SIMFEROPOL, June 23. /TASS/. The intensified Ukrainian attacks on the Crimean peninsula are retaliation for Crimea's decision to become a part of Russia in the 2014 referendum, Vladimir Konstantinov, Chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea, said.

Earlier, Crimean head Sergey Aksenov said that four people were killed and 28 were injured in a drone attack on the Kerch Peninsula.

"Drone attacks are a new challenge for Crimea, and we must endure them. The main targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are our logistics and energy system. They can't forgive us for 2014. Vile and deceitful people will never forgive those who act honestly and justly. That's why we never doubted that Kiev would strike us with everything they could get their hands on. Their military and technical reasons coincided with their psychological ones," Konstantinov wrote on Telegram.

He urged Crimeans to show restraint, patience, and unite.

About the referendum

The Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol returned to Russia after a referendum held in March 2014 after the coup d'etat in Ukraine. More than 80% of the residents eligible to vote participated in it and the bulk of them voted for reunification with Russia. On March 18, 2014, the Russian president and the leaders of Crimea and Sevastopol signed an agreement on the adoption of the regions into Russia. On March 21, the document was ratified by the Federal Assembly.

Despite the convincing results of the referendum, Kiev refused to recognize Crimea as part of Russia. In response, Ukraine and other countries imposed a series of sanctions against Russia, Russian businessmen and politicians, individuals who visited Crimea, and companies operating on the peninsula, both from Russia and other countries. In some countries, there is an information blockade about the situation on the peninsula, and it is difficult to represent the region at international events abroad.