Main news of the week:

▶ The second Ada-class corvette under construction for Ukraine, Hetman Ivan Vyhovskyi, was launched at the STM shipyard in Istanbul on August 1, 2024.

▶ On the night of August 2 to 3, the Defense Forces of Ukraine in Crimea hit a Russian submarine, Rostov-on-Don, carrying Kalibr missiles. The enemy’s S-400 air defense system and four Triumph air defense missile launchers were also damaged.

Crimes of the occupation:

▶ As of August 5, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 217 people, including 132 Crimean Tatars. Of the total number, 39 are arrested (including 28 Crimean Tatars), 149 are imprisoned (including 97 Crimean Tatars), and 28 are without status (including 6 Crimean Tatars).

▶ 913 cases of materials drawn up under Article 20.3.3 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation have been submitted to the so-called “courts” on the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. In 811 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 18 cases, the examination of the materials is ongoing.

▶ The occupation court sentenced Mariia Pukhovska to a year of suspended imprisonment for protesting against the illegal “elections” in occupied Crimea held in March this year. The woman was also placed on probation for two years.

▶ Crimean Tatar activist Vladlen Abdulkadyrov, who was unjustifiably sentenced to 12 years in prison by the occupiers in the so-called “second Simferopol group” case, was illegally transferred from the Lipetsk region of the Russian Federation to the Colony #21 in the Arkhangelsk region of the Russian Federation, almost three thousand kilometers from Crimea.

▶ The occupiers have extended the illegal arrest of Leniie Umerova, who is accused of allegedly “spying,” for another three months until November 4, 2024. In addition, the investigator in Leniie’s “case” has changed.

▶ The occupation court extended the illegal arrest until November 4 for the Crimeans from Dzhankoi and the Dzhankoi region—Enver Khalillaiev, Nariman Ametov, Ali Mamutov, and Vakhid Mustafaiev, the imam of the mosque in the village of Lobanove, who were detained by Russian security forces in March this year after illegal searches. Also, the court changed the measure of restraint from detention to house arrest for another defendant in the case, Arsen Kashka.

▶ Arsen Abkhairov, illegally sentenced to 13 years in prison in the so-called “Crimean Muslims case,” said that he needed surgery to remove varicose veins in his legs. Still, in the colony, a long recovery is required. While in a civilian hospital, the operation with modern rehabilitation methods takes one week.

▶ Crimean Tatar activists Abdulmedzhyt Seitumerov, Ametkhan Umerov, Eldar Yakubov, Seidamet Mustafaiev, Remzi Nimetulaiev, and Ruslan Asanov were illegally transferred from Crimea to the pre-trial detention center in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, where illegal trials against the activists will begin in a Russian court on August 12.

Forcible conscription:

▶ At least 880 Russian army soldiers were buried. 699 of them were probably Ukrainian citizens. The number of burials may be higher, as many occur without coverage.

▶ The capture of at least 47 Russian servicemen from occupied Crimea has been confirmed, most of whom are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.

▶ The Russian State Duma passed a draft military registration law while obtaining a Russian passport. According to the draft law, persons who acquire Russian citizenship must register for military service along with their IDs. In the context of the illegal passportization of Ukrainian citizens in the occupied territories, this also entails illegal conscription into the Russian army..

Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:

▶ The occupiers continue to use the civilian population of Crimea as human shields for the Russian invaders. The occupiers base military helicopters on sites in the wastelands near residential buildings. In addition, various enemy anti-aircraft missile systems are deployed in the villages of the Dzhankoi region on the outskirts of settlements. 

▶ Activists of the ATESH resistance movement tracked the deployment of a missile system, radar systems, and several S-300 missile systems of the occupiers in one of the districts of Sevastopol. The coordinates were passed to the relevant Ukrainian services. The activists also report that Russian security forces have set up the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation office in one of Yalta’s sanatoriums. A commission from Moscow recently visited there to monitor guerrilla movements on the peninsula. 

Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:

▶ Business courses for Russian military personnel who fought in the war against Ukraine and their families are starting in Crimea. Thus, the occupiers continue to agitate the Russian military to move to the occupied peninsula illegally. 

▶ In Crimea, an outbreak of cholera has been recorded in Simferopol, Dzhankoi, and Feodosiia, which the occupation administration is trying to hide. Earlier, it was reported that beaches in Feodosiia were closed due to a wastewater collection system breakdown and sewage discharge into the sea, which could have led to an outbreak of the disease.

Civil resistance:

▶ Russia has already prosecuted 913 people in occupied Crimea for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, who are subjected to administrative penalties in the form of illegal fines and arrests.

▶ A resident of the Feodosiia region spoke out against the Russian occupation forces publicly. Russian security forces detained the man, and he faces up to five years in prison for allegedly “discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.”

▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement held another pro-Ukrainian rally in Sevastopol, placing stickers near a memorial sign in honor of the 200th anniversary of the city’s founding. In addition, activists report that in Simferopol, over the past few days, activists have hung 150 ribbons and 100 leaflets to symbolize Ukrainian resistance to the Russian occupation. In addition, patriotic leaflets appeared in Alushta and Yalta. Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement also report that in Crimea, the occupiers have begun massive tree felling to build fortifications on the coast of the peninsula.

▶ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea.

▶ The Zla Mavka resistance movement continues to write diaries, distribute a weekly newspaper that reveals the occupiers’ crimes, and distribute its symbols. Thus, the movement’s weekly newspaper is displayed on the streets of Yalta.

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!