Main news of the week:
▶ On February 26, Ukraine’s Armed Forces carried out a series of strikes on strategic military targets in occupied Crimea, including the Saky and Kacha airfields. Open sources also reported a drone strike on a mobile radar station of the occupying administration near the village of Olenivka in the Yevpatoriia district.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of March 3, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 221 individuals, including 137 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.
▶ An occupation “court” sentenced a Crimean resident to 15 years in a high-security penal colony on fabricated charges of allegedly cooperating with the Security Service of Ukraine and attempting to set fire to a car displaying the “Z” symbol.
▶ Another occupation “court” sentenced 29-year-old Vladyslav Shevchuk, a resident of the village of Partyzany in the Feodosiia district, to 5 years and 10 days in a corrective colony for comments posted on social media.
▶ An occupation “court” in Crimea denied the administrative lawsuit of Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and political prisoner Remzi Bekirov, who was unlawfully sentenced to 19 years in a high-security penal colony. He challenged the colony administration’s decision to place him in a punitive isolation cell for five days for performing his morning prayer (namaz).
▶ An occupation “court” in Crimea denied the administrative lawsuit of Crimean Tatar citizen journalist and political prisoner Remzi Bekirov, who was unlawfully sentenced to 19 years in a high-security penal colony. He challenged the colony administration’s decision to place him in a punitive isolation cell for five days for performing his morning prayer (namaz).
▶ The same occupation “court” rejected the lawsuit filed by the mother of Riza Izetov, a Crimean Tatar activist and human rights defender illegally sentenced to 19 years in a high-security colony. She sought his transfer to a facility closer to Crimea. Currently, the political prisoner is held in Penal Colony No. 1 in the Republic of Sakha, Russia—9,000 kilometers from Crimea.
▶ The health of Tofik Abdulhaziiev, unlawfully sentenced to 12 years in a high-security penal colony, continues to deteriorate rapidly. Doctors have confirmed severe damage to his lymphatic system, with inflamed and necrotic intrathoracic lymph nodes. He suffers from tuberculosis but is not receiving adequate medical treatment. Despite his critical condition, the colony administration continues to ignore requests for medical assistance.
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 1832 Russian soldiers from units based in occupied Crimea have been killed, 1235 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 maintain active resistance against the occupiers in Crimea. Thanks to intelligence provided by the movement, Ukraine’s Armed Forces carried out a strike on the Saky airfield near the village of Novofedorivka in the Yevpatoriia district. Additionally, this week, ATESH agents conducted a public action by painting anti-Russian and pro-Ukrainian graffiti in various settlements across the occupied peninsula.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ The occupiers continue to exploit historical narratives for propaganda and the justification of aggression. In Kerch, they held a conference titled “Military-Historical Readings”, featuring “historians” from various regions of Russia who discussed past centuries’ events through the lens of Russian imperial policy. As part of the conference, the occupiers announced museum cooperation between Crimea and the Russian cities of Rostov-on-Don and Khabarovsk, yet another attempt to integrate the temporarily occupied peninsula into Russia’s information and cultural space.
▶ Efforts to remove fuel oil pollution from Crimea’s coastline continue following the environmental disaster caused by the collision of two Russian tankers in the Kerch Strait on December 15. A total of 525 kilometers of shoreline requires inspection, and as of today, rescue workers and environmental specialists have cleaned 222 kilometers. During the cleanup operations, more than 747 tons of oil-contaminated sand and soil have been collected and removed.
Civil Resistance:
▶ Security forces of the occupation administration in Crimea detained 36-year-old Anna Hrytsevych, a resident of the Kherson region, for social media comments in which she criticized the actions of the Russian occupying administration and expressed support for Ukraine. Administrative protocols were filed against her, and the case materials have been transferred to the occupation “court.”
▶ The occupiers continue their persecution of pro-Ukrainian citizens in Crimea. This week, they forced 34-year-old Aliie Mustafaieva from Bakhchysarai and 28-year-old Server Arifov to publicly apologize on camera for comments they posted in support of Ukraine’s territorial integrity—comments that date back to the beginning of the occupation in 2014.
▶ The occupiers detained 44-year-old Yevhen Buhaychenko, a resident of the village of Karsa in the Kerch district, accusing him of “discrediting the Russian army” during a verbal altercation with a participant in Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. Administrative protocols were filed against him, and the case materials have been transferred to the occupation “court.”
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue their resistance in occupied Crimea despite repression and persecution. They distribute leaflets, leave patriotic graffiti, hang blue-and-yellow ribbons, and spread messages calling for resistance—reminding everyone of Crimea’s true identity, not the distorted version imposed by Russia. This week, actions took place in Dzhankoi, Simferopol, Yalta, and Sevastopol, with activists even raising the Ukrainian flag atop Pakhkal-Kaya. Despite the occupiers’ pressure, resistance persists, demonstrating unbreakable spirit and determination in the fight for Crimea’s freedom.
▶ Members of the Crimean Combat Seagulls wage an invisible but relentless war against the occupiers, risking their freedom and lives daily for Ukraine. They expose collaborators, track enemy troop movements, and document war crimes, providing Ukrainian intelligence with critical information. Their work includes reconnaissance of military equipment locations, uncovering financial schemes of the occupiers, and identifying individuals cooperating with the aggressor. By shedding light on Russia’s crimes, they disrupt propaganda narratives, spread the truth, and support all those continuing the fight for Crimea’s liberation.
▶ The activists of Zla Mavka lead an unstoppable struggle for a Ukrainian Crimea, using bold and creative methods of resistance. They transform city streets into spaces of defiance, leaving courageous slogans, patriotic graffiti, and encrypted messages that reinforce the fight for freedom. They deliver the truth through poetry, leaflets, and stickers, despite the occupiers’ attempts to erase any traces of dissent. Every action they take is a challenge to the occupiers, a strike against enemy propaganda, and a message to Crimeans—resistance is alive, and Crimea will be free!
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!