Main news of the week:
▶ Journalist and activist Osman Arifmemetov, unlawfully sentenced by Russia to 14 years in prison, has lost 22 kilograms while detained in Minusinsk prison in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region. Additionally, the prison administration is obstructing the political prisoner’s access to essential medications.
▶ According to open-source information, a series of explosions occurred over the weekend in the settlements of Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Hvardiiske, as well as in the Perekop and Saky districts of occupied Crimea.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of November 4, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 218 individuals, including 132 Crimean Tatars. Of the total number, 43 are arrested (28 of them are Crimean Tatars), 151 are imprisoned (97 of them are Crimean Tatars), and 26 are without status (6 of them are Crimean Tatars).
▶ There were 982 cases of filing of reports under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation to the so-called “courts” on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. In 875 of these cases, a decision was made to impose an administrative penalty in the form of a fine or to join the case to another case under another article and make a cumulative decision. In 17 cases, the consideration of materials is ongoing.
▶ An occupation “court” sentenced a resident of Kerch and 53-year-old Sevastopol resident Mykola Lozenko to 16 years in a maximum-security penal colony on fabricated charges of alleged state treason and passing information on the movements of occupation forces to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
▶ An occupation “court” also sentenced two residents of Feodosiia to 16 and 10 years in prison on fabricated charges of allegedly attempting to murder pro-Russian blogger Oleksandr Talipov.
▶ Bilial Adilov, unlawfully sentenced to 14 years in prison, has been transferred to a correctional colony in Kyzyl, Republic of Tuva, Russia, more than 5,000 kilometers from Crimea.
▶ An occupation “court” sentenced 62-year-old Vyacheslav Piskunov to 14 years in prison on fabricated charges of allegedly preparing an assassination attempt on a representative of the occupation administration.
▶ Bohdan Shchetynin, a 44-year-old resident of Sevastopol who was unlawfully detained in late October for expressing support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and condemning the aggressive actions of the Russian occupation army against Ukraine, was fined 40,000 rubles.
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 1,295 soldiers from Russian army units stationed in occupied Crimea have been killed. Of these, 814 were likely Ukrainian citizens. The death toll may be higher, as Russia conceals its real losses.
▶ The capture of at least 45 Russian servicemen from occupied Crimea has been confirmed, most of whom are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.
Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:
▶ Agents of the ATESH movement have recorded the use of a backup command post of the Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol, known as “Object No. 221” or “Alsu-2,” which the Soviet regime began constructing in 1977. However, it remained unfinished until the last moment and was abandoned for many years. The agents discovered the presence of military personnel, equipment, a checkpoint, and a camouflaged armored personnel carrier nearby. Armed patrols were also observed, and the forest around the site has been cleared, making it difficult to approach unnoticed. Additionally, the occupiers have dug trenches to further strengthen their positions.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ The occupation administration in Crimea is using children from Western Europe to promote its imperialist narratives and legitimize its illegal presence on the peninsula: children from Germany, Finland, and France spent three weeks at the Artek children’s camp. During this time, they met with Wagner PMC fighters and participated in propaganda activities, discussing “Russian values” and joining the so-called “club of friends of Russia.”
▶ The occupation administration in Crimea plans to use the captured Ukrainian submarine Zaporizhzhia for propaganda purposes, with plans to display it in a local museum by the end of 2025.
Civil resistance:
▶ A 45-year-old resident of Vydne village in Simferopol district, Dmytro Polshchak, expressed support for Ukraine’s Armed Forces on social media, including shouting the national slogan “Glory to Ukraine.” He was detained by the occupation administration’s security forces, who filed a report and transferred his case to the “court.”
▶ In the city of Saky, occupied Crimea, the occupation administration’s security forces issued an administrative report against a local woman whose 10-year-old daughter posted a video on social media allegedly expressing negative views about the Russian occupation administration.
▶ Thirty-four-year-old Liudmyla Kolesnikova was arrested on fabricated charges of alleged state treason. In June 2024, she traveled from Ireland to the occupied city of Yalta for her mother’s funeral, where she was detained directly at the cemetery by the occupation administration. After three months in detention, a criminal case was initiated against her on October 3. Lyudmyla Kolesnikova is currently held in Detention Center No. 1 in Simferopol.
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue to resist Russian occupiers in Crimea. They destroy propaganda materials issued by the occupation administration and place Ukrainian symbols and leaflets calling for resistance across various locations on the peninsula. Their brave actions even reach Russian firing positions in Yalta and Crimea’s coastline, serving as a reminder of Ukraine’s presence. Symbols of resistance appear on walls, near propaganda billboards, in public spaces, and in the forests and reserves of southern Crimea. Over the past week, activists have distributed more than 150 symbols of resistance, demonstrating strength, resilience, and the unwavering struggle for Crimea’s freedom.
▶ Activists from the Crimean Combat Seagulls continue their activities aimed at exposing collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea. They publish detailed information about these individuals, including residential addresses, contact details, routes of movement, and financial information, such as bank accounts and transactions. Furthermore, the activists reveal these individuals’ connections with occupation administration and Russian security agencies, providing evidence of their involvement in crimes against Ukraine and the local population on the peninsula.
▶ Activists from the Zla Mavka movement are spreading patriotic graffiti, stickers, and leaflets across Crimea, calling for nonviolent resistance to the occupation and countering propaganda to dismantle the illusion of control imposed by the occupation administration. This week, activists filled the streets of the occupied peninsula with verses from Ukrainian poets Taras Shevchenko and Mykola Mikhnovsky, as well as their original poetry, reminding people of the ongoing fight for freedom.
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!