Putin's State TV Host Appears To Admit Crimea Is Not Part of Russia

A Russian state TV presenter appears to have admitted that the illegally annexed Black Sea peninsula of Crimea is not part of Russia.

A 35-second clip featuring Kremlin propagandist Olga Skabeyeva's comments during a broadcast on Russia-1 was shared on X, formerly Twitter, by Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to Ukraine's minister of internal affairs, on Tuesday.

The Black Sea peninsula was illegally annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2014, but is internationally recognized as Ukrainian. President Volodymyr Zelensky last summer pledged to recapture Crimea, and since then, Ukraine has twice struck the strategically vital Kerch Strait Bridge which links the peninsula to Russia.

"There was just now a discussion about the Taurus [missiles]. The decision is practically made," a TV host began, referring to the Taurus KEPD-350 missile, which Germany is considering sending to Ukraine.

"According to the announced figures, [the missile's range] is 500 kilometers, but in fact, the potential of TAURUS missiles is somewhat different—up to 750 [kilometers]. Add in the fuel tanks capacity, and that's another 15 percent bringing the number to 900 kilometers," he continued.

Skabeyeva, who has been dubbed the "Iron Doll of Putin TV" due to her criticism of the Russian opposition, interjected, and appeared to suggest that Crimea is not part of the Russian Federation.

"Obviously, they are not going to hit the territory of the Russian Federation as it really [would be] the Third World Nuclear War itself. So they're probably going to hit Crimea, judging by the footage we're getting more and more often," she said.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Foreign Ministry via email for comment.

Ukraine's counteroffensive to recapture territory seized by Russia throughout the war is now in its third month. While efforts have focused on Ukraine's eastern and southern regions, there have been an increasing number of explosions reported in Crimea.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that its air defense system shot down a Ukrainian drone over the peninsula at about 11 a.m.

Ukraine's latest strike on the Kerch Bridge, on July 17, damaged its crucial railway, contrary to Russian claims that the attack affected only the roadway on spans of the structure, satellite photos sent exclusively to Newsweek by Molfar, a global open-source intelligence agency, earlier this month, show.

Molfar assessed this will hinder Russia's ability to transport heavy equipment to Crimea, and could have serious strategic implications for the Russian military presence in the region.

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