Crimea - a year in Russian hands
It has been a year since Russia annexed Crimea. Now it is transforming the Black Sea peninsula into a military fortress. The biggest losers in this new situation are the Tatars.
When the weather is stormy in the Kerch Strait east of Crimea the ferry connection to mainland Russia can sometimes be interrupted for days. Traffic jams grow kilometers long, and the delivery of food and other goods to the peninsula cannot be guaranteed.Putin admits to preparing the annexation
When Russia annexed Crimea nearly a year ago the Kerch Strait became an important supply route. Moscow and Kyiv shut down all other connections - no planes flew, and no trains or passenger busses rolled. Those who wished to travel from Crimea to Russia, or the other way around, had to arrange private services, or walk. Kyiv shut off most of the water supply to the peninsula. Energy and some food deliveries continued to flow in through Ukraine, however.
In a recent documentary film for state television, the Russian president shared details about the annexation of Crimea. Vladimir Putin admitted to having made the decision to “repatriate” the former Russian peninsula at the end of February 2014. The Kremlin chief named a poll in which 75 percent of Crimean citizens supposedly claimed to want to be part of Russia as justification for his actions. According to Russian sources, more than 96 percent of residents voted accordingly in a “referendum” held on March 16, 2014 and guarded by Russian soldiers in unmarked uniforms. Ukraine, the UN General Assembly, and Western countries all condemned Russia’s actions as a violation of international law…
… The only thing that is clear is that Crimea’s 2.3 million residents are living in a new reality. Transportation problems are just one piece of the mosaic. When the West imposed sanctions on Russia, many US companies pulled out of the peninsula. There are no more McDonald’s; Visa and MasterCard, the world’s two largest credit card companies, no longer serve customers there; and the Apple Stores in Crimea have also been forced to close down.
The biggest changes have concerned the military. Russia is feverishly transforming Crimea into a fortress. According to Russian state media, the number of soldiers stationed on the peninsula could increase from the current 25,000, to over 40,000. Fuel deliveries for the army have more than doubled, and Russia is arming its troops with new tanks, ships and aircraft. There has also been speculation about stationing nuclear weapons there as well. Russia is not ruling that option out.