Simferopol and Sevastopol have never been Russian cities, and Crimea is not annexed, but occupied, said Oleh Nikolenko, spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, in response to a publication by the BBC Russian Service.

"BBC Russian, don't promote Russian false narratives. Sevastopol and Simferopol have never been Russian cities. Crimea is not annexed but occupied. International law matters. #CrimeaIsUkraine #Navalny," Nikolenko wrote on Twitter on Sunday.

In a publication on Twitter about the cities in which protests were held in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the BBC Russian Service indicated Sevastopol and Simferopol as "cities in Russia."