As we found out from Russian news, «a first group of British tourists» had recently visited the Autonomous Republic of Crimea occupied by the Russian Federation. Being aware that such visits are illegal, the so-called Crimean authorities even recognized that they were trying to hide that fact.

Undoubtedly, Crimea is a real pearl of the Black Sea, but it is a Ukrainian pearl, which was bluntly taken from us and shamelessly explored by Russia.

But let us remind those tourists, who neglect the official position of their own state that the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is of the view that:

«Crimea.

It’s illegal under Ukrainian law to enter internationally recognised Ukrainian territory through a border point that isn’t currently controlled by the Ukrainian authorities. If you do so, you risk arrest or a fine, and you may be subject to a travel ban. International border points that aren’t currently under the control of the Ukrainian authorities include all air and sea ports in Crimea. To enter or exit Crimea, foreign nationals will need to provide their passport and a special permit issued by the State Migration Service of Ukraine (more details at FCO official web-site: https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/ukraine).

The Embassy calls on all UK nationals and institutions to refrain from illegally visiting and organising any «military-historical routs» in the occupied Crimea without official consent of Ukraine.