Crimea is Ukraine: Marking the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol
26 February 2026 13:45
On February 26, Ukraine marks the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol.
On this occasion, the team of the Embassy of Ukraine in India joined the national commemoration. The Crimean Tatar flag was raised at the Embassy, and the Crimean Tatar anthem was played in solidarity with the Crimean Tatar people and all those who continue to stand against Russia’s illegal occupation of Crimea.
This date commemorates the events of February 26, 2014, when thousands of Crimean Tatars, Ukrainians, and other residents gathered in Simferopol to demonstrate in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity. The following day, armed personnel without insignia—later acknowledged by the Russian Federation to be its troops—seized key administrative buildings in Crimea. In the weeks that followed, Russia expanded its military presence, blockaded Ukrainian units, took control of strategic infrastructure, and organized an illegal so-called “referendum” on March 16, 2014, held under military occupation and in violation of Ukraine’s Constitution and international law.
On March 18, 2014, the Russian Federation announced the attempted annexation of Crimea. On March 27, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 68/262 “Territorial integrity of Ukraine,” affirming Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and calling upon states and international organizations not to recognize any change in the status of Crimea.
Since 2014, Crimea has been subjected to systematic repression and militarization. The occupation authorities have carried out politically motivated prosecutions, arbitrary detentions, and enforced disappearances; imposed severe restrictions on freedom of expression, religion, and peaceful assembly; and targeted the Crimean Tatar community, including through pressure on their representative institutions and media. Russia has also pursued forced “passportization,” unlawful conscription of Crimean residents into the Russian armed forces, and the transfer of detainees to prisons on the territory of the Russian Federation—practices that violate international humanitarian law.
As President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote on X today:
“When we say that the aggressor must not receive any reward for the war, so that peace can truly last, everyone must understand – these are not just words… Russia’s war against Ukraine began with the occupation of our Crimea… There must be peace, and therefore Crimea is Ukraine, and the world must always recognize this fact.”
That is why the restoration of Ukraine’s control over Crimea is not only about territory — it is about restoring the rule of law, human rights, and freedom for everyone who calls Crimea home.
Crimea is Ukraine — and it will always be Ukraine!
