Ukraine marks February 26 as the Day of Resistance to Crimea’s occupation, honoring 2014 protesters who opposed Russian aggression and reaffirming that Crimea remains Ukrainian.
On February 26, Ukraine marks the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol — a commemorative date established in honor of the mass pro-Ukrainian rally held in 2014 in Simferopol.
On this day in 2014, thousands of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians gathered outside the building of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and against attempts to change the status of the peninsula, Ukrinform reports.
The day before, on February 25, a pro-Russian rally took place outside the Crimean parliament, organized by the “Crimean Front” movement and so-called “Cossack” organizations. Its participants demanded the separation of Crimea from Ukraine.
At the time, the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Volodymyr Konstantynov, announced that an extraordinary parliamentary session would be held on February 26, during which, according to media reports, the issue of Crimea’s withdrawal from Ukraine could be considered.
On February 26, two rallies gathered simultaneously outside the building of the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea: a pro-Ukrainian demonstration organized by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, the “Euromaidan Crimea” movement and other pro-Ukrainian organizations, which brought together up to 10,000 participants, and a pro-Russian rally of around 700 people initiated by the Russian Unity party.
Due to insufficient security measures, clashes broke out between the participants, resulting in the deaths of two people. After the confrontation, pro-Russian activists were pushed back into the inner courtyard of the parliament, and the extraordinary session was canceled.
The very next day, on February 27, 2014, armed Russian troops without insignia seized the buildings of the Verkhovna Rada and the Council of Ministers of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea in Simferopol, marking the beginning of the open phase of Crimea’s occupation by the Russian Federation.
In 2020, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree establishing February 26 as the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol as an annual commemorative date.
The date is intended to honor Ukrainian citizens who were the first to openly oppose Russian aggression and demonstrate resistance to attempts to occupy the peninsula.
Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Rustem Umerov stated that Crimea was, is, and will remain Ukrainian.
“Today, the occupiers have turned Crimea into a zone of systematic repression. The persecution of Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian activists, illegal conscription into the army of the aggressor state, and the destruction of identity — this is the reality Russia has brought to the Ukrainian peninsula. We remember everyone who resisted in 2014. We are grateful to all who continue the struggle today. Crimea was, is, and will remain Ukrainian,” he wrote on Telegram.
Umerov noted that on February 26, 2014, thousands of Ukrainian citizens gathered outside the Verkhovna Rada of Crimea to declare: Crimea is Ukraine. Russia’s attempts to destroy Ukrainian statehood began with the occupation of Crimea. The enemy counted on a rapid scenario but underestimated the Ukrainian people’s will for freedom.
