Putin Visits Crimea On 9th Anniversary Of Regions Reunification With Russia

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Saturday on the ninth anniversary of the region's accession to Russia and visited newly opened historical and architectural sites on the peninsula, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Today, on the anniversary of Crimea's reunification with Russia, (Russian President) Vladimir Putin has traveled to the region. In particular, he visited the Tauric Chersonese National Park and its new sites," Peskov said.

During the trip, the Russian leader was accompanied by Sevastopol Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev.

Russian flags were raised on the Crimean mountains to mark the anniversary of the region's reunification with Russia, according to Crimea's emergency minister Sergey Shlyakov.

"The flag-raising in the Crimean mountains on March 18 has become a good tradition. Rescuers express their support by celebrating the date together with all Crimeans," Shlyakov said.

Crimea became a Russian region after a referendum was held there in March 2014 following a coup in Ukraine. Ukraine continues to consider Crimea as its own, but temporarily occupied territory. The Russian leadership has repeatedly stated that Crimean residents democratically, in full compliance with international law and the UN Charter, voted for reunification with Russia. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Crimea issue is "closed."