February 26 – the Day of Resistance to Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea

On February 26, 2014, an extraordinary session of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea was to begin in Simferopol. According to the occupiers’ plan, the parliament was to adopt a decision on the withdrawal of Crimea from Ukraine on that day. But the inhabitants of the peninsula thwarted this plan. Thousands of Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars took to the streets and prevented the extraordinary session of the parliament from taking place.

“We saw how buses of people, not even Crimeans, were brought from Sevastopol. We saw what a horde there was. There was such strong resistance for about 2-3 hours, and we managed to push them away. But they stayed anyway, near the walls of the Verkhovna Rada. We controlled the first floor, and the deputies did not manage to vote for what they were trying to do – the majority did not show up. In principle, it was such a small victory and, in my opinion, a signal to Ukraine that there were some people to rely on there, there was resistance,” Andrii Shchekun, a Ukrainian journalist, coordinator of the civil movement “EuroMaidan-Crimea” in 2013-2014, and editor-in-chief of the newspaper “Krymska Svitlytsia” recalled in an interview.

Since 2020, by the Resolution of the President of Ukraine, on February 26, we celebrate the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol. On this date, we remember the courage and indomitability of the residents of the Crimean Peninsula, who took to the streets to protest in order to protect their state and the territorial integrity of Ukraine. At the same time, we pay tribute to those who continue resistance to the occupiers on the peninsula today, risking daily detention.

During the 11 years of occupation, Russia has been committing crimes and arbitrariness against Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories of Crimea. Ukrainian and international organisations have registered hundreds of cases of human rights violations in Crimea. These include persecution for pro-Ukrainian positions, illegal detentions, forced abductions, murders of our citizens, falsified cases and long-term imprisonment. The inhabitants of Crimea have become hostages and victims of the Russian occupation and of Russia’s targeted actions in violation of international law.

And since the Russian Federation did not try to convince the world that “Crimea has returned to its native harbour,” the international community did not and does not recognise the occupation of the peninsula and supports the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

Crimea is Ukraine! We believe in the liberation of the peninsula and the Ukrainians who have become hostages of the imperial ambitions of the Russian Federation. Crimea will be at home!

More information at the link: https://rusaggression.gov.ua.