A Ukrainian heart beats in the ‘Russian’ Crimea: the lights turn Christmas yellow and blue

In Kerch, a Crimean town annexed by the Russians, the Christmas tree and Christmas lights shine in yellow and blue: the colors of the Ukrainian flag. And while Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued a decree for the granting of land in occupied Crimea to soldiers who have distinguished themselves in the war and the families of the fallen, the US has declared that Ukraine would have the military capacity to reconquer Crimea . And perhaps this is Kerck’s hope. Obviously the reconquest of the region annexed by Russia in 2014 could lead to a large-scale offensive and push the Russians to consider the use of nuclear weapons. “After 300 days of war, Ukraine has liberated around 54% of the maximum amount of extra territory captured by Russia since 24 February 2022,” writes the British Ministry of Defence. “Russia now controls about 18% of internationally recognized areas of Ukraine, including the Donbass and Crimea regions under Russian control since 2014.”