Russia launches FIFA complaint after Ukraine's soccer team wore jersey featuring a map of Crimea on the front

• Ukraine wore shirts that featured a map of Crimea on the front for its matches against Wales and Scotland.
• Russia has now complained to FIFA about the jerseys.

The Football Union of Russia (RFU) has filed an official complaint to FIFA over shirts worn by Ukraine during recent matches.

Ukraine wore blue shirts that featured a map of the country on the front, which included the Crimean peninsula, as it narrowly missed out on a place at this year's World Cup in Qatar with a defeat to Wales in Cardiff on Sunday.

The team also wore a yellow version of the shirts during its victory in Scotland last week.

Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, with Russia President Vladimir Putin citing the need to protect the rights of Russian citizens and Russian speakers in the region.

The conflict expanded in February of this year when Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Crimea is still recognized as part of Ukraine internationally, but Russia considers it part of its territory and holds de facto jurisdiction in the area.

The RFU said Sunday, according to Russia's official state news agency TASS, that it had sent a complaint to world soccer's governing body about the shirts.

"The Russian Football Union sent a protest to FIFA in connection with the violation of the rules of organisation by the Ukrainian Football Association, namely, the demonstration on the form of the national team of the image of Crimea as part of Ukraine," the RFU said.

"In addition, another protest was expressed on the facts of individual statements by representatives of the Ukrainian against the citizens of Russia."

The RFU's honorary president, Vyacheslav Koloskov, justified the complaint by referencing the disputed referendum result in Crimea in March 2014.

In the referendum, 95.5% of voters in Crimea voted in favor of joining Russia, though there remain suggestions that the vote was rigged. Both the United States and the European Union (EU) called the referendum illegal.

"This protest is crucial," said Koloskov. "Since the referendum, Crimea and Sevastopol have been territories of Russia. If a territory of Russia is depicted on the sports equipment of another country, then accordingly, we were obliged to send such a protest.

"This is absolutely fair. Now we will be waiting for a reaction."

This isn't the first time Russia has complained about Ukraine's shirts featuring a map of Crimea on them.

Ukraine unveiled similar kits ahead of last year's European Championships, prompting the RFU to lodge a complaint with UEFA, European soccer's governing body.

The Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) were not required to alter the borders depicted on their shirts but were ordered to remove a phrase from the collar which read "glory to the heroes."

FIFA did not immediately reply to Insider's request for comment about the RFU's most recent complaint.