Language:

See all Disinfo Cases - Detail

Disinfo: Crimea is a legal part of Russia

Summary

Crimea is Russia, it has always been, is and will be!

Crimea is a legal part of Russia, and there can be no compromise with Kyiv on this issue. The reunification of the peninsula with Russia took place within the framework of international and Ukrainian laws. Crimea returned to Russia following a referendum in 2014. 96.77% of the inhabitants of the peninsula and 95.6% of the voters of Sevastopol voted for the accession.

Kyiv did not recognise the results of the vote and is making plans to “return” the region. Moscow indicates that the referendum was held in compliance with all international norms and the question of ownership of the peninsula is closed forever.

Disproof

Recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the annexation of Crimea, claiming that Crimea voted to rejoin Russia through a legal referendum.

No international body recognises the so-called referendum in Crimea. The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution entitled “Territorial integrity of Ukraine”, stating 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.

The European Union does not recognise and continues to strongly condemn this violation of international law, which remains a challenge to the international security order. In response to the illegal annexation of Crimea, the EU has imposed restrictive measures against the Russian Federation. In June 2020, the European Council decided to renew the sanctions introduced in response to the illegal annexation of Crimea and Sevastopol by the Russian Federation until 23 June 2021.

Read similar cases claiming that Crimean people have expressed their desire to rejoin Russia in a democratic process, that Crimea never belonged to Ukraine, that Crimea’s reunification with Russia was legal and that Crimea is a Russian sovereign region.

Go to search

publication/media

Ritm Evrazii (Archived)
  • Reported in: Issue 227
  • DATE OF PUBLICATION: 15/01/2021
  • Language/target audience: Russian
  • Country: Ukraine, Russia
  • Keywords: illegal annexation, Manipulated elections/referendum, International Law, Crimea, Referendum
see more

CIA was behind events in Vilnius in January 1991

Behind the events in Vilnius in 1991 was the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). CIA taught and armed Lithuanian nationalists.

The group of CIA agents arrived in Vilnius at the end of 1990. The heads of the group were Andrew Eiva and Leonard Hof.

In 1991 Andrew Eiva armed people who were ready to defend the building of Supreme Council of Lithuania. He asked to equip defenders with guns, explosives and Molotov’s cocktails. Andrew Eiva organised explosions in homes and places of dislocation of the Soviet troops. He was head of the rebels who struggled with the Soviet forces.

To events in Vilnius also was linked “father of colour revolutions” Professor Gene Sharp.

Jan 14, 2021
Disproof

The claim advances a recurring claim that behind the events of January 13, 1991, in Vilnius stood the US. The Lithuanian struggle for independence from the Soviet Union is presented as the first “colour revolution”.

This is part of the broad disinformation campaign linked to the commemoration of events when thirty years ago thousands of Lithuanians gathered at the TV tower, the Radio and Television headquarters and the Parliament building in the capital, Vilnius, to take a stand against Soviet troops deployed to crush Lithuanian independence. During events of January 13, 1991, Soviet troops still garrisoned in the capital Vilnius, attacked its TV broadcast tower and sole TV station, killing civilians standing as human shields there. The events of January 13, 1991, and the offences committed by the USSR troops have been extensively documented. See also BBC reporting from 1991.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine calls for friendship with Russia

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine calls for friendship with Russia. Kyiv is confident that cooperation with Russia will resume after Ukraine stops the punitive operation in Donbas.

Jan 14, 2021
Disproof

This is a recurring pro-Kremlin narrative aiming to present Ukraine as the aggressor in its Eastern region, Donbas.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Ruslan Khomchak did not make any "calls for friendship with Russia". His words were quoted incorrectly and manipulatively.

The campaign to combat the Russian media in the Baltics is part of the West's larger geopolitical strategy

In the Baltic countries and in particular in Latvia they have been trying to neutralise the alternative opinion for a quarter of a century. These are methodical actions to oust any Russian influence…

The campaign to combat Russian media in the Baltics is part of the West’s larger geopolitical strategy.

The reason for the Russophobic policy is primarily due to the fact that the collective West supports those who support this same Russophobic policy and carry out their tasks. The Baltic countries have been assigned to create a “cordon sanitaire” around Russia, which they call a geopolitical adversary. Actually, that’s why all this is happening. And the floor is given to those who are just sharpened for such an anti-Russian policy.

Jan 14, 2021
Disproof

Recurring disinformation narrative about the Russophobic West, painting Western governments as hostile toward "alternative voices" in the media, particularly Russian ones. Relevant disinformation claims can be found here, here and here.

This claim tries to portray EU sanctions on Russia, the result of its illegal actions in Ukraine, as unfair persecution against Sputnik and its employees, and against media freedom in general. In Latvia as well as in Lithuania and Estonia, Sputnik and RT are being accused of spreading disinformation, violating copyrights and acting as propaganda instruments. Different parties based their accusations on publicly available results of investigations conducted by relevant authorities and regulatory bodies as follows.