Transition and aftermath Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation

1 transition , aftermath

1.1 economic implications
1.2 human rights situation
1.3 crimean public opinion

transition , aftermath
economic implications

the number of tourists visiting crimea in 2014 season lower in previous years due combination of western sanctions, ethical objections ukrainians, , difficulty of getting there russians. russian government attempted stimulate flow of tourists subsidizing holidays in peninsula children , state workers russia worked state-owned hotels. in 2015 overall 3 million tourists visited crimea according official data, while before annexation around 5.5 million on average. shortage attributed stopped flow of tourists ukraine. hotels , restaurants experiencing problems finding enough seasonal workers, arriving ukraine in preceding years. tourists visiting state-owned hotels complaining low standard of rooms , facilities, of them unrepaired soviet times.

according german newspaper die welt, annexation of crimea economically disadvantageous russian federation. russia have spend billions of euros year pay salaries , pensions. moreover, russia have undertake costly projects connect crimea russian water supply , power system because crimea has no land connection russia , @ present (2014) gets water, gas , electricity mainland ukraine. require building bridge , pipeline across kerch strait. also, novinite claims ukrainian expert told die welt crimea not able attract tourists .

the first deputy minister of finance of russian federation tatyana nesterenko said in interview forbes woman decision annex crimea made russian president vladimir putin exclusively, without consulting russia s finance ministry.

the russian business newspaper kommersant expresses opinion russia not acquire economically accessing crimea, not developed industrially, having few big factories, , yearly gross product $4 billion. newspaper says russia have delivered sea, higher costs of transportation result in higher prices everything, , avoid decline in living standards russia have subsidise crimean people few months. in total, kommersant estimates costs of integrating crimea russia in $30 billion on next decade, i.e. $3 billion per year.

on other hand, western oil experts estimate russia s seizing of crimea, , associated control of area of black sea more 3 times land area gives access oil , gas reserves potentially worth trillions of dollars. deprives ukraine of chances of energy independence. however, analysts say, moscow s acquisition may alter route along south stream pipeline built, saving russia money, time , engineering challenges. allow russia avoid building in turkish territorial waters, necessary in original route avoid ukrainian territory.

russian/chechen businessman ruslan baisarov (ru) announced ready invest 12 billion rubles construction of modern sea resort in crimea, expected create 1,300 jobs. ramzan kadyrov, head of chechnya, said other chechen businessmen planning invest crimea well.

the russian federal service communications (roskomnadzor) warned transition period russian operators have change numbering capacity , subscribers. country code replaced ukrainian +380 russian +7. codes in crimea start 65, in area of 7 6 given kazakhstan shares former soviet union +7 russia, city codes have change. regulator assigned 869 dialling code sevastopol , rest of peninsula received 365 code. @ time of unification russia, telephone operators , internet service providers in crimea , sevastopol connected outside world through territory of ukraine. minister of communications of russia, nikolai nikiforov announced on twitter account postal codes in crimea have six-figures: existing five-digit number number 2 added @ beginning. example, simferopol postal code 95000 become 295000.

regarding crimea s borders, head of russian federal agency development of state border facilities (rosgranitsa) konstantin busygin, speaking @ meeting led russian deputy prime minister dmitry rogozin in simferopol, capital of crimea said russian state border in north of crimea which, according claims, forms part of russian-ukrainian border, equipped necessary facilities. in area forms border between crimea , ukraine mining salt lake inlets sea constitute natural borders, , in spit of land left on stretches of no-man s-land wire on either side created. on june year prime minister dmitry medvedev signed government resolution №961 dated 5 june 2014 establishing air, sea, road , railway checkpoints. adopted decisions create legal basis functioning of checkpoint system @ russian state border in republic of crimea , sevastopol.

in year following annexation, armed men seized various crimean businesses, including banks, hotels, shipyards, farms, gas stations, bakery, dairy, , yalta film studio. russian media have noted trend returning 90 s , perceived period of anarchy , rule of gangs in russia.

in 2015 investigative committee of russia announced number of theft , corruption cases in infrastructure projects in crimea, example spending exceeded actual accounted costs 3 times. number of russian officials arrested corruption, including head of federal tax inspection.

(according february 2016 official ukrainian figures) after russia s annexation 10% of security service of ukraine personnel left crimea; accompanied 6,000 of pre-annexation 20,300 people strong ukrainian army.

human rights situation

in march 2014, human rights watch reported pro-ukrainian activists , journalists had been attacked, abducted, , tortured. crimeans disappeared no explanation.

on 9 may 2014 new anti-extremist amendment criminal code of russia, passed in december 2013, came force. article 280.1 designated incitement of violation of territorial integrity of russian federation (incl. calls secession of crimea russia) criminal offense in russia, punishable fine of 300 thousand roubles or imprisonment 3 years. if such statements made in public media or internet, punishment obligatory works 480 hours or imprisonment 5 years.

following annexation of crimea, according report released on russian government run president of russia s council on civil society , human rights website, tatars opposed russian rule have been persecuted, russian law restricting freedom of speech has been imposed, , new pro-russian authorities liquidated kiev patriarchate orthodox church on peninsula. crimean tatar television station shut down russian authorities.

map denoting subdivisions of ukraine , percentage of people indicated russian native language in latest local census. sevastopol identifies highest @ 90.6% followed crimea @ 77.0%.

after annexation, on 16 may new russian authorities of crimea issued ban on annual commemorations of anniversary of deportation of crimean tatars stalin in 1944, citing possibility of provocation extremists reason. previously, when crimea controlled ukraine, these commemorations had taken place every year. pro-russian crimean authorities banned mustafa dzhemilev, human rights activist, soviet dissident, member of ukrainian parliament, , former chairman of mejlis of crimean tatars entering crimea. additionally, mejlis reported, officers of russia s federal security service (fsb) raided tatar homes in same week, on pretense of suspicion of terrorist activity . tatar community did hold commemorative rallies in defiance of ban. in response russian authorities flew helicopters on rallies in attempt disrupt them.

in may 2015, local activist, alexander kostenko, sentenced 4 years in penal colony. lawyer, dmitry sotnikov, said case fabricated , client had been beaten , starved. crimean prosecutor natalia poklonskaya announced judging not [kostenko], idea of fascism , nazism, trying raise head once again. sotnikov responded there fabricated cases in russia, such humiliation , physical harm. living person being tortured political idea, able boast winning on fascism. in june 2015, razom released report compiling human rights abuses in crimea. in 2016 annual report, council of europe made no mention of human rights abuses in crimea because russia had not allowed monitors enter.

in december 2016, united nations general assembly voted on resolution on human rights in occupied crimea. called on russian federation take measures necessary bring immediate end abuses against residents of crimea, in particular reported discriminatory measures , practices, arbitrary detentions, torture , other cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment, , revoke discriminatory legislation. urged russia release ukrainian citizens unlawfully detained , judged without regard elementary standards of justice.

according united nations , multiple ngos, russian federation responsible multiple human rights abuses , instances of discrimination in crimea since illegal annexation.

crimean public opinion

a joint survey american government agency broadcasting board of governors , polling firm gallup taken during april 2014. polled 500 residents of crimea. survey found 82.8% of polled believed results of crimean status referendum reflected views of crimeans, whereas 6.7% said did not. 73.9% of polled said thought annexation have positive impact on lives, whereas 5.5% said not. 13.6% said did not know.

a comprehensive poll released on 8 may 2014 pew research centre surveyed crimean opinions on annexation. despite international criticism of 16 march referendum on crimean status, 91% of crimeans polled thought vote free , fair, , 88% said ukrainian government should recognise results.