6 Years: Crimea

6 years ago this month (March) Russia invaded, occupied and annexed Crimea from Ukraine following the same exact steps that Adolf Hitler used on Austria in 1938 including holding a non-internationally recognized referendum once Russian troops were in complete control over the Crimean population. 6 years may seem like a lot of time and that after so many years it means Crimea can never be returned to Ukraine. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia were invaded, occupied and annexation by the Soviets from 1939-1941 and then again from 1945-1991 and yet after 40+ years they finally regained their independence. 

So what is life like on Russian-annexed Crimea?  

1. It is forbidden in Russia and Russian-annexed Crimea to use the word “Annexation” (“аннексия”) when referring to Crimea. The only acceptable term is “Joining” (“Присоединение.”) Anyone who uses “”Annexation” faces imprisonment in Russia. 

2. The Russian Ruble replaced the Ukrainian Hryvnia as the only legal currency. 

3. Russian culture, traditions and language are the only legal means of expression. 

4. Ukrainian culture, traditions and language are banned inside Crimea. Anyone caught faces imprisonment in Russia.

5. Crimean Tartar culture, traditions and language are banned inside Crimea. Anyone caught faces imprisonment in Russia and being forbidden to return to annexed-Crimea.

6. Every citizen in annexed-Crimea was made to replace their Ukrainian Citizenship and take Russian Citizenship. They are only issued Russian Internal Passports and Russian International Passports. Anyone who failed to register for Russian Citizenship by 2015 (or who fails to register a new birth with the Russian authorities) are imprisoned in Russia and forbidden to return to annexed-Crimea. Even with that penalty 134,000 Crimean citizens have kept their Ukrainian Citizenship and documents from 2015-2019. 

7. Every Crimean male has to serve in the Russia Military and are sent to fight in eastern Ukraine and Syria. Anyone who refuses to serve is imprisoned in Russia. 5,664 Russian soldiers have died and thousands have been wounded in the 6 year Donbas War. 

8. The soldiers that are wounded are placed in hospitals throughout Russia under fake names, occupations and how they were wounded. 

9. The soldiers that are killed are buried in Russia under fake names and fake portraits. (anyone who has been to a Russian Cemetery knows that they also have a portrait of the deceased on their gravestone.) The soldiers’ families to not receive the truth and their sons, brothers, husbands, etc. die in vain.

10. Water is regularly cut-off to annexed-Crimea. It is supplied by Ukraine and not Russia (and since Russia and Ukraine are at war over Crimea and eastern Ukraine it only makes sense that Ukraine not help the Russians out.)

11. Crimea, known for its beaches and sunny warm weather, has always been a popular tourist location for Ukrainians, Russians and others (during Czarist times, Soviet times and in independent Ukraine.) Since the annexation 6 years ago the tourist industry is non-existent. 

12. All Crimean airports and seaports are only allowed to fly or sail to/from Russian airports and seaports.

13.  A rail and road bridge connects annexed-Crimea to Russia. 

14. Ukrainian Visas and the Ukrainian Visa Waiver Program (ie. Americans and EU citizens do not need visas to visit Ukraine for 90 days) were replaced by Russian Visas and the Russian Visa Waiver Program (ie. Americans and EU citizens need visas to visit Russia.)

15. The US, Canada, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and other countries have placed International Sanctions on the Russian Government, Russian businesses and Russian individuals inside Russia since the annexation. 

16. The US, Canada, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and other countries have placed International Sanctions on any country, business and individual no matter what their nationality from doing business inside annexed-Crimea. That means no non-Russian banks, credit card companies, airlines, cell phone companies, Internet providers, factories, etc. can operate there. 

17. Russia has banned all food and products from the US, Canada, EU, UK, Japan, Australia and other countries. 

18. The Russian Financial Crisis 2014-2017 hit annexed-Crimea and Russia hard.

19. The Russian Ruble devalued (37 Rubles to $1 in 2014 to 58 Rubles to $1 in 2017.)

20. The basic standard of living within Russia fell placing millions of ordinary Russians well-below the poverty line (on top of the millions that were already there.) It wiped-out the Russian Middle Class.

21. Since 2018 Russia has a high-tech security fence surrounding annexed-Crimea and the rest of Ukraine. 

22.  In 2015,  67% of Russians agreed with the invasion, occupation and annexation of Crimea. 

23. In 2019, 39% of Russians agreed with the invasion, occupation and annexation of Crimea.

The Russians created these problems when they illegally invaded, occupied and annexed Crimea in 2014. Even after 6 years they can easily fix their mistakes and make things better for: the Ukrainians, Crimeans and Russians by returning Crimea to Ukraine. Sadly, I don’t see that happening with Putin in power so hopefully the Crimeans can withstand more Russian annexation a little longer and the newly poor and destitute living inside Russia can as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_of_the_Crimea.png