Main news of the week:

▶ On 19 March, the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine carried out strikes on Russian vessels and radar systems. The attacks targeted and damaged several systems, including two 48Ya6-K1 Podlyot radars, two 1L125 Niobiy-SV radars, three 39N6 Kasta-2E2 radars, as well as the 9S19 Imbir, Nebo-SV, S-300VM, Nebo-M, 59N6-E Protivnik-GE, and the Mys shipborne radar.

▶ Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence also identified 14 more Russian museum workers involved in the illegal removal of Ukrainian cultural assets. It has been confirmed that 164 archaeological artefacts discovered in Nymphaion and Panticapaeum were unlawfully taken from Crimea. In total, 996 stolen objects and 260 individuals involved in the looting of Ukrainian cultural heritage are listed in the Stolen Heritage register. Russian aggression has damaged 1,255 cultural sites, including 125 of national significance.

▶ Cases of enforced disappearances of women are on the rise in occupied Crimea, becoming a systemic tool of repression by Russia’s FSB. The whereabouts of Lera Dzhemilova and Tetiana Diakunovska—abducted nearly a year ago—remain unknown. A telling example is that of Anna Yeltsova, a student from Kherson, who was held in complete isolation by the occupation administration for years without being formally charged.

Invaders’ crimes:

▶ As of March 24, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 220 individuals, including 133 Crimean Tatars. 

▶ As of 21 March 2025, 1,279 cases were filed under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation in so-called “courts” in occupied Crimea. In 1,156 cases, decisions were made to impose fines or to combine the cases with others, resulting in consolidated rulings. In 22 cases, proceedings are still ongoing. Of all decisions issued, 561 (49%) concerned women, while 593 (51%) involved men.

▶ Ruslan Mesutov, a political prisoner illegally sentenced by Russia to 18 years in a high-security penal colony, has been transferred to a hospital after four months of being held under harsh conditions and in punitive isolation cells. The administration of Correctional Colony No. 1 in Yakutsk had long denied him necessary medical care, despite frequent fainting, untreated hepatitis, and severe spinal pain. Instead of providing medical assistance, the colony administration fabricated disciplinary violations, leading to a significant deterioration in his health.

▶ A so-called occupation “court” in Sevastopol has sentenced 66-year-old local resident Nina Tymoshenko to 16 years in a colony, along with a fine of 200,000 rubles and an additional one-year restriction of liberty.

▶ On 20 March, the occupation administration removed the trailer in which Crimean Tatar movement veteran Rustem Useinov had been living after his house was unlawfully demolished by the occupiers in November 2021. The court had declared his home an  “unauthorized construction.” Since then, Useinov had lived in a tent for two years before setting up the trailer, which was taken away by a crane-equipped tow truck. All of his personal belongings were left inside.

Forcible conscription:

▶ At least 1864 Russian soldiers from units based in occupied Crimea have been killed, 1258 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:

▶ The ATESH movement is growing. Over 1,000 residents are agents of the ATESH resistance network, conducting reconnaissance, gathering intelligence on troop and equipment movements, and carrying out sabotage operations. The movement includes not only Russian military personnel but also employees of the occupation administrations, businessmen, and workers at strategic enterprises who contribute to the struggle for the peninsula’s liberation.

▶ On 19 March, the occupiers blocked parts of Yevpatoriia to conduct their own military exercises.

▶ Russian security forces have intensified checks at checkpoints near occupied Armiansk, detaining women traveling from the Russian-occupied part of Kherson region to Crimea. They are subjected to thorough inspections and accused of “espionage” and potential ties to the Ukrainian military. Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement are urging residents of temporarily occupied territories to remain vigilant and avoid this route if possible in the coming weeks.

▶ A Pantsir-S1 air defence missile-gun system and a 96L6E radar station have been located in temporarily occupied Crimea. The Pantsir-S1 system has been deployed on elevated ground near the military airfield in Belbek.

▶ A 96L6E all-altitude radar has been identified in the Simferopol district, operating as part of the S-300/S-400 air defense systems. It monitors the airspace over the Simferopol and Hvardiiske airfields and can detect targets at distances ranging from 5 to 300 kilometers. The Ukrainian side possesses the precise coordinates of both sites.

Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:

▶ The occupation administration has organized ceremonial flower-laying events, meetings with so-called “participants of the Russian Spring,” and youth-focused activities aimed at promoting Russian identity and “unity” with the Russian Federation.

▶ In the temporarily occupied Crimea, the Russian occupation administration launched large-scale propaganda events marking the 11th anniversary of the peninsula’s illegal occupation. Concerts, rallies, exhibitions, and meetings are being held across multiple cities to create the illusion of public support for the occupation regime. Particular attention has been given to Sevastopol, where Russian officials and propagandists are delivering speeches. The city is hosting “festive concerts” featuring rhetoric about the “historical justice” of the occupation, as well as performances by military ensembles and artistic groups.

▶ Russian occupiers are compiling lists of Ukrainian children for summer “re-education” at the Artek camp in Crimea. More than 70 children from the temporarily occupied Zaporizhzhia region are expected to be sent there.

▶ In temporarily occupied Henichesk, schoolchildren are being forced to weave camouflage nets for the needs of the Russian army. Occupation media have labeled this activity a “spring campaign of goodwill.”

Civil Resistance:

▶ Occupation security services detained 60-year-old Yalta resident Aishe Askerova for expressing support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity on social media, posting pro-Ukrainian slogans, voicing support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and calling for missile strikes on Russian territory.

▶ Security forces of the occupation administration detained Khalil Zarfeiev, a resident of Kurman district, for expressing support for Ukraine on social media. An “administrative protocol” was drawn up against him and submitted to an occupation “court” for review.

▶ The occupiers detained Anton Barskyi, a resident of Dzhankoi, for publicly supporting Ukraine on social media. The occupiers accused him of “discrediting the armed forces of the Russian Federation”  and ” disseminating extremist materials,”  with the case forwarded to a so-called “court.” 

▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement placed Ukrainian symbols and yellow ribbons in Yalta, Simferopol, and Bakhchysarai district. On the temporarily occupied peninsula, Yellow Ribbon activists raised the Ukrainian flag atop Mount Basman—one of Crimea’s highest points. Pro-Ukrainian actions also took place in Simferopol, Sevastopol, Yalta, Yevpatoriia, Feodosiia, Kerch, and Bakhchysarai. Streets and squares were adorned with dozens of inscriptions such as “Occupation is temporary,” “Crimea is Ukraine,” and “Occupation is not a holiday.”

▶ Activists of the Zla Mavka continue to resist in Crimea. Recently, they distributed over 100 pro-Ukrainian stickers in Simferopol bearing slogans like “Crimea is Ukraine” and “Glory to the Armed Forces of Ukraine!” They also circulate leaflets featuring lines from the poetry of Taras Shevchenko and Lina Kostenko, reminding the occupiers of the unbreakable Ukrainian spirit. Their activities aim to counter Russian propaganda and draw attention to human rights violations in the region.

▶ Members of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement continue collecting and publishing information on collaborators and Russian war criminals, helping to inform the broader 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!