Putin visits museum and education centre on surprise trip to Crimea on annexation anniversary

Gulf Today Report

Russian state media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Crimea on Saturday, on a visit marking the ninth anniversary of its annexation to Russia.

State television showed a short clip showing Putin, dressed in casual clothes, walking with a group of officials.

On a surprise trip to Sevastopol, the main port of Russia's Black Sea Fleet in Crimea, Putin visited an art school with local governor Mikhail Razugayev, according to images broadcast by Russia-1 TV.

Putin's surprise visit to Crimea was his first to the peninsula since he sent troops to Ukraine on February 24 last year, apart from when he drove across the bridge linking the territory to mainland Russia last December.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 following a referendum that was not recognised by Kyiv and the international community.