Today is the sixth anniversary of the start of Russia's armed aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine requires Russia to proceed with the unconditional fulfillment of its obligations as a party to the international armed conflict, an immediate ceasefire, and the beginning of settlement in Donbas based on agreements reached within the framework of international negotiation formats.

"On February 20, 2014, Russian troops began the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, undermining peace and security on the continent. By its illegal actions, Russia violated the fundamental principles of international law, which form the foundation of international relations in the modern world, forming the basis for maintaining peace and stability – the principles of the non-application of force or the threat of force, respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of independent states, as well as the inviolability of borders," reads a statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released on the sixth anniversary of the start of the Russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

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The ministry emphasizes that the consequences of international crimes committed by Russia are tragic – the occupation of part of Ukraine, tens of thousands of dead and wounded, one and a half million internally displaced persons, and millions of Ukrainian citizens forced to live in the temporarily occupied territories in the face of terror and systemic violations of human rights.

"Russia also ignores its international obligations as an occupying state. The very manifestation of Ukrainian identity is a serious crime in the eyes of the invaders. Crimean Tatars, the indigenous people of Crimea, are being subjected to repression. Politically motivated prosecution based on trumped-up charges has become common practice for the Russian occupying authorities. Crimes of the invaders include illegal conscription to the Russian armed forces, a systemic policy of resettlement of Russian residents to the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories aimed at altering demographics, compulsory passportization of Ukrainian citizens, and accelerated militarization of the occupied territories," the statement says.

The Foreign Ministry calls on the international community to further intensify political, diplomatic, and economic pressure on the Russian Federation to make the Kremlin cease its armed aggression against Ukraine, release illegally detained citizens of Ukraine, implement relevant decisions of international organizations and international courts, liberate temporarily occupied territories, and put Russia back into the international legal field.

The ministry also expresses gratitude to international partners for their political and practical support in protecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.