It was stated by department spokesman Oleg Nikolenko on Twitter.

"BBC News Russian, do not support Russia's false narratives. Sevastopol and Simferopol have never been Russian cities. Crimea is not annexed but occupied. International law matters", - he wrote.

Russia's BBC service on the night on 24 of January, summing up the results of protests in Russia in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, said that mass protests took place in 122 cities in Russia and 78 cities outside the country. At the same time, occupied Sevastopol and Simferopol appear in this list as "Russian", and at the bottom of this list is a note that "Russia annexed Crimea and Sevastopol in 2014".

This publication also outraged the head of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people Refat Chubarov.

The Russian edition of the BBC, what the hell? When did Sevastopol and Simferopol become Russian cities, as shown on your website? Let no one is misled by the link that the Air Force posted under the image of the map: "Russia annexed Crimea and Sevastopol in 2014." 99, 99% of readers read the title of the material, and it clearly says "Rallies in support of Alexei Navalny in Russia on 23rd of January, 2021", - Chubarov wrote on his Facebook page.

The BBC has not yet responded to the comments.

What is known

• Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are pushing for EU sanctions against Russian officials responsible for suppressing protests in support of opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
• Several dozen people came to the manifestation, which gathered in Lenin Square in occupied Simferopol on 23rd of January in support of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.
• Protests in support of opposition politician Alexei Navalny, who was remanded in custody for 30 days, took place across Russia on 23rd of January.
• The European Parliament will demand that the European Union immediately stop the construction of the Nord Stream-2 gas pipeline and impose sanctions on Russia over the detention of Alexei Navalny.