DISINFO: Armenia resumes flights to Crimea
SUMMARY
The authorities of Crimea and Armenia have completed negotiations on the resumption of flights between the peninsula and Yerevan. Pegas airlines has received permission to operate seven flights a week on the Simferopol-Yerevan route. Flights to Armenia will resume this spring.
RESPONSE
A popular pro-Kremlin disinformation narrative about the "international recognition of the Russian status" of the occupied Ukrainian peninsula. Similar fake stories were already circulating in the Russian media last December, claiming that Russia had given permission for the Crimea-Armenia route. At that time, Armenia refuted the rumours, saying there had been no negotiations with any Russian airline, no proposals had been submitted and there was no agreement. A few weeks later, rumours about the launch of flights from annexed Crimea to Yerevan resurfaced and once again turned out to be fake. On 10 January, the Armenian Civil Aviation Administration issued a statement saying they had not held negotiations with Russian airlines regarding flights from Yerevan to Simferopol, nor had they received any requests in this regard from any airlines. Despite official denials on the part of Armenia, Russian media continue to push fake stories about the international status of Simferopol airport. On 13 January during a press conference in Yerevan, the chairman of the Armenian Civil Aviation Administration Committee Tatevik Revazian refuted these Russian claims again. See a similar case here.