President Putin visits Crimea on the occasion of the 9th anniversary of its annexation into Russia

In Crimea, President Putin was welcomed by the Governor of Sevastopol and taken to visit a newly established children's center and an art school. This trip of Mr. Putin was considered a surprise and was not announced to the media in advance.

President Putin visits Crimea. Photo: Kremlin

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, during this visit, President Putin attended the inauguration ceremony of an important cultural and historical site.

Putin last visited the Crimean peninsula in July 2020. He inspected the Zaliv shipyard in Kerch to attend the launching ceremony of several naval vessels.

In December 2022, Mr. Putin inspected the repair of the Crimean bridge after a terrorist attack.

Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014 after a referendum. After the annexation, Russia invested in building infrastructure such as roads and bridges and electricity grids, and deployed many military equipment there, turning Crimea into a military logistics center for Russian forces.

Ukrainian officials have repeatedly vowed to retake the strategic Black Sea region of Crimea. In a speech in late 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asserted that the conflict that began in Crimea will end in Crimea, implying that Kiev will do everything it can to regain control of the peninsula from Russia.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on March 17 that security is currently the top priority for Crimea and Sevastopol. He also affirmed that the Russian government will do its utmost to ensure security as well as economic and social development of the peninsula./.