The people of Ukraine are fighting to maintain their daily routine despite Russia’s brutal attempts to deny Ukraine’s sovereignty and suppress their identity and culture.
Russia’s “annexation playbook” seeks to undermine all aspects of civilian life in Ukraine.
As it did in 2014 in Crimea, Russia implemented tighter controls when it staged sham referenda in four of Ukraine’s regions in September. The Kremlin used the bogus results to attempt to annex Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya regions. On October 12, the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s attempted annexation and declared it illegal and without effect.
Leading up to the sham referendums, the Kremlin stepped up false claims those territories were already “part of Russia” and introduced severe measures that affected schools, employment and family life. Similar measures were implemented in other areas of Ukraine that Russia’s forces control — or temporarily controlled until Ukraine’s forces liberated them, such as the city of Kherson in November.
Russia calls the school curriculum it is imposing on Ukraine the “Russian World” project. Teachers in parts of Ukraine under Russia’s control who oppose the curriculum face reprisals, including arrest and imprisonment. When some of Ukraine’s teachers resigned in protest, Moscow said it would send teachers from Russia to fill the gap.
Kremlin-installed authorities also have threatened to separate children from families who...
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