2014 Simferopol incident

Battle of Simferopol
Part of the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation
Date18 March 2014
Location
Simferopol, Crimea, Ukraine
44°58′30″N 34°08′35″E / 44.975°N 34.143°E / 44.975; 34.143
Result

Russian victory

Belligerents
 Ukraine  Russia
Autonomous Republic of Crimea Crimea[1]
Commanders and leaders
Col. Andriy Andryushyn Surrendered
(Defected to Russia)
Serhiy Kokurin †[2]		 Russia Maj. Gen. Alexey Dyumin
(SOF commander)
Russia Col. Alexander Popov
Russia Col. Igor Strelkov
Units involved

Ukrainian Armed Forces

  • 13th photogrammetric center[3]

Russian Armed Forces

Supported by:

Strength
20, including civilians[5] 15 masked operators[5]
(SOF commandos)
Unknown number of Crimean self-defense forces
Casualties and losses
1 serviceman killed,
2 wounded,
18 captured (later released)		 1 killed, (Cossack paramilitary)
3 wounded[1]
Notes: Cause of deaths disputed[2][5]

On 18 March 2014,[6] a Ukrainian soldier and a Russian Cossack paramilitary were killed in the first case of bloodshed during the Russo-Ukrainian War and the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation.

Russian media and Crimean authorities stated the day after that a 17-year-old Ukrainian had been detained, but on the day following that the Crimean prosecutor denied any detentions.

None of the accounts of this event could be verified independently.[4] The Ukrainian and the Crimean authorities provided conflicting reports of the event.[4][7] The two casualties had a joint funeral attended by both Crimean and Ukrainian authorities. The event continues to be under investigation by both the Crimean authorities and the Ukrainian military.[8][9][10]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Cossack was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Death was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Zamakis, Petro (March 13, 2014). "Russian Forces Block 13 Photogrammetric Center in Simferopol'". Ukrayinska Pravda. Archived from the original on August 17, 2016 – via ukraineinvestigation.com.
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference BBCofficerM18 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference casualties was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Окупанти у Сімферополі вбили українського солдата [The invaders killed a Ukrainian soldier in Simferopol]. Gazeta.lviv.ua. March 18, 2014. Archived from the original on March 18, 2014. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
  7. ^ "Ukrainian officer wounded in Crimea shooting: military spokesman". Reuters. March 18, 2014. Archived from the original on March 21, 2014 – via Yahoo! News.
  8. ^ Oliphant, Roland (March 22, 2014). "Ukraine's unlikeliest funeral: the only two foes to die in Russia's Crimea takeover are mourned together". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved September 7, 2017.
  9. ^ Vlasova, Anastasia; Grytsenko, Oksana (March 22, 2014). "Opposing sides in Crimean conflict come together today for Simferopol funeral of two men killed, one Ukrainian, the other Russian". Kyiv Post. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014.
  10. ^ "Funeral held for Crimea's first casualties". rappler.com. Agence France-Presse. March 22, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2017.