Main news of the week:
▶ Crimean Tatar political prisoner Ametkhan Abdulvapov suffered a stroke while held in Russian penal colony No. 2 in the city of Angarsk, Irkutsk region. He did not receive adequate medical assistance. The deterioration of his health was significantly aggravated by the conditions of his unlawful detention.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of July 21, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 220 individuals, including 133 Crimean Tatars.
▶ As of July 21, 2025, there were 1472 cases of materials compiled under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. In 1340 cases, decisions were made to impose fines or combine cases with cumulative decisions. In 55 cases, proceedings are still ongoing. In 51% of the decisions (683), women are involved, and in 49%(656), men are involved.
▶ Russian occupying forces unlawfully detained Crimean Tatar woman and pharmacy worker Niiara Ersmambetova. The occupation administration accuses her of so-called “high treason” for allegedly sharing information with the Ukrainian side. Since late May, she has been held in Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 1 in Simferopol. Her case may contain signs of unlawful deprivation of liberty, which, under international humanitarian law, qualifies as a war crime.
▶ The occupation “court” unlawfully sentenced a 53-year-old resident of Chornomorske district to 17 years of imprisonment on charges of alleged “high treason.” He was accused of allegedly establishing contact via messaging apps with a representative of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence and transmitting information about the positions and equipment of Russian armed forces. The “court” also imposed a fine of 200,000 rubles and an additional year and a half of restricted liberty following the prison term.
▶ Unlawfully imprisoned Crimean journalist Iryna Danylovych has reported the use of inhumane methods in a Russian penal facility, comparing them to those of the Nazi Gestapo — including continuous exposure to extremely bright electric lighting causing eye and head pain, as well as acoustic abuse in the form of constant loudspeaker noise from early morning hours. She had also previously described being forced to stand for hours in formation regardless of weather conditions and enduring harsh sanitary and living conditions.
▶ Oil sludge from the December 2024 collision of Russian tankers Volgoneft-212 and Volgoneft-239 in the Kerch Strait reached the shores of Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park in the Odesa region, having travelled more than 650 km along the Black Sea coast. According to environmental experts, the pollution was nearly continuous between the 13th and 19th kilometers of the shoreline and consisted of heavy, degraded fuel oil fractions. Some clumps contained algae, sand, and medical masks similar to those used in cleanup efforts near Anapa.
▶ The wife of Crimean political prisoner Hennadii Lymeshko has reported that she has had no information about his whereabouts for several months following his unlawful transfer from the so-called “Centre for the Temporary Detention of Foreign Nationals” in the Rostov region, where he had been held after completing his illegal eight-year prison sentence in February 2025. According to her, he has not been in contact, and appeals to the relevant authorities have yielded no results — neither official institutions nor human rights defenders have provided any response. Moreover, Hennadii Lymeshko’s name appeared on the updated list of so-called “terrorists and extremists” on the website of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service of the Russian Federation after his sentence had already expired.
▶ Crimean Tatar political prisoner Remzi Bekirov is being held continuously in the punishment cell of Penal Colony No. 33 in Abakan, Republic of Khakassia, for performing the five daily prayers. The colony administration has repeatedly placed him in a punishment cell, extending the punishment period for the same act — the observance of religious rites. In his letters, Bekirov has described being held under harsh conditions for an extended period, with the pressure from the administration showing no signs of abating. His family attempted to challenge the conditions of his detention, but their appeal was rejected. They also submitted complaints to the Russian Prosecutor’s Office and the Russian Ombudsman, but have received no response.
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 2031 Russian servicemen from units stationed in Crimea have been killed. Of these, 1306 are likely Ukrainian citizens.
▶ It has been confirmed that at least 119 Russian servicemen from Crimea have been taken prisoner. Most of them are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.
▶ A resident of temporarily occupied Crimea reported that after applying to register for military service through the Derzhposluhy portal, a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense was issued in his name without his consent. The 25-year-old, a Ukrainian citizen who had undergone open-heart surgery, had twice been deemed “fit with limitations” by the occupation administration. When he attempted to refuse signing the documents, he was told that “he was already under contract.” On 1 June, while trying to leave for Georgia via the Verkhnii Lars crossing, Fridman was detained by Russian FSB border guards, subjected to harsh interrogation, forced to undress, and accused of concealing a second phone. After several hours of questioning, he was eventually released.
Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:
▶ The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports that following Ukraine’s Operation Pavutyna on 1 June, Russia began constructing concrete bunkers and protective structures at the Saky military airfield in temporarily occupied Crimea. Satellite imagery shows similar construction activity at other airbases across the peninsula.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ In temporarily occupied Sevastopol, incidents of sewage discharge into the sea have been recorded in the area of Ushakova Balka. Witnesses report that contaminated water is flowing directly into coastal waters near a recreational area. It was noted that beachgoers attempted to address the pollution themselves, using improvised tools to remove household waste from the water.
Civil Resistance:
▶ A resident of Simferopol district posted an image on social media featuring the Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar flags along with the caption “Crimea is Ukraine. And no one can change that.” The occupying forces detained the woman, accused her of so-called “discrediting the Russian army,” and unlawfully fined her 50,000 rubles.
▶ A resident of occupied Simferopol allegedly called for violence against Russians on social media. The occupying forces detained the man and are unlawfully charging him with “public calls for extremism.”
▶ Activists from the Yellow Ribbon resistance movement carried out an action featuring Ukrainian symbols in temporarily occupied Crimea to mark the Day of Ukrainian Statehood. In addition, activists distributed patriotic leaflets in several occupied cities of Crimea — Yalta, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Bakhchysarai, and Yevpatoriia.
▶ Activists from the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea.
▶ Activists of the Zla Mavka resistance movement reported the destruction of four Russian armoured personnel carriers on the outskirts of Yevpatoriia, en route to Saky, near coastal roads. According to locals, the vehicles caught fire following a direct hit — military equipment, dry vegetation, and wooden fortifications were engulfed in flames. Due to temperatures exceeding +40°C, extinguishing the fire was nearly impossible. The fate of the crew remains unknown, but all the equipment was completely destroyed. In the aftermath, patrols and security checks in the city were intensified.
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!