---
title: "Turchynov: In 2014, Ukrainian Troops in Crimea Were Ordered to Take Up Defense and Use Weapons"
description: "Former acting President Oleksandr Turchynov stated in an op-ed for RBC-Ukraine that in 2014, Ukrainian troops in Crimea were ordered to take up defense and use weapons in case of position assaults."
date: 2026-10-27T12:34:07.679Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/turchynov-crimea-defense-order-2014
tags: [ukraine, crimea, turchinov, military, 2014, occupation]
author: "Alexander Buran"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Turchynov: In 2014, Ukrainian Troops in Crimea Were Ordered to Take Up Defense and Use Weapons

![Ukrainian servicemen marching with flags in Crimea in 2014](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/27/turchinov-prikaz-oborony-kryma-2014/turchinov-prikaz-oborony-kryma-2014-1.webp)

## Key Points

- Turchynov claims that on February 28, 2014, an NSDC meeting recorded the order for troops in Crimea to take up defense and use weapons during position assaults.
- On March 1, 2014, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were brought to 'Full' combat readiness, and on March 18 the order to use weapons was reissued after a serviceman was killed in Simferopol.
- According to Turchynov, in early 2014 only about 20% of units were combat-ready, and out of 36 anti-aircraft missile systems only 10 performed combat missions.
- Turchynov refutes the version that Crimea failed to be defended due to a lack of orders, citing a shortage of combat-ready forces, and gives examples of resistance in Feodosia and on Navy ships.

Former acting President of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov, in an op-ed for RBC-Ukraine, spoke about the decisions made by the Ukrainian leadership during the first days of Russian aggression on the peninsula in 2014. According to him, during the occupation of Crimea, Ukrainian military personnel received a direct order to take up defense and open fire in the event of an assault on their positions by Russian troops. Turchynov emphasized that this decision was recorded in the protocol of the National Security and Defense Council (NSDC) meeting, rather than being an improvisation on the ground.

### NSDC Decision of February 28: Order to Defend

Turchynov stated that on February 28, 2014, he held the first NSDC meeting after the formation of the new government. According to military leadership and intelligence, the main threat to Ukraine at that time came not only from Crimea, but also from the north and east, where Russia was deploying groupings for a potential invasion of mainland territory. 'Under these conditions, I made the only possible decision – for military units in Crimea to take up defense and use weapons to protect their positions in the event of Russian assault actions and provocations. This order is recorded in the protocol of the NSDC meeting,' he wrote. According to his explanation, the units on the peninsula were to hold back the enemy and buy time to restore the army's combat readiness, conduct mobilization, and prepare for the country's defense, which is why the main forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were urgently redeployed to the north and east.

### 'Full' Combat Readiness and Repeated Order of March 18

On March 1, 2014, Turchynov issued a decree bringing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to 'Full' combat readiness, which, in particular, provided for the issuance of weapons and ammunition, as well as the occupation of defensive lines. He added that on March 18, he reissued the order to use weapons following the death of a Ukrainian serviceman during the assault on the 13th Photogrammetric Center in Simferopol. According to him, at his request, this order was made public.

### State of the Army in Early 2014

Turchynov noted that at the beginning of Russian aggression, the Ukrainian army was in a critical condition following years of funding cuts, the disbandment of military units, and the sell-off of weapons and equipment. According to the data he provided, in February 2014, out of 36 anti-aircraft missile systems remaining in Ukraine, only 10 could perform combat missions, and the share of defense expenditures in GDP fell from 1.08% in 2011 to 0.88% in 2013. Only about 20% of military units were considered combat-ready at the beginning of 2014, while the rest were assessed as partially ready or completely unready to perform combat missions. The situation was complicated by the significant superiority of Russian troops on the peninsula, the defection of some Ukrainian servicemen to Russia, and the encirclement of units that remained loyal to the oath, often without proper communication and supplies.

### Resistance and Conclusions

Turchynov refuted claims that Crimea could not be defended due to the lack of clear orders from the Ukrainian authorities, pointing out that the main problem was the shortage of combat-ready forces. As examples of resistance, he cited the marines in Feodosia and the crews of the ships 'Konstantin Olshansky', 'Henichesk', and 'Cherkasy', who refused to voluntarily lay down their arms. In his estimation, the Ukrainian servicemen who remained loyal to the oath in Crimea bought time for mobilization, the restoration of the army, and the preparation of the defense of mainland Ukraine, and the experience of 2014 showed how important a combat-ready army, proper supply of troops, and the preservation of the country's defense potential are.

### Context: Chronology of the 2014 Occupation

Russia's occupation of Crimea began in February 2014: on the night of February 27, Russian servicemen without identification marks seized the buildings of the Verkhovna Rada and the Council of Ministers of the ARC in Simferopol, after which they established control over strategic facilities of the peninsula and blocked Ukrainian military units. On March 16, under the control of Russian military personnel, a so-called 'referendum' on the status of the peninsula was held, which Ukraine and the majority of the international community did not recognize; on March 18, Russia signed an agreement on the inclusion of Crimea into its composition, which Ukraine and most states of the world regarded as an illegal annexation. On March 25, Russian servicemen seized the minesweeper 'Cherkasy' – the last ship of the Ukrainian Navy in Crimea that continued resistance, and on that day the peninsula and Sevastopol were fully occupied. On March 27, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution confirming the territorial integrity of Ukraine.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [Приказ оборонять Крым и применять оружие в 2014 году был, - Турчинов](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/nakaz-oboronyati-krim-i-zastosovuvati-zbroyu-1793103396.html) - Primary source: O. Turchynov's op-ed. All quotes, dates (28.02.2014, 01.03.2014, 18.03.2014) and figures (10 out of 36 SAM systems, ~20% combat-ready units, 1.08%→0.88% GDP) are taken from it. The chronology of the occupation (27.02, 16.03, 18.03, 25.03, 27.03.2014) corresponds to universally recognized facts.

## FAQ

### What order, according to Turchynov, was given to Ukrainian troops in Crimea in 2014?

According to him, military units in Crimea were ordered to take up defense and use weapons to protect their positions in the event of Russian assault actions and provocations; the order, he claims, was recorded by the protocol of the NSDC meeting of February 28, 2014.

### When were the Armed Forces of Ukraine brought to 'Full' combat readiness?

According to Turchynov's op-ed, the decree bringing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to 'Full' combat readiness was issued on March 1, 2014; on March 18, he reissued the order to use weapons following the death of a serviceman during the assault on the 13th Photogrammetric Center in Simferopol.

### What was the state of Ukraine's army in early 2014 according to Turchynov?

Turchynov claims that only about 20% of military units were combat-ready, out of 36 anti-aircraft missile systems only 10 performed combat missions, and the share of defense expenditures in GDP dropped from 1.08% in 2011 to 0.88% in 2013.

### Whom does Turchynov cite as examples of resistance to the occupiers?

He mentions the marines in Feodosia and the crews of the ships 'Konstantin Olshansky', 'Henichesk', and 'Cherkasy', who, according to him, refused to voluntarily lay down their arms.