Massive incendiary attack in Bakhmut shows Russia's 'scorched earth' tactics have turned the eastern Ukrainian city to rubble
Business InsiderAUG 2023
The Spin
Pro-Ukraine narrative
Ukrainian rhetoric about recapturing Crimea isn't bluster; it's one of Kyiv's key war aims. Russians illegally annexed Crimea in 2014, which is why Ukraine would put considerable effort into reintegrating the Crimean Peninsula back into the country if it regained the territory militarily. Any drone and missile strikes are aimed at preparing Crimea for de-occupation.
Pro-Russia narrative
The people of Crimea overwhelmingly voted in favor of joining the Russian Federation in 2014, and these types of assaults can't be tolerated. Besides, Zelensky's plan to annex Crimea is merely a fantasy, as Ukraine's army would first need to take over Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia. Battles over Crimea will not happen in the immediate future.