Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted today that the residents of four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed a year ago “made their choice—to be with their Fatherland”.

The address was released in the early hours to mark the first anniversary of the annexation of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions following the concert that was held in Red Square yesterday. He also claimed that residents of the aforementioned regions had again expressed their desire to be part of Russia in local elections earlier this month. Nonetheless, the West has denounced both the referendum votes carried out last year and the recent ballots as a sham. Here’s a brief history of Russia’s grand crime and why the occupiers must be brought to justice.