Why is Crimea critical to the Russia–Ukraine war?

Video Duration 28 minutes 00 seconds 28:00 Russia annexed Crimea in 2014.

Now, more than four years into the current war, Ukraine is targeting the peninsula with increased drone attacks.

In response, authorities in the Russian-controlled region have declared a state of emergency, admitting they are facing challenging times.

This week, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the start of what he called a 40-day “influence operation” to push Russia to end the war.

But can Kyiv’s broader strategy successfully end the conflict?

And why is Crimea at the centre of this shift?

Presenter: James Bays Guests: Leonid Ragozin – Independent journalist who focuses on Russia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe Yulia Kazdobina – Senior Fellow in the Security Studies Programme at the Ukrainian Prism Foreign Policy Council Stefan Wolff – Professor of International Security at the University of Birmingham Published On 27 Jun 202627 Jun 2026 Save Share