Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the current Russian invasion was "born" from the occupation of Crimea in 2014.

Eight years ago on this day the Russian state organized a fake "referendum" on the territory of the Crimea, which was later used to justify the seizure of our territory," he said in a video message on Wednesday.

According to him, "it was illegal. It was the destruction of all architecture security in Europe, which was created after World War II. But Russia did it."

"If only then there was even a hint of such resistance as we are showing now... If only then the world would have reacted even half as it is reacting now. I am sure we would not have had either this invasion or eight years of war in Donbas," he said.

"All this evil was born from the occupation of Crimea. From our weakness, the aggressive actions of Russia, for which it should have felt punished back in 2014," he said.