Putin visits Crimea on the first anniversary of its annexation to Ukraine
Vladimir Putin was welcomed by the governor of Sevastopol installed by Russia
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Saturday for an unannounced visit to mark the ninth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin was greeted by Russian-installed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev and taken to see a new children’s center and art school in what the official said was a surprise visit.
State media did not immediately broadcast any words from Vladimir Putin, a day after the International Criminal Court said it had issued an arrest warrant for him and charged him with the war crime of having illegally expelled hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Vladimir Putin has not yet publicly commented on this decision. Its spokesperson called it “null and void” and said Russia found the very issues raised by the ICC “outrageous and unacceptable”.
Russia seized Crimea in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine says it will fight to expel Russia from Crimea and all other territories Russia has occupied during the year-long war.
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