Freedom House deals honestly with the people, and a country that and the European-oriented politicians who replaced lives at peace with Its neighbors. him, were repeatedly labeled as present-day followers The Ukraine fact of Stepan Bandera, a controversial nationalist leader ° rane | actor . . who fought the Soviets and at times cooperated with The falsification of history that began during the early — F F _, ‘ . han the Nazis ina doomed campaign for an independent years of Putin's leadership has been intensified in the . . . . . . : ; . Ukraine during World War II. Russian media presented wake of the invasion of Ukraine and seizure of Crimea : F : + Gal. . the Russi le that . Bandera and his followers as unambiguous allies of mn be Pane e EERIEE Pee - ss WEB the Nazis, and highlighted their wartime atrocities. a form of low-intensity warfare against a neighbor was . . wustified. Putin has st d forts to depict th Russian media also featured a number of documenta- bead ae apr i ele ete Ee ee ries that emphasized Russian, as opposed to Soviet, West as antagonistic to Russian interests, launched . . oe : : _, resistance to Hitler. The objective was to equate a campaign to label those responsible for Ukraine's _ . : a ; : : contemporary Ukrainians who favored full sovereignty Maidan uprising as fascists, driven home the idea that . Lo . . . : -_ ; . : and independence from Russian influence with Nazi ethnic Russians living outside the Russian Federation , 5 : : - collaborators and pogromists. This served not only were under relentless persecution, and identified . f Russi ties of : vast Ukrai to explain Moscow's response, but also to deter any ussian CII Ics or aggression against Lisraine as a emulation of the Maidan protests in Russia itself. treasonous fifth column. The assault on academic freedom A recurring theme of post-Crimea propaganda is the Since the occupation of Crimea and invasion of east- notion that Russia faces the same threats from the ern Ukraine, it ha