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Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his code astatine the memorial analyzable dedicated to the extremity of the Russian Civil War during marking Unity Day successful Sevastopol, Crimea, Thursday, Nov. 4, 2021. (AP Photo/Mikhail Metzel)

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin marked the nationalist Unity Day vacation with a travel to Crimea, declaring the portion volition ever beryllium a portion of Russia.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine successful 2014, a determination that Western countries respect arsenic illegitimate, successful the aftermath of the overthrow of Ukraine’s Kremlin-friendly president.

Putin exalted the annexation portion visiting the metropolis that is the location larboard for Russia’s Black Sea fleet connected Thursday.

“Our state has regained its humanities unity. This surviving and unbreakable enslaved tin beryllium particularly keenly felt, of course, here, successful Sevastopol, successful Crimea," helium said. "They are with Russia everlastingly now, arsenic that is the sovereign, escaped and unbending volition of the people, of each our people.”

Unity Day marks the expulsion successful 1612 of Polish-Lithuanian forces that occupied Moscow; the vacation was started successful 2005, replacing the Soviet-era commemoration connected that day of the Bolshevik Revolution.

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The time besides became an juncture for anti-immigrant marches by nationalists, but Moscow authorities banned the lawsuit from taking spot successful the Russian superior this year.

About 20 radical were detained arsenic they tried to stitchery successful a Moscow subway presumption for a nationalist demonstration, according to OVD-Info, a radical that monitors governmental demonstrations and arrests.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.