Main news of the week:

▶ On September 13, a 26-year-old Crimean Tatar woman, Leniie Umerova, was released in exchange to Ukraine, illegally imprisoned by the occupiers for her pro-Ukrainian stance in December 2022 when she was traveling to Crimea to care for her sick father.

▶ On September 16, Crimean Tatar Eldar Menumerov, who participated in the defense of Mariupol as part of the 12th Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, was released from Russian captivity as part of the exchange.

Invaders’ crimes:

▶ As of September 16, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 218 people, including 132 Crimean Tatars. Of the total number, 43 are arrested (28 of them are Crimean Tatars), 151 are imprisoned (97 of them are Crimean Tatars), and 26 are without status (6 of them are Crimean Tatars).

▶ There were 943 cases of filing of reports under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation to the so-called “courts” on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. In 836 of these cases, a decision was made to impose an administrative penalty in the form of a fine or to join the case to another case under another article and make a cumulative decision. In 18 cases, the consideration of materials is ongoing.

▶ In the Black Sea region of occupied Crimea, the occupation administration has brought electricity to land plots that are being illegally distributed to Russian occupation forces involved in the war against Ukraine.

▶ Remzi Bekirov, a civilian journalist from Crimea illegally convicted by Russia, is under severe pressure from the administration of the Russian colony in Khakasiia, where he was recently transferred. Since Bekirov’s transfer from prison to penal colony No. 33 in the Republic of Khakasiia, he has been systematically sent to a punishment cell. In addition, the political prisoner is prohibited from writing letters to his family and making calls.

▶ Political prisoner Riza Omerov, sentenced to 13 years in prison, reported on the vision problems and vitamin deficiency he suffered due to the poor conditions in the Russian prison.

▶ Arrested residents of Simferopol were forcibly taken from the pre-trial detention center to vote in the illegal elections to the so-called “parliament of Crimea” and local occupation “councils.” Before entering the voting room, the “voters” were instructed on what marks to put in the ballots, threatening collective consequences for spoiling the votes.

▶ On September 14, 2024, in Crimea, the occupiers illegally arrested an activist with visual impairments, Oleksandr Sizikov, and took him to an unknown destination. During his detention, Russian security forces threatened to use force against him and prosecute him for “failure to comply with the lawful demands of police officers.” He was unlawfully sentenced to 17 years in a penal colony, the first 4 of which he had to spend in prison. During the appeal, he remained under house arrest until the so-called “court of appeal” in Vlasykha, Russia, upheld the sentence on September 13, 2024.

Forcible conscription:

▶ At least, 1312 Russian army soldiers were buried. 762 of them were probably Ukrainian citizens. The number of burials may be higher, as a significant number of them take place without coverage.

▶  The capture of at least 48 Russian servicemen from occupied Crimea has been confirmed, most of whom are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.

Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:

▶ Activists of the ATESH resistance movement continue to record increased military presence at the so-called “Crimean Bridge.” In particular, they have spotted the movement of the S-300V system to cover the bridge from the north. The activists also conducted surveillance of the coast and bays of Sevastopol, during which it was found that most of the ships of the Russian Black Sea Fleet have left the Crimean ports and only occasionally appear in local waters.

▶ The occupation administration continues to take measures aimed at protecting the so-called “Crimean Bridge.” The deployment of regular Russian air defense forces and the installation of metal fences to protect the concrete piers of the bridge, which are about 600 meters long, have been recorded. Also, concrete tetrapods and metal structures similar to anti-tank “Czech hedgehogs” welded together appeared in the sea parallel to the bridge.

▶ In occupied Crimea, Russia continues to destroy the Khan’s Palace, a historical monument of the Crimean Tatar people in Bakhchysarai, under the guise of restoration. In particular, ancient tiles were replaced with Italian analogs, and more durable larch was used instead of Crimean pine.

Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:

▶  The occupation administration of Crimea plans to illegally revoke the status of 22 Crimean notaries because they have Ukrainian citizenship.

▶  Professor Ljubisa Folic of the University of Pristina, Kosovo, illegally came to occupied Crimea, where he lectured students of Sevastopol University.

▶  The Russian occupation administration in Crimea has established so-called “recruitment” standards for security forces – the number of detainees who must be forced to sign a contract with Russian troops in exchange for avoiding criminal liability for “crimes”.

▶  In Crimea, the occupation administration has begun actively blocking VPN services locals use to circumvent illegal blocking.

▶ Russia continues to illegally move its citizens to occupied Crimea. Since the beginning of 2024, more than 7 million passengers have arrived in Crimea by train from the territory of the Russian Federation. The total passenger traffic to Crimea this year increased by 107.3% compared to last year.  

Civil resistance:

▶ Russian security forces illegally arrested a resident of occupied Crimea on fabricated charges of allegedly passing data on the movement of occupation troops to the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The case was sent to the “court”.

▶ A resident of Sevastopol was illegally convicted by a so-called “court” for joining the Ukrainian Armed Forces. He was sentenced in absentia to 16 years in a strict regime colony with a 1.5-year restriction of freedom and a fine of 400 thousand rubles.

▶ Russian security forces illegally arrested a 51-year-old resident of Sevastopol on trumped-up charges of allegedly preparing a sabotage on the occupied peninsula. The materials were sent to the “court.”

▶  A resident of Armiansk expressed support for the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on social media. Russian security forces drew up a report against her, and the case file was sent to the “court.”

▶ A 54-year-old Sevastopol resident who criticized the occupation administration’s policies. Russian security forces detained him, and soon after, by an illegal decision of the so-called “court,” he was sentenced to a year in prison and 1 month in a general regime penal colony. He was also banned from administering websites on the Internet for 2.5 years.

▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continued to resist the occupiers in Crimea, destroying Russian propaganda materials, spreading patriotic symbols, and calling for resistance in the occupied cities of the peninsula. 

▶ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea. They publish information about their places of residence, phone numbers, routes of movement, and details about their cooperation with the occupation authorities. These actions complicate the activities of the occupation administration, undermine its control over the region, and increase distrust among collaborators.

▶ The Zla Mavka resistance movement continues to be active in the occupied territories of Crimea, distributing patriotic inscriptions and stickers in different parts of Simferopol, Yalta, Yevpatoriia, and other cities. In particular, activists distribute banknotes illustrating the liberated Crimea and the Ukrainian Armed Forces. They also observe that contrary to the policy of the occupation administration, the Ukrainian language remains in many Crimean settlements 10 years later, no matter how hard the occupiers try to hide it behind stickers and spray paint. 

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!