On 9 March 2014, in Simferopol, one of the last Ukrainian demonstrations took place near the monument to Taras Shevchenko, where the Ukrainian anthem was played for the last time before the long years of occupation. Resistance to the Crimean Occupation continues...

Although the memorable date of the resistance of Crimea was established by the Order of the President of Ukraine to honour the courage and heroism of Ukrainian citizens living in the temporarily occupied territory - the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol and is celebrated on 26 February, the current events of the struggle of the Ukrainian people led by the President continue and confirm that the occupation of Ukrainian lands should end with the liberation of the Crimean peninsula.

Let us recall the course of events:

2014 – a demonstration in support of the territorial integrity of Ukraine in Simferopol with the participation of Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and representatives of other nationalities.

February - March – the conflict in Crimea escalated. Unmarked Russian troops entered Crimea; irregular mercenary groups were formed and armed from local residents and used in conjunction with Russian armed forces units stationed in Crimea. A regime of military occupation was established on the peninsula.

On 24 February 2014, Russian Navy ships guarding the maritime area around the Sochi Olympics took on board ‘green men’ (Russian soldiers without the distinctive marks of the Russian Armed Forces) along with military equipment in Novorossiysk and headed for Sevastopol.

On 26 February, at the call of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, thousands of Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians and representatives of other nationalities came to the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea to resist the
Russian occupation and declared the integrity of Ukraine to the world.

On 28 February, the Supreme Council of Crimea, under the ‘supervision’ of the Russian Armed Forces, voted to hold a referendum on the status of Crimea.

On 16 March 2014, a pseudo-referendum on the status of Crimea was held. This event, staged by Russia, was boycotted by Crimean Tatars and other pro-Ukrainian residents of the peninsula.

On 25 March, the last military unit holding the Ukrainian flag in Crimea, the Ukrainian Navy minesweeper Cherkasy, was seized. Since then, the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol have been occupied by the Russian armed forces.

Archival photos showing the occupation of Crimea in March 2014 and how its residents resisted it.