In early 2014, Ukraine was shaken by a wave of political upheaval. Mass protests against corruption and authoritarianism culminated in February with the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych, after a parliamentary vote removed him from office and called for new elections.
Even before Yanukovych’s departure, tensions were mounting in Crimea, where Russia maintained military bases under earlier agreements with Ukraine. In Sevastopol, a pro-Russian mayor was installed, signaling growing Kremlin influence and raising fears of separatist movements.
In the weeks that followed, Russian forces, often backed by armed pro-Russian civilian militias, moved systematically across Crimea. They negotiated at Ukrainian army bases, demanded surrenders, and gradually asserted control over key sites.
The situation reached a turning point when armed Russian units seized the regional parliament in Simferopol. Shortly afterward, Moscow orchestrated a referendum under military occupation. The vote, widely denounced as illegitimate by the international community, produced a fraudulent result in favor of joining Russia. Within four weeks, Crimea was formally annexed, marking the beginning of Russia’s direct control over the peninsula and setting the stage for a prolonged conflict between Moscow and Kyiv.
