Main news of the week:

▶ According to open-source information, explosions were reported on March 6 in the areas of the Saky and Kacha airfields. Explosions were also heard in the northern part of Sevastopol, as well as in Saky, and the settlements of Zaozerne and Novofedorivka in the Yevpatoriia district.

▶ After serving his full term of unlawful imprisonment, Crimean Tatar political prisoner Aziz Faizullaiev has been released. He had been sentenced by the occupiers to three years in a penal colony on fabricated charges of allegedly setting fire to the village council building in Pushkine.

Invaders’ crimes:

▶ As of March 3, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 221 individuals, including 137 Crimean Tatars. 

▶ 1242 cases were filed under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation in so-called “courts” in occupied Crimea. In 1101 cases, administrative fines or combined rulings were issued. Proceedings continue in 40 cases.

▶ Visually impaired Crimean activist Oleksandr Sizikov, unlawfully sentenced by Russia to 17 years in a high-security penal colony, has been transferred to a prison in Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, located 5,000 km from Crimea. The transfer process lasted more than two months. The political prisoner is currently held in a “quarantine” cell along with four other inmates.

▶ Volodymyr Ananiev, the oldest Ukrainian political prisoner, who was illegally detained by the occupiers on fabricated charges of allegedly planning a terrorist attack, has been transferred to Rostov-on-Don, Russia, for a “trial” conducted by the occupation administration.

Forcible conscription:

▶ At least 1850 Russian soldiers from units based in occupied Crimea have been killed, 1248 of whom were likely Ukrainian citizens. The actual number of casualties is believed to be higher as Russia conceals actual losses.

▶ At least 116 servicemen from occupied Crimea, most likely Ukrainian citizens, have been confirmed as captured.

Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:

▶ Agents of the ATESH resistance movement persistently continue their efforts against the occupiers in Crimea. This week, ATESH agents disrupted the occupiers’ logistics in the Dzhankoi district, tracking a fuel convoy en route to the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia region. As a result of the operation, a railway relay cabinet was destroyed, significantly complicating the fuel supply for Russian forces.

▶ The occupiers are actively using civilian sanatoriums in Crimea to house military personnel. In Zaozernе, Yevpatoriia district, approximately 300 rank-and-file and sergeant-level personnel, along with up to 30 officers and warrant officers, have occupied buildings of the Chaika sanatorium. The facility has been fortified with firing positions, observation posts, designated patrol routes, and guard shift schedules. The sanatorium is located close to civilian infrastructure, including a school, residential buildings, and recreational areas—an intentional tactic by the occupiers to use the civilian population as a “human shield.”

▶ Russian occupiers continue to strengthen the defense of the Zalyv shipyard bay in Kerch, constructing long-term defensive positions (pillboxes) and other fortifications using reinforced concrete structures. Additionally, barriers are being installed in the shipyard’s waters to counter potential attacks by Ukrainian naval drones.

Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:

▶ During the so-called “restoration” of the historical monument—the Khan’s Palace in Bakhchysarai—occupiers irreversibly destroyed a unique 16th-century wall fresco, mistaking it for old plaster. This artwork, preserved since the construction of the complex by Khan Sahib Geray in 1533, was dismantled by unqualified workers without the involvement of professional restorers.

Civil Resistance:

▶ The security forces of the occupation administration detained 34-year-old Simferopol resident Iryna Kirieieva for comments on social media in which she expressed support for Ukraine and criticized the actions of the occupation forces. A protocol was drawn up against her, and the case has been forwarded to the “court.”

▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement refuse to be intimidated by the occupiers and continue their struggle for the liberation of Crimea. Despite arrests and repression, they spread symbols of resistance, leaving blue-and-yellow signs, slogans, and graffiti, reminding everyone of the peninsula’s true identity. Their actions give hope to those awaiting liberation and send a clear message to the occupiers: fear will not overcome the will for freedom.

▶ Members of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement risk their lives daily to bring Crimea’s liberation closer. They expose agents of the occupation administration, track the movement of Russian troops, transmit intelligence to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, and document the aggressor’s crimes. Their activities include monitoring military infrastructure, uncovering schemes financing the occupation regime, and identifying collaborators. Thanks to their efforts, the world learns the truth about Russia’s repression and lawlessness in Crimea, while Ukrainian forces receive crucial information for the future liberation of the peninsula.

▶ Activists of the Zla Mavka movement wage an underground struggle against the occupiers, transforming city spaces into zones of resistance. They leave patriotic inscriptions, distribute poems, leaflets, and posters, and organize protest actions even under the harshest conditions of occupation. Through symbolic messages and bold actions, they signal Crimeans: the struggle continues, Ukraine has not forgotten Crimea, and its liberation is only a matter of time.

The Mission continues to receive inquiries from Ukrainian citizens who want to leave Crimea because they cannot tolerate the occupation and total propaganda. We remind you of our instructions on how to leave temporarily occupied Crimea: https://cutt.ly/FwtiajlS

We thank the aware Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea for their prompt reports on the situation on the Crimean Peninsula, in particular on the socio-economic situation, the positions of Russian troops, the resistance movements to the occupation, etc. For more information, please send an e-mail to the press service of the Mission:  [email protected].

Glory to Ukraine!