Main news of the week:
▶ Reports from open sources indicate that on the morning of March 12, a nighttime drone attack targeted Crimea and the Black Sea. In particular, five to six powerful explosions were heard in Saky. Additional explosions were also reported in Saky and Yevpatoriia on March 15.
▶ On March 13, it was confirmed that Crimean Tatar political prisoner Rustem Virati had died in a Russian penal colony. The occupiers arrested him in the spring of 2023 on fabricated charges. Following his unlawful detention, Rustem suffered severe torture and brutal beatings at the hands of the occupiers.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of March 18, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 220 individuals, including 133 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.
▶ Unlawfully sentenced to 13 years in prison, 64-year-old Crimean Tatar activist Servet Gaziiev has been transferred to a correctional colony in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskyi, Kamchatka Krai, Russia. He is now more than 12,500 kilometers away from Crimea. The transfer took over two months, and he was only able to contact his family in February.
▶ Unlawfully sentenced 65-year-old Crimean Tatar Nasrulla Seidaliev is in critical condition in a penal colony in Minusinsk, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia. Due to the worsening of chronic illnesses, he spent 21 days in a Krasnoyarsk hospital but did not receive proper medical treatment. As a result, his condition deteriorated significantly: his blood pressure spiked, swelling in his limbs worsened, and severe varicose disease made movement difficult. Despite his critical state, the colony administration refuses to provide him with necessary medical care.
▶ An occupation “court” sentenced Yalta resident Petro Zhytkyi to 24 years in prison on fabricated charges of allegedly “attempting” to assassinate collaborator Oleh Tsaryov. The first five years will be served in prison, with the remainder in a high-security colony. He was also fined 800,000 rubles.
▶ In Sevastopol, a 30-year-old man was sentenced to 17 years in a penal colony for allegedly attempting to blow up the home of a Russian serviceman. In addition, he was fined 300,000 rubles.
▶ An occupation “court” unlawfully placed a 29-year-old resident of Kerch in pre-trial detention on accusations of alleged cooperation with the Main Directorate of Intelligence of Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense.
▶ An occupation “court” sentenced Crimean Tatar Fevziie Yakhiaieva for a social media post featuring a video in support of Ukraine.
▶ Crimean political prisoner Asan Akhtemov, unlawfully sentenced by the occupiers to 15 years in a high-security penal colony, was illegally transferred to a colony in the Arkhangelsk region. During his transfer from Crimea, his health significantly deteriorated, and upon arrival at the colony, he was placed in quarantine.
▶ A Russian appellate court upheld the sentence of Vladyslav Afanasiev, who was unlawfully sentenced to 15 years on fabricated charges of alleged “treason.”
▶ Russian administrations have transferred abducted journalist from Nova Kakhovka, Serhii Tsyhipa, who was unlawfully sentenced in occupied Crimea to 13 years in a high-security penal colony on fabricated charges of alleged “espionage,” from a colony in Skopin, Ryazan region, to Moscow.
▶ Marlen Mustafaiev, unlawfully sentenced by the occupiers to 17 years in a high-security penal colony, is being transferred from occupied Crimea to a penal colony in Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, more than 5,000 kilometers away from Crimea.
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 1856 Russian soldiers from units based in occupied Crimea have been killed, 1252 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 movement successfully carried out a sabotage operation near Sevastopol on the night of March 9. Explosions occurred just before the arrival of a railway train carrying ammunition, significantly disrupting the occupiers’ logistics. Additionally, agents detected the relocation of a Project 1124M Albatros small anti-submarine ship to Inkerman.
▶ The occupiers continue to use occupied Crimea as a military base and a launchpad for aggression against Ukraine, particularly by training foreign mercenaries. Russia is actively recruiting fighters from Cuba and African countries to bolster its military efforts.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ The occupation administration continues to actively involve children in its militarized structures to instill a pro-Russian and anti-Ukrainian worldview. The number of minors recruited into the Yunarmiya and similar organizations has already reached approximately 45,000.
▶ In temporarily occupied Yevpatoriia, the occupiers staged another propaganda event called the “Victory Relay Race.” The event took place at the Red Hill memorial complex with the participation of representatives from the occupation administration.
▶ Due to the negligence of the occupation administration, the energy crisis in Crimea continues to worsen. This week, nearly 7,500 residents of occupied Yalta and the village of Massandra were left without electricity. Despite this, the occupation administration is failing to take effective measures to address the problem, instead attempting to conceal the true scale of the energy collapse by insisting that the situation is “under control.”
Civil Resistance:
▶ The occupiers detained a resident of Dzhankoi, accusing him of allegedly passing coordinates of military targets to Ukrainian intelligence services. An administrative protocol has been filed against him, and the case has been sent to court.
▶ In Dzhankoi, the occupiers initiated a criminal case against a local resident on fabricated charges of collecting information about Russian military facilities and allegedly having contact with Ukrainian intelligence services.
▶ In Alushta, the occupiers detained Anna Fedotova on charges of supporting Ukraine’s Armed Forces and condemning Russian aggression on social media. An administrative protocol has been filed against her, and the case has been referred to the “court.”
▶ A resident of Simferopol was detained by the occupiers for posting comments in support of Ukraine and criticizing Russian occupation forces on social media. A protocol was filed against her, and the case was sent to the “court.”
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue their peaceful protest against the Russian occupation, using yellow ribbons, leaflets, graffiti, and other forms of informational resistance. This week, they held an action marking the 211th anniversary of Taras Shevchenko’s birth. Pro-Ukrainian leaflets were placed on the poet’s monument in Yevpatoriia, as well as on the streets of Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Yalta.
▶ Activists of the Zla Mavka movement persist in their resistance, transforming the streets of occupied Crimea into a space of defiance. Through patriotic graffiti, leaflets, and stickers, they demonstrate the resilience of the Ukrainian spirit, dismantling the illusion of the occupiers’ total control. Their activities focus on debunking Russian propaganda and drawing attention to human rights violations in the region.
▶ Members of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement continue to gather and publish information about collaborators and Russian war criminals, helping to inform the public about the situation in occupied Crimea.
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!