18 Eye Opening Photos Of The Russian Occupation Of Crimea

Without a minute to spare following Sochi’s end, Vladimir Putin sent troops to Crimea on the supposed grounds of protecting its people from “fascist” opposition forces. Crimea is historically a pro-Russian area, and therefore an easy point of entry for Russian forces seeking to maintain power over the country in flux. The fear (for some), of course, is that Russia will try to expand its influence and seize control of other parts of Ukraine and re-assert its cultural and political dominance. With talk of annexing Crimea in the works, many in western parts of Ukraine are looking to Europe and the United States for help. Good luck getting that, though — imposing economic sanctions on Russia could mean EU leaders’ gas would get a great deal more expensive. And amid their own feeble economic recovery, that’s the last thing they want. Meanwhile, photos from Crimea present a populace that doesn’t seem to mind Russian presence.

All photos are from Al Jazeera and Heavy.