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs of Ukraine Yevhen Perebiynis claimed that
Russia was misinforming its own citizens as well as
the entire international community to justify its own
actions in the Crimea.[279]
On 5 March, an anchor of the Russian-owned
international news channel RT America, Abby Martin,
in an interview with Piers Morgan, said she "did not
agree" with how her employer RT was covering the
Around 100,000 people gathered in Crimean

Sevastopol at Victory Day parade
Ukrainian crisis, but claims RT still supports her despite her differences of opinion.[280] Also on 5
March 2014, another RT America anchor, Liz Wahl, of the network's Washington, DC bureau, resigned
on air, explaining that she could not be "part of a network that whitewashes the actions of Putin" and
citing her Hungarian ancestry and the memory of the Soviet repression of the Hungarian Uprising as a
factor in her decision.[281]
In early March, Igor Andreyev, a 75-year-old survivor of the Siege of Leningrad, attended an anti-war
rally against the Russian intervention in Crimea and was holding a sign that read "Peace to the World".
The riot police arrested him and a local pro-government lawyer then accused him of being a supporter of
"fascism". The retiree, who lived on a 6,500-ruble monthly pension, was fined 10,000 rubles.[282]
Prominent dissident Mikhail Khodorkovsky said that Crimea should stay within Ukraine with broader
autonomy.[283]
Tatarstan, a republic within Russia populated by Volga Tatars, has sought to alleviate concerns about
treatment of Tatars by Russia, as Tatarstan is a gas-rich and economically successful republic in
Russia.[284] On 5 March, President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov signed an agreement on cooperation between Tatarstan and the Aksyonov government in Crimea that implied collaboration
between ten government institutions as well as significant financial aid to Crimea from Tatarstan
businesses.[284] On 11 March, Minnikhanov was in Crimea on his second visit and attended as a guest
present in the Crimean parliament chamber during the vote on the declaration of sovereignty pending the
16 March referendum.[284] The Tatarstan's Mufti Kamil Samigullin invited Crimean Tatars to study in
madrasas in Kazan and declared support for their "brothers in faith and blood".[284] Mustafa Dzhemilev,
a former leader of the Crimean Tatar Majlis believes that forces that are suspected to be Russian forces
should leave the Crimean peninsula,[284] and has asked the UN Security Council to send peacekeepers
into the region.[285]
On 13 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a comparison between Crimea and Kosovo in a
phone call with US President Barack Obama.[286]
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On 15 March, thousands of protesters (estimates varying from 3,000 by official sources up to 50,000
claimed by opposition) in Moscow marched against Russian involvement in Ukraine, many waving
Ukrainian flags.[287] At the same time a pro government (and pro-referendum) rally, occurred across the
street, counted thousands as well (officials claiming 27,000 with opposition claiming about 10,000).
In February 2015, the leading independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta reported[288] that it
obtained documents, allegedly written by oligarch Konstantin Malofayev and others, which provided the
Russian government with a strategy in the event of Viktor Yanukovych's removal from power and the
break-up of Ukraine, which were considered likely. The documents outline plans for annexation of
Crimea and the eastern portions of the country, closely describing the events that actually followed after
Yanukovych's fall. The documents also describe plans for a public relations campaign which would seek
to justify Russian actions.[289][290][291]
In June 2015 Mikhail Kasyanov stated that all Russian Duma decisions on Crimea annexation were
illegal from the international point of view and the annexation was provoked by false accusations of
discrimination of Russian nationals in Ukraine.[292]
International response
There have been a range of international reactions to
the annexation. The UN General Assembly passed a
non-binding resolution 100 in favour, 11 against and
58 abstentions in the 193-nation assembly that
declared invalid Crimea's Moscow-backed
referendum.[293] In a move supported by the
Lithuanian President,[294] the United States
government imposed sanctions against persons they
deem to have violated or assisted in the violation of
International reaction to the 2014 Crimean crisis
Ukraine's sovereignty.[295] The European Union

suspended talks with Russia on economic and visarelated matters, and is considering more stringent
sanctions against Russia in the near future, including
peaceful resolution to the conflict

Support for Ukrainian territorial integrity
asset freezes.[296][297] while Japan announced

sanctions which include suspension of talks relating
to military, space, investment, and visa
requirements.[298] The EU Commission decided on
11 March to enter into a full free-trade agreement
with Ukraine within the year.[299] On 12 March, the
European Parliament rejected the upcoming
referendum on independence in Crimea, which they
saw as manipulated and contrary to international and
Ukrainian law.[300] The G7 bloc of developed
nations (the G8 minus Russia) made a joint
statement condemning Russia and announced that
they would suspend preparations for the planned G8
according to official governmental statements.[b]

Statements only voicing concern or hope for
Condemnation of Russian actions

Condemnation of Russian actions as a military
intervention or invasion
Support for Russian actions and/or
condemnation of the Ukrainian interim government
Recognition of Russian interests
Ukraine
Russia
No official statements / No data available
summit in Sochi in June.[301][302] NATO condemned Russia's military escalation in Crimea and stated
that it was breach of international law[303] while the Council of Europe expressed its full support for the
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territorial integrity and national unity of Ukraine.[304] The Visegrd Group has issued a joint statement
urging Russia to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and for Ukraine to take into account its minority
groups to not further break fragile relations. It has urged for Russia to respect Ukrainian and
international law and in line with the provisions of
the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.[305]
China said "We respect the independence,
sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine". A
spokesman restated China's belief of noninterference in the internal affairs of other nations
and urged dialogue.[306][307]
National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon of
India stated that Russia has legitimate interests in
Crimea and called for "sustained diplomatic efforts"
Results of the United Nations General Assembly

vote about the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
In favour Against Abstentions
Absent Non-members
and "constructive dialogue" to resolve the crisis.[308]

However, the National Security Advisor is not a part of the Cabinet of India and, as such, Menon's
statement was not an official statement issued by the government of India.[309] However, India
subsequently made it clear that it will not support any "unilateral measures" against Russian government.
"India has never supported unilateral sanctions against any country. Therefore, we will also not support
any unilateral measures by a country or a group of countries against Russia."[310] Both Syria and
Venezuela openly support Russian military action. Syrian President Bashar al Assad said that he
supports Putin's efforts to "restore security and stability in the friendly country of Ukraine", while
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro condemned Ukraine's "ultra-nationalist" coup.[311][312] Sri Lanka
described Yanukovych's removal as unconstitutional and considered Russia's concerns in Crimea as
justified.[313]
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for change in EU energy policy as Germany's dependence on
Russian gas poses risks for Europe.[314]
On 13 March, German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the Russian government it risks massive
damage to Russia, economically and politically, if it refuses to change course on Ukraine,[314] though
close economic links between Germany and Russia significantly reduce the scope for any sanctions.[315]
After Russia moved to formally incorporate Crimea, some worried whether it may not do the same in
other regions.[316] US deputy national security advisor Tony Blinken said that the Russian troops massed
on the eastern Ukrainian border may be preparing to enter the country's eastern regions. Russian officials
stated that Russian troops would not enter other areas.[316] US Air Force Gen. Philip M. Breedlove,
NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe, warned that the same troops were in a position to take
over the separatist Russian-speaking Moldovan province of Transnistria.[316]
On 9 April, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe deprived Russia of voting rights.[317]
On 14 August, while visiting Crimea, Vladimir Putin ruled out pushing beyond Crimea. He undertook to
do everything he could to end the conflict in Ukraine, saying Russia needed to build calmly and with
dignity, not by confrontation and war which isolated it from the rest of the world.[318]
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United Nations resolutions

Security Council resolution
On 15 March 2014, a US-sponsored resolution was
put forward to vote in the UN Security Council to
reaffirm council's commitment to Ukraine's
"sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial
integrity." A total of 13 council members voted in
favour of the resolution, China abstained, while
Russia vetoed the U.N. resolution declaring Crimean
referendum, 2014, on the future of Crimean
Peninsula, as illegal.[319]
UN Security Council vote on a draft resolution

condemning the 2014 Crimean referendum.
Voted in favour of the resolution
Abstained
General Assembly resolution
Vetoed the resolution
On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly

approved a resolution describing the referendum
leading to annexation of Crimea by Russia as
illegal.[320] The draft resolution, which was titled
"Territorial integrity of Ukraine", was co-sponsored
by Canada, Costa Rica, Germany, Lithuania,
Poland, Ukraine and the US. It affirmed the
UN General Assembly vote on the resolution
council's commitment to the "sovereignty, political
condemning the 2014 Crimean referendum.
independence, unity and territorial integrity of
In favour of considering the referendum illegal
Ukraine within its internationally recognised
Against adopting the resolution
borders." The resolution tried to underscore that the
16 March referendum held in Crimea and the city of
Abstained
Sevastopol has no validity and cannot form the basis
Absent when the vote took place
for any alteration of the status of the Autonomous
Republic of Crimea or of the city of Sevastopol. The
resolution got 100 votes in its favour, while 11 nations voted against and 58 countries abstained from the
vote. The resolution was non-binding and the vote was largely symbolic.[321]
Recognition
The vast majority of the international community has not recognised the Republic of Crimea and
Sevastopol as part of Russia. Most nations in North America, Central America, Europe, Oceania, and
Africa, as well as Asia outside of the former Soviet republics, have openly rejected the referendum and
the accession, and instead consider Crimea and Sevastopol to be administrative divisions of Ukraine.
The remainder have largely remained neutral. The vote on United Nations General Assembly Resolution
68/262 (supporting the position that Crimea and Sevastopol remain part of Ukraine) was 100 to 11 in
favour, with 58 states abstaining and a further 24 of the 193 member states not voting through being
absent when the vote took place.
Several members of the United Nations have made statements about their recognition of the Republic of
Crimea and Sevastopol as federal subjects of Russia:
Afghanistan[322]
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Cuba[323]
Nicaragua[324]
North Korea[325]
Russia[326]
Syria[327]
Venezuela[327]
The position of Belarus is vague: it includes statements made by Alexander Lukashenko that "Ukraine
should remain an integral, indivisible, non-aligned state" and "As for Crimea, I do not like it when the
integrity and independence of a country are broken", on the one hand, and "Today Crimea is part of the
Russian Federation. No matter whether you recognize it or not, the fact remains." and "Whether Crimea
will be recognised as a region of the Russian Federation de-jure does not really matter", on the other
hand.[328]
Three non-UN member states recognised the results of the referendum: Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and
Nagorno-Karabakh. A fourth, Transnistria, sent a request on 18 March 2014 to join the Russian
Federation following the Crimean example and in compliance with the Admission Law
provisions.[329][330][331] On 16 April 2014 Transnistria urged Russia and the United Nations to recognise
its independence.[332] Putin is aware of Transnistria's recognition request, according to Dmitry
Peskov.[333]
Commentary
Russian opposition activist and chess Grandmaster Garry Kasparov, former US National Security
Advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski,[334] former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Ukrainian MP Lesya
Orobets (Batkivshchyna), former foreign minister of the Czech Republic, Karel Schwarzenberg, as well
as the Foreign Affairs Minister of Canada John Baird all compared Russia's actions and Putin's words to
Nazi Germany's policy before the start of World War II, after the 1936 Olympic Games in
Berlin.[335][336][337][338][339]
German finance minister Wolfgang Schuble, Chancellor Angela Merkel and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Frank-Walter Steinmeier all stated that such comparisons are unacceptable.[340] However
Chancellor Merkel also said "The so-called referendum, the declaration of independence , and the
absorption into the Russian Federation (were), in our firm opinion,against international law"[341] and
that it was "shameful" for Russia to compare the independence of Kosovo with the referendum on the
Russian annexation of Crimea.[342] In March, 2015, after talks with Petro Poroshenko, Angela Merkel
remarked that the annexation was in violation of international law, and therefore it's Germany's goal to
restore the Crimean peninsula to Ukraine.[343]
British prime minister David Cameron said "No amount of sham and perverse democratic process or
skewed historical references can make up for the fact that this is an incursion into a sovereign state and a
land grab of part of its territory with no respect for the law of that country or for international law."[344]
American president Barack Obama commented, "the Crimean 'referendum,' which violates the Ukrainian
constitution and occurred under duress of Russian military intervention, would never be recognised by
the United States and the international community."[345]
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The European Council and the European Commission made the joint statement "The European Union
does neither recognise the illegal and illegitimate referendum in Crimea nor its outcome."[346]
Former West German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt called Russia's actions "perfectly understandable",
and considers sanctions being imposed by the US and EU "foolish".[347]
Czech President Milo Zeman said: "Even though I understand the interests of Crimeas Russianspeaking majority, which was annexed to Ukraine by Khrushchev, we have our experience with the
1968 Russian military invasion."[348] Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves stated that the
annexation was "done too quickly and professionally not to have been planned far in advance" and said
that the failure of the Budapest Memorandum "may have far-reaching implications for generations. I
don't know what country in the future would ever give up its nuclear weapons in exchange for a security
guarantee."[349]
Former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has defended the referendum that led to Crimea's annexation
by Russia: "While Crimea had previously been joined to Ukraine [in 1954] based on the Soviet laws,
which means [Communist] party laws, without asking the people, now the people themselves have
decided to correct that mistake."[350]
Sanctions
Sanctions were imposed to prevent Russian and Crimean officials and politicians travelling to Canada,
the United States, and the European Union. They were the most wide-ranging used on Russia since the
1991 fall of the Soviet Union.[351]
Japan announced milder sanctions than the US and EU. These include suspension of talks relating to
military, space, investment, and visa requirements.[352]
In response to the sanctions introduced by the US and EU, the Russian Duma unanimously passed a
resolution asking for all members of the Duma to be included on the sanctions list.[353] Head of the
opposition A Just Russia party Sergei Mironov said he was proud of being included on the sanctions list,
"It is with pride that I have found myself on the black list, this means they have noticed my stance on
Crimea."[353] Russian companies started pulling billions of dollars out of Western banks to avoid any
asset freeze.[354]
Three days after the lists were published, the Russian Foreign Ministry published a reciprocal sanctions
list of US citizens, which consisted of 10 names, including House of Representatives Speaker John
Boehner, Senator John McCain, and two advisers to President Obama. The ministry said in the
statement, "Treating our country in such way, as Washington could have already ascertained, is
inappropriate and counterproductive," and reiterated that sanctions against Russia would have a
boomerang effect.[355] Several of those sanctioned responded with pride at their inclusion on the list,
including John Boehner,[356] John McCain,[356] Bob Menendez,[357] Dan Coats,[356] Mary
Landrieu,[358] and Harry Reid.[358]
On 24 March, Russia has imposed retaliatory sanctions on 13 Canadian officials including members of
the Parliament of Canada,[359] banning them from entering Russia. Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird,
said the sanctions were "a badge of honour."[360] Former Minister of Justice Irwin Cotler also said that
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he considered the sanctions a badge of honour, not a mark of exclusion.[359]

In March 2014, The Christian Science Monitor reported, "The good news is that so far, Russia has
shown no inclination to use the NDN [ Northern Distribution Network, key supply line to Afghanistan
that runs through Russia] as leverage in the wake of US retaliation for its troop movements in
Crimea."[361]
Expanded Western sanctions in mid-March coursed through financial markets, hitting the business
interests of some Russia's richest people.[362] The Americans' centred on the heart of Moscow's
leadership,[363] though the EU's initial list shied from targeting Putin's inner circle.[364] As ratings
agencies Fitch and Standard & Poor's downgraded Russia's credit outlook,[365] Russian banks warned of
a sanctions-induced recession,[366] the country braced for capital outflows for the first three months of
2014 to reach $70 billion,[367] more than the entirety of outflows for 2013,[368] and Russian governmentbond issues plummeted by three-quarters compared with the same period the previous year.[369]
Novatek, Russia's second-largest gas producer, saw $2.5bn in market value wiped out when its shares
sank by nearly 10%, rendering Putin's close friend Gennady Timchenko, who has a 23% stake in the
company, $575m poorer.[362] "I do hope that there is some serious diplomatic activity going on behind
the scenes," said one Russian banker,[370] though others were more sanguine on the question of whether
the sanctions would have any enduring effect,[365][371][372] and Russians, top and bottom, seemed
defiant.[373] The official Russian response was mixed.[374]
Minister of Economic Development of the Russian Federation Alexey Ulyukaev said what introduction
of sectoral sanctions will lead to a serious decline of the Russian economy: economic growth of Russia
will became seriously negative, the growth of volumes of investment will be even more negative,
inflation will be on the rise, and government revenues and reserves will go down.[375]
As well as differences between the United States and Europe as a whole as to how to respond to the
Russian-backed incursion, those same differences have played out among Eastern European
countries.[376]
A number of Russian citizens reported that they have been denied European visas after they visited
Crimea after annexation.[377] A Russian consumer protection watchdog OZPP published a warning for
Russian tourists about this risk, explaining that from the international law point of view Crimea is an
occupied territory, after which Roskomnadzor blocked the OZPP website "for threatenting territorial
integrity of Russian federation".[378]
Mapping
As of March 2015 the United Nations still maps Crimea as belonging to Ukraine.[379]
National Geographic Society stated that their policy is "to portray current reality" and "Crimea, if
it is formally annexed by Russia, would be shaded gray", but also further remarked that this step
does not suggest recognising legitimacy of such.[380] As of April 2014 Crimea is still displayed as
part of Ukraine.[381]
As of April 2014, Google Maps displays Crimea as a disputed territory to most viewers.[381] For
the Russian and Ukrainian versions of website, Crimea is marked as belonging to corresponding
country (Russia or Ukraine respectively).[381][382] Google stated that it "work with sources to get
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the best interpretation of the border or claim lines".[383]

As of April 2014, Yandex displays Crimea as Russian, except for users entering from their
Ukrainian site and their Turkish site. Users visiting Yandex.ru from Russia will see Crimea
displayed as Russian territory, users visiting yandex.ua from Ukraine will see Crimea as Ukrainian
and all other users (from other countries) will see Crimea as Russian territory.[381] According to
official statement, the company works with users from different countries and "displays reality
that surrounds them".[384]
As of March 2014, Bing Maps,[385] OpenStreetMap and HERE display Crimea as belonging to
Ukraine.[381] In particular, Open Street Map requested its users to refrain from editing borders and
administrative relations of subdivisions located in Autonomous Republic of Crimea and
Sevastopol until 31 May 2014.[381] On 5 June 2014 OpenStreetMap switched to a territorial
dispute option, displaying Crimea as a disputed territory belonging to both countries.[386]
As of March 2014, Mail.Ru maps display Crimea as part of Russia[381][387]
Economic impact
While initially (right after the annexation), salaries rose, especially those of government workers, this
was soon offset by the increase in prices caused by the depreciation of the ruble. Subsequently, after
Russian authority became established, wages were cut back again by 30% to 70%. Tourism, previously
Crimea's main industry, suffered in particular; it was down by 50% from 2014.[388] Crimean agricultural
yields were also significantly impacted by the annexation. Ukraine cut off supplies of water through the
North Crimean Canal, causing the 2014 rice crop to fail, and greatly damaging the maize and soybean
crops.[389]
See also
Trolls from Olgino
Reaction of Russian intelligentsia to the 2014 annexation of Crimea
Simferopol incident
Irredentism
Notes
a. Dilanian (2014) "CIA director John Brennan told a senior lawmaker Monday that a 1997 treaty between
Russia and Ukraine allows up to 25,000 Russia troops in the vital Crimea region, so Russia may not consider
its recent troop movements to be an invasion, U.S. officials said."[124]
b. If an official position can be sorted in more than one category, the "strongest" position was marked (from the
"call for a peaceful resolution" to "interpretation as a military intervention" consecutively). For the sources
see the image description.
1. It also noted that "certain politicians, local government officials, leaders of civil society organizations, and
radically inclined individuals have attempted to create grounds for escalating the civil conflict, and have
spread autonomous and separatist attitudes among the people, which could lead to the demise of our as a
united nation and loss of its national sovereignty." In addition, the statement said that certain lawmakers of
every level have begun separatist negotiations with representatives of foreign nations. "Open consultations
are being held on the possible division of the country into separate parts in violation of the Ukrainian
constitution," read the statement. "This could lead to an escalation of conflict between different sectors of
society, inciting ethnic or religious hatred and military conflict."[69]
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The internationally recognised Ukrainian territory of

Crimean Federal District.[30] The military

Crimea Russia Ukraine

20 February 2014 19 March 2014[1]

Russian masked troops invade

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

its internationally recognised borders".[43][44] The

basis for any alteration of the status of [Crimea]."[44]

1.1 Euromaidan and the Ukrainian

Casualties and losses

6.1 United Nations resolutions

3 protesters died (2 pro-Russian and 1 proUkrainian)[26][27][28][29]

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

All deaths were not related directly to military

Euromaidan and the Ukrainian revolution

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Euromaidan in Kiev, 11 December

Crimean "self-defence" members, 2 March

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Little green men" in Simferopol, 2 March

Peninsula.[112][113][114] Russian troops operated in Crimea

Legal obstacles to Crimea annexation

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

question, not by its subdivision or by Russia.[131] This law

On 28 February 2014, Russian MP Sergey Mironov, along

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crimean status referendum

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Accession treaty and immediate aftermath

Signing of treaty of accession in

alleged Ukrainian sniper in connection with the killings.[163][164]

Medal "For return of Crimea" (20

mourned together.[168] The incident is now under investigation

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Transition and aftermath

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The first Deputy to Minister of Finance of Russian Federation

Federal Law on Ratifying the

the original route to avoid Ukrainian territory.[201][202]

Federal Constitutional Law on

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Human rights situation

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Crimean public opinion

Map denoting the subdivisions of Ukraine

they did not know.[227]

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

they were determining measures so that Russians in Ukraine who

Request ("ultimatum") by Council of

respect the neutral status of Ukraine".[255] In its statement the

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Meanwhile, on 1 March, five people who were picketing next to the

At least 30,000 people at 15

Chelyabinsk on the same day.[270] The opposition to the military

Russian President Vladimir Putin (seated, middle)

Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Russian politicians have speculated that there are