The Acting State Department Spokesperson, Marie Harf, has issued a statement regarding the situation of media in Crimea. According to Harf, "de facto authorities have shut down 11 of the 12 Crimean Tatar media outlets," including ATR TV, which was the last independent television station serving the Crimean Tatar population.
Harf further stated that occupation authorities have banned most Ukrainian language programming and replaced it with Russian content. She described these actions as part of a "worsening situation that demonstrates Russia’s disregard for the population of Crimea." The spokesperson highlighted that occupation authorities are systematically limiting freedom of expression and conducting an intimidation campaign against independent journalists, leading to their detention and prosecution.
Marie Harf emphasized that all residents of Crimea should have access to diverse news, opinion, and information sources. In her statement, she condemned "Russia’s abuses" and reiterated the call for an end to its occupation of Crimea, affirming that it is "part of Ukraine."