Putin visits Crimea on 9th anniversary of annexation from Ukraine

Russia’ President Putin arrived for an unannounced visit in Sevastopol, Crimea, on Saturday, to mark the 9th anniversary of the region’s annexation with Russia.

A video of Putin’s visit showed him walking with a group of officials. He was greeted by the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, Mikhail Razvozhayev, and was taken to see the School of Arts and the children’s centre “Korsun” near Tauric Chersonese on what the official said was a surprise visit.

A day earlier, the International Criminal Court (ICC) said it had issued an arrest warrant against him and accused him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Crimea was annexed by Russia in 2014, following a referendum in which the majority of the population voted to join Russia. The move was widely criticized by the international community, and Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia in response.