Russian propaganda has been present in Crimea for years, even before the 2014 occupation. But if before that independent Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar media operated on the peninsula, then after that their work was forced to stop.
The occupying authorities did everything to make the media disloyal to them stop their work in Crimea and leave the peninsula.
Today, pro-Russian Crimean media are actively spreading propaganda, Moscow narratives and fakes about the noble goal of the SMO, crimes of the Ukrainian army, Kyiv regime, Nazis, Banderites etc.
Indeed, people, living in such an information space for decades, lose the opportunity to think critically and analyze the situation.
Who in Crimea is fighting for the consciousness of the inhabitants of the peninsula?
- Aleksandr Talipov is a Crimean blogger who supports the Russian occupation of Crimea. He is the founder and author of the Crimean Smersh resource, which is engaged in the persecution and denunciations of pro-Ukrainian residents of Crimea.
- Sergey Stepanov is the owner and editor-in-chief of the pro-Russian Internet publication Politnavigator, which is the mouthpiece of the Russian Federation in the occupied Crimea. On the peninsula, he is busy spreading Kremlin narratives and discrediting Ukraine on the international stage.
- Sergey Aksyonov has been the head of the occupied Crimea since 2014, a collaborator nicknamed goblin. As for his channel telegrams, he is called Aksenov Z 82. On this channel, he publishes his statements, comments, photos and videos about the events in Crimea from the position of the occupying authorities.
- Mikhail Razvozhaev is the governor of Sevastopol, who was appointed by the President of the Russian Federation in 2020. He is a former deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the United Russia party. Mikhail Razvozhaiev also has his own telegram channel, where he distributes propaganda messages about the situation in Sevastopol.
- Vladimir Konstantinov is the Chairman of the State Council of Crimea, who supported the occupation of the peninsula in 2014. He is a member of the State Duma of the Russian Federation from the United Russia party. Vladimir Konstantinov also has his own telegram channel, where propaganda messages about the situation in Crimea are distributed.
The total number of subscribers of these resources reaches 351 thousand people. That’s how many people are systematically brainwashed. As always, with the help of lies and manipulation, the invaders are trying to win over the population of Crimea to their side.
The de-occupation of Crimea is approaching, and it is very important to think over the first steps in the information policy on the peninsula, taking into account the specifics and all the features. In particular, the recommendations on the reintegration of Crimea, which were developed during the Future of Crimea strategic forum, contain a separate section on this issue.