Kremlin Lies #4 "Crimea and Donbas are Russian": the real surveys, and who were Nazi | Knowledge is Power
Not according to the Residents. Continuous attempts by Russia to seed Crimea and Donbas with "Russian ethnicity", fear and ill will towards Ukraine, ultimately failed. Here are the facts.
Not according to the Residents. Continuous attempts by Russia to seed Crimea and Donbas with "Russian ethnicity", fear and ill will towards Ukraine, ultimately failed. Here are the facts.
Here's some info about the 2014 Crimea "referendum" and Donbas "secession"
(Which were in fact both coups, deposing the elected representatives and their public administrations.):
Index
1. Here's the (national, by region) survey 2 days before the 2014 Russian invasion, at the height of the Maidan
2. Here's the (Crimea) survey 1 year before the 2014 invasion
3. The context: General Public Opinion Survey August 27-September 9, 2013
9. Only 0.28% of Donetsk military aged men willingly joined the Moscow “separatists” in 2014
13. Here's the CCTV of Kremlin stooges storming the Crimean Parliament 27/2/2014.
16. Russian Crimea “referendum” ballot”: Continuation of the status quo as part of Ukraine under their 1997 agreed Autonomous Constitution - wasn't an option.
20. Russian attempts to subvert Crimea 1991-1994: “Crimea. Release” Rapid special operation ''Alpha''
21. Here is Putin’s own confession!!! A year later - Yes he pre-planned it.
22. How the Azovs stopped the invasion at Mariupol in 2014, and Putin’s claim that Ukraine is Nazi
Background:
February 20, 2014: Unmarked Russian soldiers, later confirmed to be Russian special forces, began deploying to Crimea, seizing strategic sites, and surrounding Ukrainian military bases. All outside contact was cut off - TV, communications with the national government, internet from outside Crimea, phones etc1.
February 27, 2014: (Confirmed from contemporary newspaper reports at the time2): Russian forces took control of Crimea’s government buildings that night, and the elected lawmakers (“Deputies”) were rounded up at gunpoint and all communications devices were taken from them. They were then forced by the armed militia to convene an extraordinary session of the parliament and pass the following legislation:
Appointing the leader of the “Russia Unity” party, (which had only 4% of the vote and 3/100 seats in the parliament) “Prime Minister” (without the required consent of the President of Ukraine),
Directing a “referendum” to be held on 6 March 2014,
Terminating the powers of the executive branch of government, the Council of Ministers of Crimea. (Leaving Aksyonov in sole power of the Executive.)
March 16, 2014: The installed “Prime Minister” held a “referendum” under Russian occupation, then claimed that 96.2% of Crimeans voted in favor of “reunification” of Crimea with Russia “as a subject of the Russian Federation”. (See the evidence below).
March 17, 2014: The installed “Prime Minister” declared independence from Ukraine and requested to join Russia.
March 18, 2014: Russia formally incorporated Crimea as the Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, a federal city.
1. Here's the (national, by region) survey 2 days before the 2014 Russian invasion, at the height of the Maidan:
A national survey on Russia - Ukraine relations was undertaken between 8-18 February 2014, 2 days before the Russian invasion of Crimea.
59% of Crimeans against even Ukraine joining Russia.
67% of Donesk against.
76% of Luhansk against.
Points to note here include:
59% did NOT want to join Russia whether with Ukraine or not.
the minorities in favour of Ukraine uniting with Russia were not all people who would fight for it, or even vote for it in a serious binding election or referendum. It would include people who were simply expressing discontent with current living conditions, which was widespread and recorded in the general survey below.
Crimean respondents were not asked whether they favoured giving up Crimea’s Autonomous status, or whether their views would remain the same if Crimea’s status as an autonomous region would be lost. (It had been an Autonomous Republic since 1921, that status was stripped from it by Russia in 1945 simultaneously with deportation of the Tatars, and returned to it by Ukraine in 1991.) Given the overwhelming vote for Autonomy in the 1991 referendum3, this would be expected to have radically affected the poll results.
Some of the pro-Russian union views likely reflected a temporary situation less to do with ideology than with widespread concern about living conditions, and many temporarily affected by fear of general lawlessness (from “Donetsk henchmen”, AKA Girkin’s rabble of Russians who along with their veil of a few Ukrainian criminals and alcoholics, lynched and looted: noted in the President’s report below) and at the Maidan which was currently reaching crisis point and against the President they had elected.
Given that the majority had voted for Yanukovich, the 3-5% change is surprisingly small (although he had not stood on a platform of unification with Russia, but of increasing relations with Europe while remaining friendly with Russia.)
there was intensive Russian disinformation campaign underway in Crimea, and had been for years there and throughout the East. (See below.)
Note, this survey was under Yanukovich (pro-Russian) administration, which was in power up to the invasion.
Findings: Putin was and is simply lying. Ukraine was NOT anti-Russia. The vast majority wanted friendship with open borders and no visas. Only equal small minorities on either end were pro unification or “anti Russian”. And, those figures were reflected in Russia. A similarly small minority in Russia wanted unification, in a survey taken a week later, after the invasion of Crimea.
Ironically, this was despite everything Russia had done to cripple Ukraine’s economy and control it’s government. Including the embargoes mentioned below.
Supporters of the Maidan were actually more supportive of friendly relations and open borders with Russia, than the general population.
Which makes it clear that the Maidan was not anti-Russian, and was supported by citizens of all different views. It was pro independence and pro EU as well.
2. Here's the (Crimea) survey 1 year before the 2014 invasion:
page 17: 77% of Crimeans AGAINST seceding and "joining" Russia. Page 8: only 40% even considered themselves "Russian". https://www.iri.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/201320October20720Survey20of20Crimean20Public20Opinion2C20May2016-302C202013.pdf
Again, the 23% of Crimean residents (including large numbers of Russian military personnel not permanently resident) who selected seceding from Ukraine and uniting with Russia, were not asked what their views would be if uniting with Russia meant losing Crimea’s autonomous status.
Nor were they asked how strong those views were: eg “strongly prefer” vs “rather prefer”. Let alone whether they would be prepared to fight for their choice (which was answered in relation to Donbas, below.)
40% "Ethnic Russians" in May 2013, the last valid survey on the subject before Kremlin suppression of dissidence in 2014, do not make Crimea Russian any more than "ethnic Indians" make London Indian.
It is notable that 10% less people selected union with Russia than 2 years earlier.
Note, this survey was under Yanukovich (pro-Russian) administration.
3. The context: General Public Opinion Survey August 27-September 9, 2013
The general national Public Opinion Survey August 27-September 9, 2013 shows the context: which was overwhelming disapproval of pretty much all major aspects of the administration (which had been run by Yanukovich since 2010) - but less than 10% had Russian relations or language in their top 3 issues:
Note, this survey was under Yanukovich (pro-Russian) administration, which was in power up to the invasion. (click to enlarge)
Despite Ukraine’s heavy industrialisation and farming industries, 50% of respondents were not working. 29% were on pensions. (Possibly skewed by availability to respond.) (page 42)
There was no indication of any co-ordinated pro-Russian, or any other national or regional movement: 96% of respondents did not belong to any non-governmental organisation or political party. (Page 44.)
80% considered themselves Ukrainian, 17% Russia (Page 43). 40% spoke Russian at home, 40% Ukrainian, 19% both Ukrainian and Russian. (Page 43.)
4. Here are the results of the last election of the Crimean Verkovna Rada (parliament), a year before the 2011 survey results above.
Only 4% of votes cast were for the Russian Unity party, which was the only party advocating union with Russia.
In 2012 it won no Crimean seats in the Ukraine Parliament elections.
Even that party did not advocate Crimea seceding to Russia until the 2014 coup, when Kremlin appointed its leader "Prime Minister" of Crimea in place of the elected Prime Minister.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verkhovna_Rada_of_Crimea
This, together with the poll results above, leads to a clear conclusion that there was little, if any, serious “pro-russian” or separatist sentiment anywhere in Ukraine.
5. And before that, of course, the Referenda of 1991. Crimeans loved their autonomous status. And they voted yes to Ukraine leaving the USSR.
Why would they give that up to be under Putin’s rule?
See the voting at
Crimea - A long Timeline Chronology - Knowledge is Power
Sadly, Wikipedia is compromised on all pages relating to Crimea. I have shared my MS Word notes to date on the Crimea situation, and relevant surrounding circumstances, as a public resource. They are in progress and will be updated when I get time. Please correct or add anything I have missed, in the comments.
6. The February 2014 survey results were confirmed by Putin’s own Human Rights Council, in April 2014
The report was displayed on the presidential web site. (Quickly changed within a week. This is an archive copy before it was changed.)
7. Further evidence the rebellion /occupation was not supported by the people of Donbas: the administration was completely from Moscow. Until MH14 when they decided they needed to have a front of Ukrainians.
TB added
8. Here are a few of many videos by 2014 Occupier installed Donbas "Prime Minister", "Minister of Defence" and “Governor” - that almost no Ukrainians supported secession, and who was actually involved.
(More to come.) All confirming that neither Crimeans nor Donbas were interested in joining Russia, let alone murdering their own neighbours in their own country. (My language.)
I have added English subtitles with AI by Happyscribe to the video. Click on the cog at the bottom right of the video pane to turn on subtitles.
Igor Girkin, leader of the 2014 invasion in Crimea and Donbas, “Defense Minister” of Donetsk 2014
Pavel Gubarev, a rare Ukrainian installation (for 4 days 1-6 March 2014), “People’s Governor” of Luhansk. Famous for the video clip in which he stated 5 million or all Ukrainians who did not submit to Russia needed to be killed.4
Gubarev was a member of the neo-Nazi Russian National Unity paramilitary group, that later took part in the War in Donbas on the side of pro-Russian forces.
In November 2023 Gubarev, publicising his new autobiography, spoke to Russian bloggers in interview. Gubarev spoke in detail on how the Donetsk People's Republic was created and managed under full control of Moscow represented by Vladislav Surkov, with local members of the criminal fraternity appointed as its "officials", such as Alexander Zakharchenko[34][35]
Here's a video from Gubarev that he would kill 5 million Ukrainians:
https://twitter.com/policeofsorrow/status/1579827945014669312
9. Only 0.28% of Donetsk military aged men joined the Moscow “separatists” in 2014
99.72% of Donetsk military aged men REFUSED to join. Written article by Moscow invader Danil Bezsonov, the official spokesman of the DPR who personally was one of the key figures in the 2014 Donbas coup:
10. An interview with a disgusted Russian businessman who was talked into “fighting Nazis” in Ukraine - and what he found out:
11. Here's a report of how Kremlin cut off Crimea from Ukraine, govt, TV, and all outside internet and flooded IT with terror propaganda before the 2014 invasion.
12. Poll of March 2014 (after annexation) used by Kremlin to support their “referendum” was about MEDIA TRUST. Not about the occupation government.
Traumatised by horrific propaganda, cut off from outside world, brainwashed by the very media they said was "reliable".
CONTRARY to the Kremlin's OWN report https://web.archive.org/.../problemy_zhiteley_kryma.php.
All subsequent polls likewise vitiated by confirmation bias.
13. Here's the CCTV of Kremlin stooges storming the Crimean Parliament 27/2/2014.
Crimean Democratically elected government was violently overthrown by Kremlin funded, armed and organised insurgents, not by the people of Crimea.
https://twitter.com/AlasdairMcc1/status/1586031849603743744
14. Video of the Crimea coup, rounding up the elected Crimean lawmakers and forcing them to “elect” the Russian occupier’s puppet as “Prime Minister”.
https://twitter.com/AlasdairMcc1/status/1586031849603743744, Girkin 'We forcibly drove Crimean deputies to vote for a referendum on secession from Ukraine’ (2015, YT) AI subtitles added by Happyscribe
15. Here's the report from Putin's own President’s Human Rights Council office corroborating that the "referendum result” was a lie.
estimated 15% voted to secede - under armed occupation, and scared by "Donbas thugs" who were armed and brought to Crimea by Moscow war criminal Girkin. (Heading: "Referendum".) https://web.archive.org/web/20140427024525/http://www.president-sovet.ru/structure/gruppa_po_migratsionnoy_politike/materialy/problemy_zhiteley_kryma.php
6a. Note- Wikipedia page has been trolled, tries to minimise and discredit report of Putin's Human Rights Council, who did extensive investigation and interviews. The Report has been changed on the Kremlin site,
this is the original: https://web.archive.org/.../problemy_zhiteley_kryma.php (See heading "Referendum"): according to qualified estimates, 30% may have participated, 50% of those voted for joining Russia , hoping for protection from "Donetsk" looters and terrorists.
(Who were, unbeknown to the Crimeans, armed and funded by Kremlin, brought there by Moscow insurgent and war criminal Igor Girkin -see link below.)
16. Russian Crimea “referendum” ballot”: Continuation of the status quo as part of Ukraine under their 1997 agreed Autonomous Constitution - wasn't an option.
17. Here is a description of the 2014 Crimean coup by Russian politician at the time, Maxim Katz, confirming the lies and frauds of the occupiers in Crimea, and why Putin invaded.
What happened in Crimea in 2014 (English subtitles) - YouTube
1.22 PUTIN START OF OPPRESSIONS 2012-1ST LAWS, BLOCKING INTERNET, PUSSY RIOT, MAGNINSKY ACT, SANCTIONS;
2013 0 GROWTH, RATINGS FALLING.
4.2 CRIMEANS WANTING UNIFICATION WAS PROPAGANDA.
8:46 No one bothered counting votes at the “referendum”, the results were just announced
18. How the occupation “referenda” were conducted: Video testimony of Kherson residents describing how Russia conducted the 2022 "referendum".
19. The enormity of Ukraine’s Russian propaganda problem - and why 3 television channels were shut down by Ukraine in 2019
(Ignoring that all Ukrainian media was blocked in Crimea around the 2014 invasion, and has been in occupied areas ever since.)
20. Russian attempts to subvert Crimea 1991-1994: “Crimea. Release” Rapid special operation ''Alpha''
Documentary film of the Public «Крим. Звільнення». Стрімка спецоперація «Альфи» 1994 року | Документальний фільм Суспільного - YouTube
- the gripping history of the concerted attempt by Russian politicians and agents to undermine the Ukraine and Crimean parliaments, unconstitutionally install a puppet “president” and incite Crimea to turn against Ukraine, from independence, - eventually ended by the Ukraine Government.
AI subtitles added by Happyscribe - not 100% accurate, but better than none on the original YT upload
21. Here is Putin’s own confession!!! A year later - Yes he pre-planned it.
It is hilarious how the Russian self-styled “elites” gloat about what they’ve done on video. Then deny it and tell packs of lies which they have already refuted. Chauvinism? Vodka? Psychotic delusions?
Well, here’s Putin himself.
I would not believe a word of the allegations outside of what Putin says he did, without thorough fact checking. You see see examples above of deliberate lies alleging horrific events which simply never happened. These “reconstructions” would need to be verified by contemporaneous police reports and doctor’s records.
(Some notes as I watch - watch their faces, their eyes. Look at their (claimed) occupations. These guys were well able to look after themselves. Look at the way they describe Ukrainians. And be aware, there was no beef against people travelling through the countryside on a bus to Crimea. Unless, maybe, they were people who had dome something. No one hated Crimea. Or anywhere else.)
(Certainly Yanukovich was being contacted by lawmakers of his own party, trying to get him to do his job or even give them instructions, after he disappeared. He did not answer them. He left the security service gutted and trashed and stole approximately $60b from the government leaving the country in serious trouble. He was invited to stand in the upcoming elections. He withdrew his candidacy from Russia if I recall.)
Lies are told to justify the unjustifiable. It is just too staged. If you compare with Winter on Fire: Ukraine's Fight for Freedom | Full Feature | Netflix, the demeanour of the people interviewed starkly contrasts with these actors. maybe I’ll have to do a video commentary.
No one was telling people not to speak Russian As you have seen from the surveys. You will also see in the 2014 survey that that even at the height of the Maidan, 69% favoured open borders and close friendship with Russia - while wanting to join the EU. It was not a zero-sum situation for Ukraine.
The subtitles that came with the video are burnt in. I am getting them extracted and also an independent’ AI translated subtitles, to compare, and will add a transcript at some point.
Enjoy.
22. How the Azovs stopped the invasion at Mariupol in 2014, and Putin’s claim that Ukraine is Nazi:
https://bitterwinter.org/nazism-in-ukraine-separating-facts-from-fiction/#Ukrainian_Nationalism_and_Antisemitism:
23 The real Nazis in Ukraine were sent from Russia
Similar articles from Human rights in Ukraine site:
Documenting war crimes in Ukraine
The Tribunal for Putin (T4P) global initiative was set up in response to the all-out war launched by Russia against Ukraine in February 2022.
Russian militant who brought war to Ukraine may become MP for Putin’s United Russia party
Former Donbas militant leader admits ‘republics’ exist because of Putin and Russia
Russian Donbas militant leader Girkin admits to using civilians as human shields & other war crimes
Tortured to death for defending Ukraine. The first war crimes Russia brought to Donbas
Donbas ‘separatism’: Myth, statistics and heavily armed Russian spetsnaz
Russian fighter calling for the destruction of Ukraine details military role played by Russia in Donbas
Navalny to debate with Russian Crimea & Donbas war criminal for nationalist votes
Tortured to Death for Defending Ukraine’s Flag and Ukrainian Unity
Russian war crimes in Ukraine are of interest, Mr Tillerson
Russia’s weapons of Ukraine’s destruction were not "found in Donbas mines"
TBC
Now you know how Russia "protects" the people of Ukraine.
This page will be tidied and added to from my archives, as I get time.
“The new Prime Minister of Crimea will be the leader of "Russian Unity"“, 27/2/2014, Ukrainian Pravda, https://web.archive.org/web/20140228102703/http://www.pravda.com.ua/news/2014/02/27/7016556/
.
See the 1991 referenda results at the top and the chain of events to Crimea’s 1997 autonomous constitution in the timeline 1945-1997:
Crimea - A long Timeline Chronology - Knowledge is Power
Sadly, Wikipedia is compromised on all pages relating to Crimea. I have shared my MS Word notes to date on the Crimea situation, and relevant surrounding circumstances, as a public resource. They are in progress and will be updated when I get time. Please correct or add anything I have missed, in the comments.
Gubarev video -
Please feel free to question, or submit links to other reliable evidence.