The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine stated that Russia is systematically turning the issue of water resources in the occupied territories into a tool of propaganda and justification for the war. The CPD reports this in its Telegram channel, writes UNN.
Details
Kremlin propaganda has for years used the topic of water in the occupied Ukrainian territories as a tool to justify its aggression and manipulate public opinion.
Analysts note that since 2014, Moscow has been building an entire disinformation system around the water deficit in Crimea. According to EUvsDisinfo, Russia consistently accused Ukraine of a "water blockade," although international law directly places the responsibility for providing basic needs of the population of the occupied territory on the occupying state.
After 2022, the Center emphasized, the Kremlin began to interpret the "water issue" as one of the alleged justifications for the full-scale invasion – from statements about the "liberation" of the North Crimean Canal to absurd claims that the Dnieper "belongs to Russia."
However, every time real problems with water supply arise in the temporarily occupied territories, the Russian Federation launches another wave of disinformation – from stories about "Putin's personal control" to fantasies about desalination of the Sea of Azov.
With these manipulations, Russia seeks to divert attention from the harsh reality – in 2025, large cities in the occupied east of Ukraine were left without water supply, and the situation will not improve in the near future. The responsibility for this lies solely with Russia.
Recall
Back in August, it was reported that, according to the Mariupol City Council, water in the city is supplied only once every two days and for a maximum of four hours.
Later, against the backdrop of a humanitarian catastrophe with water supply, the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine faced a sharp jump in prices for imported water – in just a few days, the price jumped from 50 to 80 rubles for a 5-liter bottle.
The occupiers began installing blue barrels with technical water, which have long been associated with water shortages in the captured Donbas. Now, the same barrels are appearing in Crimea.