Russia marks five years since annexation of Ukraine's Crimea Monday March 18,2019

Russia's President Vladimir Putin marks the fifth anniversary of Moscow's annexation of Crimea  from Ukraine with a visit to the Black Sea peninsula on Monday March 18,2019

In Russia, March 18 has been proclaimed the "Day of Crimea's Reunification with Russia" and celebrated with events across the country.

In Crimea, it is a public holiday.

Putin attended the launch of new power plants in Crimea, part of Moscow's efforts to upgrade the region's infrastructure. 

Ukraine cut off energy supplies to the peninsula and blocked shipments of Crimea-bound cargo via its territory after Moscow annexed the region in 2014.

"The situation has changed radically," Putin said, adding that the new power facilities will fully cover Crimea's need

Russia has also built a 19-kilometre bridge which opened last year across the Kerch Strait in a $3.6bn project that gave Crimea a land link to Russia, replacing a sometimes unreliable ferry service.

Putin signed a treaty with representatives from Crimea on March 18, 2014, to make it part of Russia after a military intervention and controversial referendum.
 
Kiev and many of its allies condemned the annexation as a violation of Ukraine's sovereignty. NATO and the European Union once again strongly condemned the land grab on the anniversary.