Main news of the week:
▶ On the night of October 7, the Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked the marine oil terminal in temporarily occupied Feodosiia, the largest oil transshipment facility in Crimea.
▶ Political prisoner Akim Bekirov, who was illegally sentenced to 14 years in prison by Russia, has been transferred from Balashov prison in the Saratov region to a penitentiary in Tsivilsk, Chuvashia, over 1,500 kilometers from Crimea.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of September 23, the occupiers have illegally imprisoned 218 people, 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 979 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.
▶ Crimean Tatar Aziz Akhtemov, sentenced to 13 years in prison, was transferred from the prison in Yeniseisk on September 17 to an isolation facility in Krasnoyarsk.
▶ The wife of Server Zekiriaiev, who was illegally sentenced by Russia to 13 years in prison, has appealed to the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation to investigate her husband’s detention conditions in the colony. Zekiriaiev has repeatedly complained about the torturous conditions, but the administration ignores these appeals, and he is constantly denied a transfer to better conditions.
▶ A Russian court upheld the 17-year sentence of illegally imprisoned imam Raif Fevziiev. He was illegally detained in 2021 after a search, during which he was subjected to physical and psychological pressure. In the pre-trial detention center, Fevziiev’s health deteriorated, but he was not provided with proper medical care.
▶Yashar Muiedinov, a Crimean Tatar who was sentenced to 13 years unlawfully, has been experiencing severe pain in his arm and swelling in his legs. The prison in Dimitrovgrad, where he is currently held, does not have a surgeon to examine him. Despite repeatedly complaining about his health issues, Muiedinov has not received the necessary medical examination. Muiedinov was detained in 2019 during mass searches in the homes of Crimean Tatars in Simferopol.
▶ The appellate instance of Simferopol’s occupation “court” upheld the verdict against Bekir Mamutov, editor of the independent Crimean Tatar newspaper Qırım. He was fined 130,000 rubles for publishing a report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, which mentioned inhumane treatment, torture, and cases of abduction in Crimean detention centers.
▶ The occupation “court” extended by three months the illegal detention of Oleksandr Bylin, Oleh Antypov, and Dmytro Vazhkykh, who were arrested by the Russian occupation administration in connection with the fabricated “2022 Kerch Bridge explosion” case.
Forcible conscription:
▶ At least 1241 Russian army soldiers were buried. 778 of them were probably Ukrainian citizens. The number of dead may be higher as Russia conceals its real losses.
▶ The capture of at least 40 Russian servicemen from occupied Crimea has been confirmed, most of whom are likely to be Ukrainian citizens.
▶As part of the so-called “autumn conscription,” which begins on October 1, Russia plans to forcibly conscript 3,000 Crimean residents into its military. This marks the 20th coercive campaign on the peninsula, violating both international law and the Geneva Conventions. The conscription also seeks to suppress resistance and alter the demographic composition of the peninsula by recruiting men to fight in an aggressive war against Ukraine.
Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:
▶ ATES activists continue to monitor the movements of occupation troops, reporting the arrival of additional Russian air defense forces on the peninsula. Fortification construction and the setup of firing positions have been observed in various parts of Crimea, particularly near key strategic facilities. Activists also note that, due to a shortage of military personnel, the occupiers are involving civilians in building new defensive positions.
▶ The occupation administration continues efforts to bolster the protection of the illegal “Crimean Bridge.” To enhance security, large metal fences are being erected along the bridge to shield its piers from potential attacks. Concrete tetrapods and metal anti-tank barriers are also being installed in the surrounding water area.
Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ Due to the negligence of the occupiers, the energy crisis in Crimea continues to worsen. Widespread electricity supply issues have been reported in Simferopol, Saky, and Dzhankoi, as well as in the villages of Vyshneve, Bila Skelia, Yabluchne, Myronivka, Izumrudne, and other settlements. This week, partial power outages were observed in Bilohirsk and seven nearby villages: Sultan-Sarai, Krynychne, Aleksieievka, Holovanivka, Krasnoselivka, Pcholyne, and Karasivka. In total, more than 10,000 residents remain without electricity, yet the occupation administration continues to claim that the situation is under control.
▶ In Simferopol, the occupation administration is hosting a propaganda event called the so-called “Crimean Media Forum,” titled “Journalism During the ‘Special Military Operation.’” Russian “military correspondents,” propaganda outlets, and representatives from newly occupied Ukrainian territories are scheduled to speak at the event.
Civil resistance:
▶ Two residents of occupied Sevastopol were detained by the occupying forces on trumped-up charges of allegedly passing information about the occupiers’ military facilities to Ukraine.
▶ The deputy chief doctor of the Simferopol Clinical Hospital spoke negatively about the aggression against Ukraine and Russian war criminals, listened to Ukrainian music, and supported the Ukrainian Defense Forces. After being detained by Russian security forces, the “court” arrested the man for 15 days and fined him 50 thousand rubles.
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement continue to actively resist the Russian occupiers in Crimea. They regularly dismantle propaganda materials posted by the occupation administration, distribute Ukrainian patriotic symbols, and post leaflets calling for resistance. These actions are taking place in the streets of Simferopol, Yalta, Sevastopol, and other cities across the peninsula. Additionally, movement members spread Ukrainian slogans through patriotic graffiti and inscriptions, which appear on building walls, near occupation propaganda posters, and in other public spaces, symbolizing the unrelenting struggle for the liberation of Crimea.
▶ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls movement continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals operating in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea. They reveal not only their residential addresses, contact numbers, and travel routes, but also detailed financial information, including bank account data and connections to the occupation administration and Russian military structures. Evidence of their involvement in crimes against Ukraine and the peninsula’s population is also made public.
▶ Activists of the Zla Mavka resistance movement distribute patriotic inscriptions, stickers, and leaflets calling for the fight against the occupation in the cities of Simferopol, Yalta, Yevpatoriia, Sevastopol, and other settlements. They also conduct actions to dismantle and remove Russian propaganda materials, supporting the spirit of resistance among the local population and spreading information about possible ways to liberate 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!