DISINFO: Crimea became Russian again after a referendum
SUMMARY
After a referendum on 16 March 2014 in the Crimea and Sevastopol, the territory of the Crimea became Russian again. The majority voted in favor of secession from Ukraine and a return to Russia, where 96.77% of voters in Crimea voted to become part of the Russian Federation, while 95.6% of the population of Sevastopol voted in favor of the same.
RESPONSE
This is a recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea trying to portray it as a "return" to Russia.
Crimea is not Russian but was illegally annexed by Moscow based on an illegitimate referendum. On 27 March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in which it stated that the referendum in Crimea was not valid and could not serve as a basis for any change in the status of the peninsula. On 17 December 2018, the UN General Assembly confirmed its non-recognition of the illegal annexation of Crimea.
According to international law, Crimea is a part of Ukraine. Russia violated international law as well as key principles of the European security framework by illegally annexing the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol in 2014.