Fading Conflicts

From the MT:

"Crimea and Donbass Fade From Russian Screens"

Information about the annexed Crimean peninsula and war-torn eastern Ukraine is appearing less frequently on Russian state-backed news channels, as interest gradually wanes four years after the events.  Russia annexed Crimea in the spring of 2014, and has been providing support to rebels in the Donbass region of Ukraine. Moscow calls the seizure of the Black Sea peninsula a reunification with its historical territory, and denies that there are any Russian troops in the Donbass.  Russia’s four major state-run television stations now primarily mention Crimea and the Donbass when there is a relevant anniversary date, according to the Medialogia firm’s analysis published by the Kommersant business daily.  The “Crimean spring,” for example, was mentioned 141 times in March 2016, then only 76 times in March 2017, and fell even further to 27 in March 2018.  “Apparently, budgets for the promotion of these topics have not yet been completely cut off,” political scientist Abbas Gallyamov told Kommersant.

^ First Russia officially claimed to never be in Crimea and then they celebrate their invasion, occupation and annexation of Crimea. Then Russia officially claimed to never be in the Donbass and yet the world knows that Russia has and continues to send troops and supplies there. Now Russia is trying to down-play both - even to their own citizens. The Soviet Union did that for 10 years during the Soviet War in Afghanistan (1979-1989) and yet ordinary Soviets knew the truth - from years of dealing with government censorship. The same seems to be true in modern-Russia today. The Russian Government and media (which are basically one and the same) may try to downplay Russia's involvement in Crimea and the Donbass, but any Russian citizen willing to keep their eyes and ears open will know the truth (especially those old enough to have gone through the same thing during Soviet times.) Just because something isn't mentioned officially doesn't mean it doesn't/isn't affecting the ordinary person. ^

https://themoscowtimes.com/news/crimea-donbass-fade-russian-screens-61973