KYIV, August 3. /TASS/. The state border service of Ukraine from the beginning of 2018 for the violation of the established procedure of entry in the Donbass and the Crimea, which Kiev continues to regard as its territory, was denied entry into the country for 740 foreigners. On Friday reported the press service of the Ministry.

“For illegal border crossing at private crossings, the decision to ban entry into Ukraine for a period of three years for 740 of foreigners”, – stated in the message. According to state frontier service, in 2017, the country missed about 1.5 thousand foreigners, including artists and cultural figures.

After the coup d’etat in Ukraine, the authorities of the Crimea and Sevastopol in March 2014 held a referendum on reunification with Russia. It was attended by more than 80% having the right to vote for reunification with Russia voted 96.7% and 95.6% of the population . 18 March of the same year the President of Russia Vladimir Putin signed the agreement on the accession of the Republic of Crimea and Sevastopol into the Russian Federation, and on March 21 it was ratified by the Federal Assembly. Despite the strong results of the referendum, Kiev refuses to recognize Crimea a part of Russia.

After the coup in February 2014 the new government of Ukraine began a military operation in the Donbass, the inhabitants of which refused to recognize its results, opposed of course to the rupture of relations with Russia and held a referendum about creation of the separate republics. For suppression of this protest in the region was sent to the army. Began in April between the army and groups of Ukrainian nationalists militias of Donbass by the summer of that year escalated into full-scale war with use of heavy armored vehicles and aircraft.