Russia starts war against Ukraine 12 years ago, General Staff recalls first border crossing in Crimea
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine recalled that 12 years ago, on February 20, 2024, the Russian Federation started a war against Ukraine.
According to Ukrinform, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on Facebook.
"The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine began on February 20, 2014, when the first cases of violation by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, contrary to the international legal obligations of the Russian Federation, of the procedure for crossing the state border of Ukraine in the Kerch Strait area and the use of its military formations deployed in Crimea in accordance with the Partition Treaty on the Status and Conditions of the Black Sea Fleet on the territory of Ukraine of May 28, 1997, to block Ukrainian military units," the General Staff said.
At the initial stage of the aggression, personnel from certain Russian armed formations lacked identifying marks.
February 20, 2014, was designated as the start of the modern Russian-Ukrainian war by the Verkhovna Rada resolution.
The first target of aggression was Crimea, followed by the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
In 2014, Ukrainians stopped the invaders' advance and liberated part of the territory.
The full-scale invasion in 2022 was an attempt to destroy Ukrainian statehood. The enemy's plans were thwarted, but hostilities continue to this day.
This is the first continental war in Europe in the 21st century.
“The whole world sees the war crimes of the Russian Federation. Ukrainians will not forget the tragedies of Bucha, Izium, Mariupol, the attacks on civilians and critical infrastructure... Ukraine is fighting for its independence and territorial integrity. Ukrainians have stood their ground and continue to fight,” the General Staff emphasized.
As reported by Ukrinform, on Friday, February 20, Ukraine marks the Remembrance Day of the Heavenly Hundred Heroes.