Putin came to Crimea to celebrate the 9th anniversary of annexation, the US media guessed the ‘implicit’ response to the ICC

Russian television showed a short clip showing President Putin dressed simply with a group of officials.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Sevastopol, said that President Putin had arrived in Sevastopol, the largest city in southwestern Crimea, by car.

“Our president really knows how to surprise. We initially planned to open an art school for children, and were ready for a video conference and report to the president via a link. special contact.

But in the end the president came in person by car. It was he who drove. On such a historic day, the president stands with Sevastopol and the people of Sevastopol. Our country has a great leader,” Razvozhayev wrote on Telegram.

According to RT (Russia), the Russian leader visited an art school for children and also visited Korsun – branch of the Center Children famous international Artek, dating back to the Soviet era.

Putin also came to see how the construction of the Tauric Chersonesos historical and archaeological park was going.

The AP news agency (USA) commented that the places Putin visited in Crimea appeared to have been chosen in response to the action of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

On March 17, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Putin and the Russian President’s Commissioner for Children’s Rights Maria Lvova-Belova, on charges of “possibly related to war crimes” for bringing children illegally from the occupied regions of Ukraine to Russia.

However, the Kremlin insists that Russia does not recognize the authority of the ICC and considers its decisions null and void.

Putin last visited Crimea in July 2020. He visited the Zaliv shipyard in the city of Kerch to attend the laying ceremony of several naval ships. In December 2022, Putin visited the Crimean bridge after it was damaged in an attack, according to Tass news agency.

Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, eight years before launching a “special military operation” in Ukraine. Russia’s move at that time was met with strong opposition from the West.

Mr. Putin currently shows no intention of giving up the interests of the Kremlin. Instead, on March 17, he stressed the importance of holding Crimea.

“Clearly security issues are now a top priority for Crimea and the city of Sevastopol. We will do everything necessary to counter any threats,” he said.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has announced it will fight to “drive” Russia out of Crimea and all other Ukrainian territory that Russian forces have controlled during the year-long war.