Russia spends billions of dollars on propaganda conferences in occupied Crimea – Dzheppar

First Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine Emine Dzheppar said this in an interview with Turkey’s Demirören News Agency.

“The Russian Federation, having occupied Crimea, seeks to legitimize its crimes with hybrid war tools. It spends billions of dollars on international conferences in the occupied Crimea. Inviting people from different countries to the peninsula, forcing them to tell about “how good life is in Crimea” to create an illusion,” Dzheppar said.

She pointed out that Russia is trying to destroy the heritage of Crimean Tatars, as it has done historically.

Dzheppar, on behalf of Ukraine and herself, thanked the Turkish state for supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine, Crimea and Crimean Tatars, and the President of Turkey for assisting in the release of political prisoners.

She recalled Turkey's intention to build 500 apartments for Crimean Tatars in the Kherson region and added that these initiatives could be extended to other regions of Ukraine.

As reported, Russia's planned armed aggression against Ukraine began on February 20, 2014 with a military operation by the Russian armed forces to seize part of Ukraine's territory - the Crimean Peninsula.

On March 16, 2014, a “"referendum on the status of Crimea" was held on the territory of Crimea and Sevastopol, as a result of which Russia annexed Crimea.

At the same time, Ukraine, the European Union, the United States and other countries did not recognize the results of the voting in the "referendum" and imposed sanctions against Russia.

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