A journalist from the American TV channel NBC came to shoot a report in the temporarily occupied Crimea via the Russian Crimea Bridge. This violates the legislation of Ukraine.
This is stated in the report published by the TV channel on February 28.
“NBC News reporter traveled to Crimea by train from Moscow via the Kerch Bridge, which was blown up in a strategic and symbolic blow to Putin last fall. It is now fully restored, but is likely to become a target again if hostilities reach the peninsula,” the article says.
In the NBC News story, they say that most of their interlocutors on the peninsula feel Russian and consider Crimea a part of the Russian Federation. The journalist also noted that the majority of the Russian-speaking population of the peninsula before Russiaʼs occupation of Crimea was more pro-Moscow than residents of other regions of Ukraine.
He also cites the words of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky about the de-occupation of Crimea, and also mentions the calls of the UN to return to “internationally recognized borders” and accusations from the UN Committee against Russia of extrajudicial killings, kidnappings, politically motivated persecution, discrimination and violence in Crimea.
“The targets of many of these human rights violations are alleged to be the Muslim ethnic minority, the Crimean Tatars, who have been persecuted for years and who have often led the opposition to Russian rule,” NBC News stated.
- A resolution of the UN General Assembly condemned the construction of the bridge as a gross violation of the UN Charter.
- On October 8, 2022, a truck exploded on the Crimean bridge connecting Russia and occupied Crimea. The explosion collapsed part of the spans and caused a large-scale fire — the trainʼs fuel tanks exploded. Russia announced a terrorist attack, and its authorities used the incident to justify missile strikes on Ukraine. Kyiv doesnʼt recognize its involvement in the explosion.
- In October, the Russian government set the task of repairing the Crimean bridge by the middle of 2023. The damage was previously described as “not serious”.
- On December 5, the Russian road administration announced the restoration of automobile traffic on the repaired part of the Crimean bridge after the explosion.