Main news of the week:
▶ According to open sources, explosions were heard in temporarily occupied Sevastopol during the night of February 9.
▶ Since the environmental disaster caused by the Russian tanker accident in the Kerch Strait on December 15, more than 1,300 tons of sand and soil contaminated with petroleum products have been collected along the shores of temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol. Cleanup efforts are underway along over 525 km of coastline in Crimea and 165 km in Sevastopol, while 18 tons of oil-containing waste have been removed from the Black Sea.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of February 10, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 218 individuals, including 132 Crimean Tatars. Of these, 43 are under arrest (28 Crimean Tatars), 151 are imprisoned (97 Crimean Tatars), and 26 are held without status (6 Crimean Tatars).
▶ 1203 cases were filed under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation in so-called “courts” in occupied Crimea. In 1058 cases, administrative fines or combined rulings were issued. Proceedings continue in 46 cases.
▶ The occupiers sentenced a Sevastopol resident to five years in a penal colony, with an additional one-year restriction of freedom, on fabricated charges of allegedly preparing a terrorist attack in Crimea on orders from Ukrainian intelligence services.
▶ Following searches of Crimean Tatars’ homes on February 5, the occupation “court” in Simferopol illegally arrested Emir Kurtnezirov, Rustem Mustafaiev, Abibulla Smedliaiev, Bakhtiiar Ablaiev, and Myrzaali Tazhybaiev. All of them will remain in custody until April 4, 2025.
▶ Rustem Seitkhalilov, a Crimean political prisoner illegally sentenced to 14 years in a high-security penal colony, is being denied the right to stand for morning prayers in Correctional Colony No. 9 in Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, Russia. He also suffers from severe headaches and lower back pain. For five days, the prison administration administered injections that only temporarily alleviated his condition.
▶ A court in the Russian city of Vlasikha, Moscow region, rejected the appeal of Crimean political prisoner Ansar Osmanov, who was unlawfully sentenced to 20 years in a high-security penal colony.
▶ On February 6, 2025, Russian security forces conducted a raid on the home of Crimean Tatar activist Seitnebi Ramazanov, the father of former political prisoner Ismail Ramazanov, in the village of Rodnykove, Simferopol district. The search lasted several hours, during which personal belongings of Ismail, including documents, photographs, and a mobile phone, were seized. Seitnebi Ramazanov remains outside the peninsula at this time.
▶ A court in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, has extended the unlawful detention of Crimean Tatars Seidamet Mustafaiev, Eldar Yakubov, Abdulmedzhyt Seitumerov, Ruslan Asanov, Ametkhan Umerov, and Remzi Nimetulaiev.
▶ There is still no contact with Crimean Tatar Servet Haziiev, who was unlawfully sentenced to 13 years in a high-security penal colony. In December 2024, the occupiers transferred him from Pretrial Detention Center No. 2 in the Vladimir region, Russia, to an unknown location.
▶ On February 5, at 4 a.m., security forces conducted unlawful searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in the villages of Istochne, Novokrymske, and Lobanove in the temporarily occupied Dzhankoi district of Crimea. Among those detained was 29-year-old agronomist Emir Kurtnezirov from Lobanovo, whose father, Remzi, has been under house arrest for nearly a year. Also detained were 33-year-old Abibulla Smedliaiev from Novokrymske and 37-year-old Rustem Mustafaiev from Istochne. At 7 a.m., reports emerged of another search at the home of 44-year-old chef Myrzaali Tazhybaiev in the village of Yarke Pole, Feodosiia district. By 9 a.m., a fifth raid had been conducted in the village of Kovylne, Dzhankoi district, resulting in the detention of Bakhtiiar Ablaiev.
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 1,761 Russian soldiers from units based in occupied Crimea have been killed, 1,181 of whom were likely Ukrainian citizens. The actual number of casualties is believed to be higher as Russia conceals actual losses.
▶ At least 115 servicemen from occupied Crimea, most likely Ukrainian citizens, have been confirmed as captured.
Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:
▶ Agents of the ATESH movement report the withdrawal of certain Russian occupation forces’ anti-aircraft missile units from Crimea to Russia. Some systems, including those belonging to the 31st Air Defense Division, are already being redeployed from the peninsula.
▶ According to open sources, Russian occupiers continue to construct fortifications along roads in the northern and northwestern districts of Crimea. Defensive positions have been identified near Dzhankoi, Voinka, Rozdolne, and Chornomorske, with at least 80 fortifications recorded, though the actual number may be significantly higher. The occupiers are using sandbags and old car tires for construction.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ The occupiers continue to list the Foros and Saky sanatoriums for sale, which were unlawfully “nationalized” in 2014. The sale includes buildings and land plots, some of which are located in protected areas.
▶ The occupation administration continues to exploit Crimea’s natural resources as part of Russia’s expansionist policies. Mass deforestation in the peninsula’s parks is being carried out to supply firewood to Russian occupation forces, which is then transported to occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions. This campaign, cynically named “Warm Dugouts,” serves as a propaganda tool, involving not only the military but also local youth. In early February, the occupiers had already removed two truckloads of firewood from the Children’s Park in Simferopol.
▶ The occupiers continue to use the Artek children’s camp as a propaganda tool. This week, they opened an exhibition there, ostensibly dedicated to the camp’s 100th anniversary, but in reality aimed at indoctrinating children and manipulating historical heritage to promote the narrative of the “normalcy” and “righteousness” of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Additionally, the camp administration has provided three buses for the needs of Russian occupation forces and has organized a letter-writing campaign in their support.
Civil Resistance:
▶ The occupiers have detained 64-year-old Bekir Huhuryk, a resident of the Kherson region and the brother of 53-year-old Rustem Huhuryk, who was previously unlawfully sentenced by a Russian court to 8.5 years in a high-security penal colony. Both brothers are being prosecuted under fabricated charges of alleged involvement with the Noman Çelebicihan Battalion of Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
▶ The occupiers have arrested 48-year-old Bakhcysarai resident Oleh Shevchenko for comments on social media in which he expressed support for Ukraine and refused to recognize Russian control over the peninsula. Specifically, the local resident criticized the actions of the occupying forces and voiced support for Ukraine’s Armed Forces.
▶ Kherson region resident Yevhen Hetman has consistently supported Ukraine and the Armed Forces on social media since 2022. Following the full-scale invasion, he actively commented on posts by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and openly expressed his pro-Ukrainian stance. The occupiers detained him in Crimea and forced him to “confess” on camera. An administrative protocol was filed against him, and the case materials have been transferred to the so-called “court.”
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue their activities in Crimea despite increasing pressure from the occupiers. They place blue and yellow ribbons in public spaces, leave messages calling for resistance, and distribute leaflets and symbols that reinforce the Ukrainian identity of the peninsula. Their presence serves as a signal to Crimeans that the struggle continues and that those who oppose the occupation are not alone.
▶ Members of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement risk their safety daily to fight against the occupiers by exposing collaborators and war criminals in the temporarily occupied peninsula. Their activities include gathering and transmitting intelligence on the locations, movement routes, financial operations, and connections of individuals affiliated with the occupation administration. They monitor military sites, document the illegal use of civilian infrastructure, and spread information that debunks Russian propaganda. Their work is aimed not only at documenting the crimes of the occupation regime but also at supporting Crimeans who resist, reminding them that Crimea is Ukraine.
▶ Activists of the Zla Mavka movement resist the Russian occupation of Crimea by defending freedom and human rights. They leave patriotic graffiti on walls, distribute stickers and leaflets that remind residents of the strength of the Ukrainian spirit, and call for unity and resistance. Their actions not only challenge the occupiers’ propaganda myths but also shatter the illusion of their absolute control. At the same time, these activists document repressive actions against Crimeans, exposing systemic human rights violations and drawing international attention to the ongoing fight for the liberation of the peninsula.
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!