Main news of the week:
▶ On 7 August, the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported that combat drones struck in occupied Crimea a Russian Project 02510 BK-16 landing craft, as well as Russian radar stations: Nebo-SVU, Podlet K-1, 96L6E, and one of the most valuable radars of the occupiers — the Yenisei from the S-500 system. In addition, Ukrainian military intelligence special forces struck a Russian air defense base of the 3rd Radio-Technical Regiment (military unit 85683-A) on Mount Ai-Petri.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of August 18, the occupiers had illegally imprisoned 220 people, 133 of whom were Crimean Tatars.
▶ As of August 18, 2025, there were 1508 cases of materials compiled under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation on the so-called discrediting of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. In 1353 cases, decisions were made to impose fines or combine cases with cumulative court rulings. In 48 cases, proceedings are still ongoing. In 51% of the decisions (688), women are mentioned, and in 49% (663), men are mentioned.
▶ Crimean Tatar journalist and political prisoner Remzi Bekirov, who is serving an unlawful 19-year sentence in Colony No. 33 in Khakassia, has reported a deterioration of his health and pressure from the prison administration. He has lost 30 kilograms due to poor nutrition, reduced food portions in the punishment cell, and the lack of access to sunlight. In addition, he suffers from varicose veins and dental problems, which are effectively left untreated in the colony. Bekirov is also subjected to restrictions on performing the five daily prayers, for which he was previously placed in solitary confinement.
▶ In temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian security forces have unlawfully placed 38-year-old Crimean resident Kateryna Fomenko in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 in Simferopol on charges of allegedly “spreading false information about the actions of the Russian army.” Before the initiation of criminal proceedings, she had twice been subjected to administrative penalties. On 26 May 2025, an occupation “court” fined her 45,000 rubles for alleged “discrediting” of the army through comments in a messenger application, claiming they allegedly undermined trust in the Russian armed forces. On 26 June of the same year, the same “court” fined her 12,000 rubles for alleged “incitement of hatred” over a social media post in which occupation “experts” claimed to see negative statements about residents of China. According to human rights defenders, the basis for the criminal case was social media posts, the content of which remains unknown.
▶ The occupiers have extended the unlawful detention of Bakhchysarai activists Seidamet Mustafaiev, Eldar Yakubov, Abdulmedzhit Seitumerov, Ruslan Asanov, Amethan Umerov, and Remzi Nimetulaiev until 23 November. The defense lawyer noted that the prosecution’s arguments for continued detention are unfounded, as no evidence was presented and no explanation was given as to why alternative preventive measures, such as house arrest, could not be applied. The defense intends to appeal the decision.
▶ The wife of Crimean Tatar political prisoner Izzet Abdullaiev reported that he is suffering from tooth pain and hypertension, which developed against the background of cardiac arrhythmia. According to her, medical assistance in Colony No. 2 in the city of Salavat, Republic of Bashkortostan, is superficial and limited primarily to tablets, with the most necessary medicines being provided by relatives. She noted that despite issues with blood pressure, heart, and dental health, his overall condition remains satisfactory, and she described the attitude of the guards as generally normal. Abdullaiev maintains periodic contact and regularly receives letters.
▶ The wife of political prisoner Ansar Osmanov reported that he is suffering from tooth pain and a rash spreading across his body. According to her, he does not know the cause of the rash, as no doctor has examined him. Severe dental pain forced him to seek medical attention, but the dentist examined without gloves, raising concerns about possible infection. She also stated that her husband has not been in contact with his family since April of this year, and letters are not reaching Correctional Facility No. 2 in the city of Vladimir due to the absence of a censor. She noted that the wives of other Crimean political prisoners held in the same facility are likewise not receiving letters from their husbands.
▶ On 23 June of this year, an occupation “court” in Crimea issued an unlawful in absentia arrest order against journalist Aleksyna Dorohan of Crimea.Realities project, for two months. She is accused of allegedly “organizing or participating in an illegal armed formation,” a charge that carries a penalty of up to 20 years’ imprisonment.
▶ Relatives of Crimean political prisoner Ivan Yatskin reported that he continues to suffer from serious health problems in Correctional Colony No. 5 in the Kemerovo region. He has developed trophic ulcers on both legs, suffers from severe headaches and back pain, and has nearly lost all his teeth, forcing him to rely constantly on painkillers. According to his relatives, medical care in the colony is provided only superficially; at times he is transferred to the facility’s hospital, where instead of necessary medicines only antiseptics are applied, while access to the medical unit is often denied under the pretext of staff shortages or the label “prone to escape.” It was further noted that in previous pre-trial detention centers Yatskin may have been administered psychotropic substances, which caused memory lapses. He was subjected to psychological pressure, humiliation, and provocations, including after his refusal to join the Wagner private military company.
▶ Former Kremlin prisoner Vladyslav Yesypenko spoke about the torture he endured following his detention by Russian security forces in occupied Crimea. According to him, after the arrest he was placed on a bus, fitted with headphones and dark glasses so that he could neither see nor hear, and then taken to a basement facility where he was stripped and laid on the floor. Wires were attached to his ears and an electric current was applied for several minutes, causing severe pain. Afterward, he was beaten — mainly on the torso and legs — for about 15 minutes. He was then seated on a chair and pressured to confess to “espionage” and disclose his contacts. Yesypenko emphasized that the security forces did not make any specific demands; their aim was to break his will and instill fear.
▶ Relatives of Crimean civic activist Volodymyr Ananiev, whom the occupation regime accuses of an alleged “attempt on Aksyonov,” reported the critical conditions of his detention in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 5 in Rostov-on-Don, a facility where Ukrainian prisoners of war are typically held. According to them, the cell is small, unsanitary, and fails to meet safety standards, which has had a severe negative impact on the health of the 75-year-old political prisoner. Ananiev suffers from serious leg problems, requires a cane to walk, has almost lost his eyesight following two eye surgeries, is developing glaucoma, and experiences high blood pressure. His relatives stress that he requires constant medical supervision and a special diet. Yet, in the detention facility, he is denied proper assistance, while the poor sanitary conditions and inadequate food further aggravate his illnesses.
▶ The so-called “Prosecutor’s Office of the city of Sevastopol” has approved an unlawful indictment in the criminal case against resident Dmytro Myskov, who is charged under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code with “state treason.” He is accused of allegedly cooperating with the intelligence services of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from July to September 2024, transmitting via WhatsApp photographs of the deployment sites of the Russian Black Sea Fleet vessels and the movements of Rosgvardia helicopters, allegedly in exchange for monetary compensation. It is reported that he has been placed in pre-trial detention as a preventive measure.
▶ The occupiers sentenced 26-year-old Alina Hrek, a resident of occupied Simferopol, to 15 years in a penal colony on charges of so-called “state treason,” “training for terrorist activities,” and “preparation of a terrorist act.”
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 2100 Russian military personnel from units based in Crimea have been killed. 1313 of them are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.
▶ The capture of at least 125 Russian military personnel from Crimea has been confirmed. Most of them are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.
Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:
▶ Activists of the ATESH resistance movement reported that their agent conducted reconnaissance at the Kacha airfield in occupied Crimea and identified the deployment of radar and air defense systems. The airfield is used by the Russian Aerospace Forces as a key hub for strike aviation of the 318th regiment, as well as command posts, logistics, and complexes covering the southwest of the peninsula and coordinating airstrikes against Ukraine. The agents also carried out reconnaissance at the site of the former Sevastopol Aviation Plant (Vertolitka), which now functions as a branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Aviakomplekt and is actively used for the needs of the Russian military aviation. According to their information, the enterprise not only repairs helicopters for the Russian Ministry of Defense but has also become an important logistics hub with a command post where combat sorties to southern Ukraine are planned, targets selected, and airstrikes coordinated. It is reported that officers of the Russian Aerospace Forces regularly arrive at the site from Dzhankoi and Rostov-on-Don; the facility services crews, prepares, and restores helicopter groups. ATESH emphasized that the presence of such a center directly affects the intensity of attacks on Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
▶ Monitoring channels reported that Russia has transferred military equipment from the Moscow and Leningrad military districts to occupied Crimea. In Simferopol and Dzhankoi, military trucks with license plates bearing the code “50,” previously assigned to the Western Military District, were recorded. In Sevastopol and Inkerman, new fuel tankers with the same code were observed, equipped with protective grills over the tanks and cabins, as well as equipment marked with new tactical symbols.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ The Russian occupation administration on the peninsula is disregarding the need to activate the air raid warning system, guided by political interests and considerations related to the holiday season. Since late July, incursions by Ukrainian Armed Forces drones deep into the peninsula have been recorded almost daily; however, unlike in Sevastopol, sirens in most regions of Crimea are not being activated.
▶ In temporarily occupied Simferopol, the Russian administration demolished the “Kosmos” cinema building together with its mosaic panel, which was considered a valuable piece of artistic heritage, despite protests from residents. The building had been unlawfully sold at auction last year for 73 million rubles, and plans now envisage the construction of a business center on the site, while landscaping of the territory is being carried out with budget funds. Activists stated that they have completely lost trust in the occupation administration’s claims about “preserving” Crimean mosaics and have established a fund to restore historical sites.
▶ Teachers in schools across Russia, as well as in the temporarily occupied territories, including Crimea, received “recommendations” from the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation on “identifying potential criminals” among children of migrants. The document contains a list of indicators by which such children are to be identified, including a dismissive attitude toward “historical memory, traditional Russian values, state symbols,” as well as toward materials presented in the propagandistic lessons “Conversations About Important Things.” Teachers have been instructed to check the personal data of pupils and their parents against the registry of “monitored persons” of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and to monitor children’s behavior, including on social media.
Civil Resistance:
▶ A resident of occupied Sevastopol allegedly spoke out against the war on social media and called for joining the “Freedom of Russia Legion” and the “Russian Volunteer Corps,” which are fighting against Russian occupiers. The so-called Prosecutor’s Office of the city of Sevastopol approved an indictment in a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Russian Criminal Code for allegedly “public justification of terrorism and calls for it using the Internet.” The criminal case, together with the indictment, has been forwarded to an occupation “court” for consideration.
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement report a constant rise in fuel prices, shortages at petrol stations, and growing discontent among residents. According to them, long queues at filling stations, recurring fuel disruptions, and the perception that the occupation administration is not in control of the situation are causing public anger. The activists also published photographs from temporarily occupied Bakhchysarai, Sevastopol, and Yevpatoriia, stressing that the voices of Crimeans who remain under occupation must be heard in any negotiations on the future of the peninsula. They emphasized that the people of Crimea aspire to return home under the blue-and-yellow Ukrainian flag.
▶ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea.
▶ Activists of the resistance movement Zla Mavka report that in Crimea the occupation administration has once again resorted to propagandistic methods of “educating” local residents. This time, they are placing banners with anti-abortion slogans on church fences.
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!