Crimea's Contested History: From Neanderthal Habitation to Russian Annexation

The Crimean Peninsula, covering an area of 10,400 square miles, has held strategic importance for centuries. Evidence suggests that Neanderthals lived there around 80,000 BC, with modern humans arriving later. By the 5th century BC, Greek settlements were established, and by the 2nd century BC, the Scythians had taken control. In the 1st century BC, Rome created a client kingdom. The region was invaded by the Mongol Golden Horde in the 13th century and was seized by the Ottoman Empire in 1475, which initiated a profitable slave trade. Russia annexed Crimea in 1783. The Crimean War (1853–1856) led to heavy losses. Following the 1917 revolution, Crimea briefly declared independence, but in 1944, Stalin deported the Crimean Tatars. Crimea was transferred to the Ukrainian SSR in 1954. Tensions escalated when Russia annexed Crimea in February 2014, leading to the invasion on February 24, 2022.