EUvsDisinfo: When propaganda replaces policy: Russia’s water crisis in occupied Ukraine
On September 30, 2025, Russia marked the anniversary of the “unification of the new regions“ – as pro-Kremlin propaganda calls the occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. Russia marks the occasion by minting coins depicting Ukrainian lands and organizing lavish concerts at which prominent Russian celebrities praise how Moscow “takes care” of the occupied territories. Through these carefully organized events, the Kremlin seeks to portray these territories as stable and prosperous – a propaganda spectacle designed to mask the harsh reality on the ground, which bears no resemblance to the polished picture.
A telling example of what life is really like in the occupied territories is the ongoing water crisis. Ever since the first Russian invasion in 2014, these regions have faced a serious shortage of drinking water – a problem that has worsened since 2022 and is now causing the Kremlin a major headache. For which he prescribed the following medicine for himself: a constant stream of propaganda and disinformation.
The Myth of Crimea's "Water Ecocide"
Until 2014, Crimea received 85% of its water through the North Crimean Canal - a large-scale hydraulic facility that diverted water from the Dnieper River to the peninsula. After the occupation and Russia's refusal to negotiate or pay for this valuable resource, Ukraine cut off Crimea's water supply and built a temporary dam in the Kherson region.
For a while, thanks to the Crimean reservoirs, the Kremlin was able to downplay the problem. However, war-related demands soon disrupted Crimea's water balance. The Russian occupation army in Crimea used large amounts of water for its own needs. The artificial population growth of the peninsula due to the mass settlement of Russians also put pressure on water resources. By 2016, the water shortage had become serious enough for Moscow to turn the issue into a political weapon. At a meeting of the UN Security Council in November 2016, Russian representative Pyotr Ilyichev accused Ukraine of conducting a "water blockade" that violated human rights and international norms. The accusation failed to take into account one fundamental fact: under international law, the occupying state is responsible for providing the basic needs of the population.
Russia then constructed a complex narrative of how Ukraine was committing “water ecocide“ and even filed a case against it at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). In 2023, the court ultimately dismissed Russia's claim, and the Kremlin media largely ignored the news. From a disinformation perspective, the court story had already scored a point in Russia's favor – namely, reinforcing the narrative of Russia's sacrifice and moral superiority in the face of the unjust West.
They blame the West and promise miracles
In addition to Ukraine, the Kremlin also blames the “evil and aggressive West“ – claims that the “water blockade of Crimea is part of the anti-Russian strategy“ of the EU and the US. Some narratives border on the absurd: according to propagandists, since the Dnieper River originates in Russia, its water “belongs“ to Moscow. They even threatened “to cut off the river“ from Ukraine.
To cover up the worsening real situation with water resources, pro-Kremlin disinformation channels have flooded the public with promises of engineering wonders. The Kremlin has promised to build an underwater tunnel under the Black Sea to supply Crimea with Russian water. The idea of extracting water from the bottom of sea caves, where “freshwater springs gush directly from the bottom of the Black Sea“, has even been floated. The propagandists have also claimed that a plane will be sent that “will cause rain by directing precipitation from clouds over water bodies“.
None of these promises were fulfilled. The local population got used to the water regime and endless queues in front of the water carriers who delivered drinking water several times a week. At the same time, the Russian army dug new wells and built water pipelines for its own needs, while preparing for the invasion.
Water - a pretext for war
So, by 2022, water propaganda had become a pretext for military aggression. Russia did not hide that one of its military goals in Ukraine was to create a land corridor from Russia to the occupied Crimea and gain control of the North Crimean Canal - this was presented as a “liberation” mission to restore water to the peninsula. Within days, Russian forces occupied hydraulic facilities in Ukraine’s Kherson region, and state media portrayed the move as a triumph: that Moscow had kept its promise to save Crimea from drought.
The thesis that restoring Crimea’s water supply could somehow legitimize the Russian invasion has even permeated Western discourse. In October 2022, Elon Musk included guaranteeing Crimea’s water supply among the points of his controversial Russia-Ukraine peace proposal, which he posted on his „Twitter“.
In reality, this so-called victory proved hollow. Even Kremlin-friendly commentators have admitted that water losses in the canal have reached 40% and have accused Kiev of failing to maintain infrastructure that has been under Russian occupation for years.
Since then, water supplies in southern Ukraine, including Crimea, have declined. In 2023, while holding back a Ukrainian counteroffensive, the Russian army blew up the Kakhovka dam. This created a new emergency for all facilities that relied on water from the Dnieper. And because there was no one to blame for the “water ecocide“ in Crimea, the Russian authorities began to cover up the problem - which is also a control mechanism that the Kremlin uses to carry out its manipulations.
Thirst and Patriotism
In 2025, the water supply problem in the occupied parts of Eastern Ukraine became critical. Independent reports show a bleak picture that contrasts sharply with official messages. Large cities such as Donetsk and Mariupol only receive water for a few hours every two or three days. Hospitals, kindergartens and schools are among the first to suffer when the water stops - entire regions rely on water delivered by tankers that arrive only once or twice a week, forcing residents to queue for hours to fill a few bottles.
In response, the Kremlin has waged a manipulative campaign, calling the humanitarian catastrophe "temporary difficulties and minor inconveniences". State media reports that "Putin is personally dealing with the problem" and that "kilometers of main water pipes are being repaired". The Kremlin has promised Donbass large-scale infrastructure projects, including desalination of water from the Sea of Azov “as in Israel and South Korea“. According to propaganda messages, “very soon“ the region will have so much water that the front line will become a tourist destination, where new luxury resorts will be built.
In addition, commentators call on the population to approach the “unpleasant situation“ with heroic stoicism in the name of the great empire: “We have no choice but to be patient and wait. May this patience be rewarded as soon as possible!“ Meanwhile, in September 2025, information appeared that Russia was planning to criminalize the publication of news about the water shortage. The Kremlin's classic tactic is not to solve the problem, but to bury it and solidify the myth of a prosperous Russia.
Managing perception, not reality
From Crimea to Donbas, Moscow is turning water into a convenient tool for manipulation. The crisis has had different phases – from the myth of Ukraine’s “water blockade” to the fantasy of underwater tunnels and the rhetoric of “heroic patience”. And they all reflect a common pattern: the Kremlin’s strategy of covering up its governance failures through propaganda. When Russia cannot provide stability and basic services to its population, it provides…talk. The taps may run dry, but the propaganda – never.
EUvsDisinfo/ translation: Representation of the European Commission in Bulgaria