MOSCOW (AP) — President Vladimir Putin led thousands to chant 'Russia!' on a visit Monday to Crimea marking the fifth anniversary of the Black Sea penisula's annexation from Ukraine, as NATO and the European Union once again strongly condemned the land grab by Russia.
1 / 11Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, meets with local residents and veterans at the historical memorial the Malakhov Kurgan in Sevastopol, Crimea, Monday, March 18, 2019. Putin visited Crimea to mark the fifth anniversary of Russia's annexation of Crimea from Ukraine by visiting the Black Sea peninsula.
"The situation has changed radically," Putin said, adding that the new power facilities will fully cover Crimea's energy needs. Russia has beefed up its military in Crimea with new navy ships, missiles and warplanes. Viktor Bondarev, the head of the Russian upper house's defense affairs committee, said the new weapons included Iskander-M missiles and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers.
Putin claims that Russia"re-integrated" Crimea after the ouster of Ukraine's former pro-Russian president in 2014 to protect ethnic Russians who made up the majority of Crimea's population from Ukrainian nationalists. The Kremlin was also worried that a new Ukrainian government could annul Russia's lease on its key Black Sea navy base in Crimea and welcome NATO there instead.
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