20 February 2025
February 20: The Beginning of the Occupation of Crimea and Russia’s War Against Ukraine
February 20, 2014, marks the beginning of Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine and the occupation of the Crimean Peninsula. On this day, Russian troops, without identification marks, crossed Ukraine’s state border, began the deployment of military equipment across the Kerch Strait, and seized strategic objects in Crimea. While global attention was focused on the culmination of the Euromaidan events in Kyiv, Russia launched the active phase of its military operation on the peninsula.
On this day, Ukrainian intelligence recorded the first instances of Russian military units crossing the Kerch Strait. Military trucks without identifying marks appeared in Crimea, and armed men in Russian military gear, later known as “green men,” were spotted at strategic locations across the peninsula. These actions were not spontaneous but part of a long-prepared plan. The Russian Black Sea Fleet, based in Sevastopol, had long been used as a tool of pressure on Ukraine. Despite agreements on the fleet’s division, Russia ignored these accords, gradually increasing its military presence and utilizing energy leverage for political influence.
In 2003, the conflict around Tuzla Island tested Ukraine’s and the international community’s reactions to Russian territorial encroachments. In the years following, Russia intensified its propaganda efforts, establishing pro-Russian organizations and political structures on the peninsula to lay the groundwork for future occupation. The 2010 Kharkiv agreements extended the Russian Black Sea Fleet’s presence in Crimea until 2042, cementing Russia’s military foothold.
By 2011-2012, Russia began preparing for invasion: militarized groups were formed in Crimea, military units were rearmed, and Ukrainian navigation equipment was seized. In 2013, Russia conducted large-scale “Zapad-2013” exercises, after which some military units never returned to their permanent bases. By the end of 2013, about 37,000 Russian soldiers were stationed near Ukraine’s borders, ready for military operations.
In February 2014, amidst the chaos following the Revolution of Dignity, Russia initiated its military operation, seizing the opportunity when Ukraine lacked the capacity for immediate defense. Following Viktor Yanukovych’s flight from Kyiv on February 21, Russia began executing its plan. On February 23, pro-Russian “self-defense” forces were declared in Sevastopol under Russian intelligence control.
By February 24, Russian armored personnel carriers blocked access to the city, and the so-called “Olympic squadron” of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet approached the shores of Crimea, carrying Russian soldiers and special forces. Thousands of Crimeans rallied to defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity despite the military threat. On February 26, 2014, a massive protest organized by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People took place in front of the Supreme Council of Crimea, with about 15,000 Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian activists protesting the peninsula’s occupation.
The night of February 27 marked a tragic turning point: armed Russian special forces seized the buildings of the Supreme Council and the Council of Ministers of Crimea. The pro-Russian administration, under Moscow’s control, soon declared Sergey Aksyonov as the “head” of Crimea, marking the beginning of the illegal “referendum.” Russian aggression was accompanied by large-scale repressions against anyone who supported Ukraine. One of the first victims of the occupation was Crimean Tatar activist Reshat Ametov, who was abducted on March 3, 2014, during a solo protest near the Council of Ministers in Simferopol. His body, showing signs of torture, was found two weeks later.
The Mejlis was declared an “extremist organization” and banned. Leaders of the Crimean Tatar people, such as Mustafa Dzhemiliev and Refat Chubarov, were banned from entering Crimea. Activists were arrested, the homes of Crimean Tatars were searched, and pressure was applied to independent media outlets and anyone resisting the occupation. Kidnappings, torture, and politically motivated sentences became part of the new reality of the peninsula. As of February 2025, Russia has illegally imprisoned 221 people in occupied Crimea based on ethnic, religious, and political reasons, with 137 of them being Crimean Tatars.
The occupation of Crimea became not only an act of territorial expansion but also a strategic military move by Russia. After 2014, the peninsula became one of the world’s most militarized zones. Crimea is used as a staging ground for attacks on mainland Ukraine. Despite this, resistance continues—both within the peninsula and beyond its borders. Ukraine persists in its fight to regain Crimea, and the international community refuses to recognize the illegal occupation. February 20 marks the beginning of a struggle that continues to this day.