President of Russia Vladimir Putin arrived in Sevastopol, annexed by the Russian Federation, reportedly on the Kremlin website on Saturday, March 18th. This is his first visit to the annexed Crimea since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The report states that, accompanied by the city’s “governor” Mikhail Razvozzhaev and Metropolitan of Pskov and Porkhov Tikhon (Shevkunov), Putin toured a branch of the Artek children’s camp and a children’s art and aesthetic center. As Razvozzhaev wrote in his Telegram channel, Putin’s visit was not planned, “but Vladimir Vladimirovich took it and came.” At the same time, according to the official, Putin was driving himself.
Anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by Russia
March 18 is the day on which Russia celebrates annexation of Ukrainian Crimea. In 2022 and 2021, Putin was in Moscow that day.
This year, a number of Western countries, including Great Britain, Sweden and Finland, once again made statements that they consider Crimea to be part of Ukraine and do not recognize Russia’s annexation of this and other territories of a neighboring state.
The day before, March 17, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrant for the Russian president in connection with suspicions of a war crime – the illegal deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
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