Deputy PM Reznikov: Those illegally resettled from Russia to Crimea will be deported

“The official policy of the Kremlin is to transfer population there from Russia, bypassing the official Ukrainian borders. The assimilation and displacement of the local population are ongoing. According to our information, half a million [people were resettled from Russia to Crimea], and this is contrary to international law, the relevant convention – this is a war crime. Therefore, an issue of responsibility will be raised. According to some official statements by the Crimean occupation authorities, from 700 thousand to 1 million [people were resettled from Russia to Crimea]. I do not know why they fake these statistics; it is necessary to check. But to date, with a population of 2.5 million in Crimea before the occupation, at least 500,000 people arrived there without being locals. We have different positions, up to deportation, and there are such calls. I am a supporter of legal procedure called deportation. This is an administrative procedure. If these citizens did not enter Crimea through Chonhar, Kalanchak or Chaplynka entry-exit checkpoints, then they stay in the territory of Ukraine illegally. And there will be consequences as everywhere in the civilized world – deportation,” Reznikov said on the air of Ukraine 24 TV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reported.

Reznikov also once again touched upon the issue of water supply to Crimea from mainland Ukraine.

“There is enough water for the civilian population in Crimea assuming that it is used in the ordinary course. The water they want to take from the mainland of Ukraine, they want to take, first of all, for military needs, because there is complete militarization of Crimea, the increase in the number of military contingent. We know this for sure, we are not sitting still, and our intelligence works very well, believe me. We know in detail why they need this water. We won’t give the occupier water to drink,” he said.

оl