A look back at Russia's invasion of Crimea 3 years ago (PHOTOS) - Feb. 27, 2017

A look back at Russia’s invasion of Crimea 3 years ago (PHOTOS)

By AFP .

Published Feb. 27, 2017. Updated Feb. 28 at 1:19 am

Ukrainian pro-European activists clash with pro-Russian activists as policemen try to intervene in front of Crimean regional parliament in Simferopol on February 26, 2014. Pro-Russian demonstrators on Wednesday brawled with supporters of Ukraine's interim authorities in the capital of the Russophone Crimea region Simferopol, an AFP reporter at the scene said. Scuffles erupted as thousands of pro-Moscow residents and Muslim Crimean Tatars backing the new leadership in Kiev held competing rallies outside the regional parliament building, where local legislators rejected demands to debate splitting from Kyiv.

Photo by AFP

Russia’s theft of Crimea, following a three-week military invasion that started shortly after President Viktor Yanukovych fled Ukraine during the EuroMaidan Revolution on Feb. 22, 2014, was the land grab that shook the European order and assaulted the hope of a 21st century where international law is followed.

Despite the West’s impositions of sanctions, Russia shows no signs of adhering to international demands to return the peninsula to Ukraine – which lost 5 percent of its territory and people in one fell swoop.

However, Ukraine is joined by many allies in refusing to recognize the Kremlin’s forcible annexation of its territory.

Here’s a BBC timeline of events