DISINFO: Crimea has become a Russian region following the referendum after the coup d’état
SUMMARY
Crimea has become a Russian region following the referendum of March 2014 in which 96.77% of the Republic’s population and 95.6% of Sevastopol inhabitants voted to become part of Russia. Crimean authorities organised the referendum after the coup d’état.
RESPONSE
A recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative on Crimea’s referendum and the Maidan. No international body recognises the so-called referendum held on the 16th of March 2014. On the 27th of March 2014, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution which 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. 5 years on, the EU re-affirms its support for Ukraine's territorial integrity. The Euromaidan protests were a spontaneous reaction among large parts of the Ukrainian population, ignited by the decision of former President Yanukovych not to sign the Association Agreement with the European Union in November 2013. The Maidan movement resonated with widespread discontent with corruption and mismanagement under Yanukovych’s rule.