Crimeans in Sevastopol on Saturday (February 23) marked five years since the start of a movement to break away from Ukraine and join Russia.
Coinciding on the same day as the Russian Defender of the Fatherland Day, pro-Russian Crimeans celebrated both occasions.
A small military parade by Black Sea fleet cadets was held near the Eternal Flame memorial site while a march through the streets was attended by several Cossacks and other Russian loyalists.
Russia seized the majority Russian-speaking Crimea from Ukraine on March 16, 2014 after an uprising toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president. The annexation unleashed a wave of patriotic euphoria in Russia and Crimea, but Western governments condemned the move as an illegal land grab.
Autor: gf / 殴r贸d艂o: TVN24 News in English