Russia's Ongoing Propaganda and Military Aggression in Crimea

• •Russia employs disinformation to justify its illegal occupation of Crimea.
• •Recent propaganda campaigns distort migration realities, portraying Russia as a cultural hub.
• •The UK government reaffirms Crimea's status as part of Ukraine amidst ongoing military aggression.

Russia continues to propagate narratives justifying its illegal occupation of Crimea, claiming historical rights and integration of the peninsula into the Russian Federation. This disinformation campaign has intensified since 2022, utilizing fabricated stories and foreign migrants to create an illusion of prosperity in Crimea. The Ukrainian Mission in Crimea has documented numerous propaganda videos featuring foreign workers, which distort the reality of migration and depict Russia as a cultural hub. Concurrently, Russia's military aggression persists, with large-scale aerial assaults targeting Ukrainian infrastructure, including a recent attack involving nearly a thousand drones and missiles. The UK government has condemned these actions, reaffirming Crimea's status as part of Ukraine and highlighting violations of international law. The systematic pressure on local populations, particularly Crimean Tatars, continues to undermine their fundamental rights. Twelve years after the initial occupation, Russia's attempts to retroactively justify its actions remain unsubstantiated by the current realities in Crimea.