Russian troops without insignia seized key sites across the peninsula in February 2014, swiftly taking control and installing a pro‑Russian administration that declared Crimea independent before Russia formally annexed the territory on March 18, in a move rejected by Ukraine and condemned by much of the international community. The seizure followed Ukraine’s Revolution of Dignity, which toppled pro‑Russian President Viktor Yanukovych, and Crimea became the opening chapter in Russia’s broader assault on Ukraine — a conflict that has since grown into the bloodiest war in Europe since World War II.
