Poroshenko to UN: Russian aggression against Ukraine began five years ago

The head of state stated this while addressing the UN General Assembly as part of a special debate on the situation in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"On this very day, in 2014, Russia began its covert military invasion of Ukraine, in clear violation of the norms and principles of the United Nations Charter," he said.

The president recalled that Russia first seized Crimea, then turned Donbas into a battlefield and continued its aggression in the Sea of Azov, the Black Sea and the Kerch Strait.

"As a result, 44,000 square kilometers, or 7% of Ukraine's territory , including Crimea and the eastern part of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, are currently under occupation," Poroshenko told UN delegates.

Addressing the member states of the organization, he recalled that the number of victims of Russian aggression also included 298 passengers of flight MH17 that was shot down in July 2014 by Russian military from a Buk missile system. More than 1.8 million residents of Crimea and Donbas were forced to leave their homes due to Russian aggression and occupation, Poroshenko added.

"Yet, they have not turned into a wave of immigrants and have not created any absolutely tiny problems for our European allies. We have managed to cope with that challenge," he said.