War day 1585 in Ukraine: Zelensky puts Crimea at centre of justice policy

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has declared that Crimea is at the heart of Ukraine's policy for restoring justice, as the war with Russia enters its 1,585th day. Fighting continues to be concentrated in eastern and southern Ukraine, following Russia's failed assault on Kyiv in the early days of the invasion. The full-scale war began on February 24, 2022, when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion.

Volodymyr Zelensky has placed Crimea at the centre of Ukraine's justice policy as the war against Russia reaches its 1,585th day, June 27, 2026.

The Ukrainian president made clear that recovering the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014, remains a non-negotiable priority for Kyiv, framing it not merely as a territorial question but as a matter of fundamental justice for Ukraine and its people.

War Shifts to the East and South

After Russia's large-scale assault on the capital Kyiv was repelled in the early weeks of the invasion, the main theatre of combat shifted to eastern and southern Ukraine, where intense fighting has persisted ever since. Both sides have sustained heavy losses along front lines stretching across the Donbas region and into the southern territories.

The war began on February 24, 2022, when Vladimir Putin ordered Russian forces to invade Ukraine in what the Kremlin described as a "special military operation." Ukraine, backed by Western military and financial support, has continued to resist, while pressing for the return of all occupied territories, including Crimea.

Crimea as a Symbolic and Strategic Goal

Zelensky's emphasis on Crimea signals that Kyiv will not accept any peace settlement that leaves the peninsula in Russian hands. Crimea holds significant strategic value, it hosts Russia's Black Sea Fleet at Sevastopol, and its return would represent a profound symbolic victory for Ukraine after more than a decade of Russian occupation.