Beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian War: Armed Invasion and Occupation of Crimea (2014)
A covert military invasion and occupation of the Crimean Peninsula, marking the beginning of the Russian Federation's hybrid armed aggression against Ukraine. The operation included the seizure of administrative buildings by soldiers without insignia ("little green men"), the forcible installation of a controlled prime minister, and the holding of a sham referendum. It concluded with the official legal absorption of the territory by the State Duma of the Russian Federation[1][2].
Actors
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| G0011 | Russian Federation |
Use of regular troops without insignia ("little green men") to establish military control over the territory and blockade Ukrainian garrisons[1]. |
Techniques Used
| ID | Name | Use | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T0017 | Annexation of Territories |
Official legal ratification by the State Duma of the Russian Federation on March 18, 2014, of the forcible incorporation of the Crimean Peninsula into Russia[3]. |
|
| T0143 | Cultivation of an Imperial Diaspora |
Covert transfer from Russia of hundreds of "tourists" (veterans, athletes, bikers) who posed as aggressively minded local residents and demanded Crimea's annexation to the Russian Federation at rallies[1]. |
|
| T0137 | Disinformation |
Official denial by the leadership of the Russian Federation of the participation of Russian regular troops in the seizure of the peninsula, in order to conceal the fact of aggression under the guise of actions by "local self-defense"[1]. |
|
| T0019 | Military Intervention |
Use of regular troops without insignia ("little green men") to establish military control over the territory and blockade Ukrainian garrisons[1]. |
|
| T0037 | Puppet Government |
Forcible herding of deputies of the Supreme Council of Crimea into the seized building for a coerced vote and the appointment of S. Aksyonov, a prime minister loyal to the Kremlin[1]. |
|
| T0109 | Sham Expression of Popular Will |
Holding a sham referendum on March 16, 2014, under conditions of military occupation ("at gunpoint") to legitimize the severance of the territory[3]. |
|
Instruments
| ID | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| S0008 | Government |
Official legal ratification by the State Duma of the Russian Federation on March 18, 2014, of the forcible incorporation of the Crimean Peninsula into Russia[3]. |
| S0012 | Occupation and Controlled Administrations |
Holding a sham referendum on March 16, 2014, under conditions of military occupation ("at gunpoint") to legitimize the severance of the territory[3]. |
| S0021 | Propaganda |
Official denial by the leadership of the Russian Federation of the participation of Russian regular troops in the seizure of the peninsula, in order to conceal the fact of aggression under the guise of actions by "local self-defense"[1]. |
| S0010 | Regular Army |
Use of regular troops without insignia ("little green men") to establish military control over the territory and blockade Ukrainian garrisons[1]. |
| S0017 | Secret Police and Security Services |
Forcible herding of deputies of the Supreme Council of Crimea into the seized building for a coerced vote and the appointment of S. Aksyonov, a prime minister loyal to the Kremlin[1]. |
References
- Михаил Зыгарь. (2023). Война и наказание: Как Россия уничтожала Украину.
- Вікіпедія. (2026). Російсько-українська війна (з 2014) — Вікіпедія.