Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Saturday for an unannounced visit to mark the ninth anniversary of Russia’s annexation of the peninsula from Ukraine.
Putin was greeted by Russian-installed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev and taken to see a new children’s center and art school in what the official said was a surprise visit.
State media did not immediately broadcast Putin’s remarks, a day after the International Criminal Court announced it had issued a warrant for his arrest and charged him with the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Putin has yet to publicly comment on the decision. Its spokesperson called it “null and void” and said Russia found the very issues raised by the ICC “outrageous and unacceptable”.
Russia seized Crimea in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine says it will fight to expel Russia from Crimea and all other territories Russia occupied during the one-year war.
Putin was greeted by Russian-installed Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev and taken to see a new children’s center and art school in what the official said was a surprise visit.
State media did not immediately broadcast Putin’s remarks, a day after the International Criminal Court announced it had issued a warrant for his arrest and charged him with the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.
Putin has yet to publicly comment on the decision. Its spokesperson called it “null and void” and said Russia found the very issues raised by the ICC “outrageous and unacceptable”.
Russia seized Crimea in 2014, eight years before launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine says it will fight to expel Russia from Crimea and all other territories Russia occupied during the one-year war.
