Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier at the Belbek military base in Crimea, kisses his girlfriend Svetlana through the gates of the base entrance on March 3, 2014

Oleg, a Ukrainian soldier at the Belbek military base in Crimea, kisses his girlfriend Svetlana through the gates of the base entrance on March 3, 2014. His base and several other Ukrainian military bases across Crimea were surrounded by the "little green men," heavily-armed Russian soldiers without identifying insignia.

10 years ago today, Russia began the invasion and annexation of Crimea. The Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014 occurred against the backdrop of a power vacuum and political instability in Ukraine following the Revolution of Dignity, also known as the Maidan Revolution, which ousted pro-Russian president Victor Yanukovych by a parliamentary vote of 328-0.

On February 27, 2014, thousands of Russian troops in unmarked uniforms, often referred to as little green men, appeared throughout Ukraine's Crimea. They began to occupy key locations in Crimea and took control of government buildings, military bases, and strategic infrastructure. Russia initially denied involvement, referring to these individuals as "local self-defense forces."

In 2015, Russian war criminal and the former leader of Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine, Igor Girkin, admitted that local authorities in Crimea were held at gunpoint to support the Russian seizure of the Ukrainian peninsula. On March 16, 2014, a controversial referendum was held in Crimea, which was not recognized as legitimate by Ukraine or the international community.

The referendum asked residents whether they wanted to join Russia or restore Crimea's 1992 constitution, which granted significant autonomy within Ukraine. Following the sham referendum, Russia formally annexed Crimea. The annexation was widely condemned by Western countries, including the United States and the European Union, who imposed sanctions on Russia in response.

The annexation and occupation of Crimea was the first act of the larger Russo-Ukrainian War. It had far-reaching consequences, including an escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the outbreak of armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, ultimately leading to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Photo by Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

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