Despite the prolonged occupation, Crimea continues to resist. Brutal repressions, numerous searches, and constant pressure have not broken the spirit of its residents. Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar languages are still heard on the peninsula, national consciousness is passed down from generation to generation, and traditions live on in family stories despite all attempts to destroy them. Every day, the people of Crimea stand against the occupiers — quietly but resolutely. Their choice is one of courage, loyalty to truth, dignity, and their own identity.

As part of the special project #resistance_movement, in collaboration with the National Resistance Center, we share the stories of those who refuse to let the enemy erase Ukraine’s presence from our land.

The occupation administration is systematically erasing everything connected to Ukraine: closing Ukrainian-language schools, disrespecting cultural heritage, and persecuting even the smallest signs of dissent. The so-called article on “discrediting the Russian army” has become a tool to suppress freedom of speech and thought.

Each act of resistance — a message on a wall, a leaflet, or any other action — is a contribution to a shared goal: the liberation of Crimea from Russian occupation.

• A resident of temporarily occupied Sevastopol allegedly made negative statements on social media against citizens of the occupying state. The occupation “court” accused the man of so-called “extremist expression” and fined him 10,000 rubles.
• An occupation “court” in Crimea issued an unlawful arrest warrant in absentia for Crimea.Realities journalist Aleksyna Dorohan for two months. She is accused of allegedly “organizing or participating in an illegal armed group,” a charge that carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.

Today, resistance in temporarily occupied Crimea is no longer limited to isolated acts of dissent — it has grown into a coordinated movement that gained new momentum after Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. A strong underground network operates across the peninsula — a community of people who, despite all risks, act in unity and refuse to surrender their will to resist.

These individuals fight in the information space, document war crimes, organize peaceful forms of resistance, and pass critical intelligence to Ukraine’s Armed Forces. Their actions are not just displays of courage — they are a clear message: “Crimea has not surrendered and is not silent.”

Every step they take is proof that the fight goes on. It is the voice of the peninsula saying: “We have not bowed. We hold the line. We are part of a free Ukraine.”

• The ATESH resistance movement reported that one of its agents conducted reconnaissance at the Kacha airfield in occupied Crimea, identifying the locations of Russian radar and air defense systems. This site serves as a key hub for the 318th Regiment’s strike aviation, command posts, logistics, and complexes that protect the southwest of the peninsula and coordinate airstrikes on Ukraine. Activists also surveyed the territory of the former Sevastopol Aviation Plant (“helicopter facility”), now a branch of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Aviakomplekt, which is actively used for Russian aviation needs. According to their information, the plant not only repairs helicopters for Russia’s Ministry of Defense but has also become a significant logistics center with a command post where combat sorties toward southern Ukraine are planned, targets are selected, and airstrikes coordinated. Officers from Russia’s Aerospace Forces regularly arrive from Dzhankoi and Rostov-on-Don to the facility, which services crews and prepares and restores helicopter groups. ATESH emphasized that the presence of such a center directly affects the intensity of attacks on Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
• The Yellow Ribbon resistance movement reported ongoing acts of defiance in Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Yalta. Symbols of the campaign — ribbons, stickers, and posters — have appeared in these and other towns and villages across the peninsula. Activists also said that in temporarily occupied Sevastopol, ahead of the new school year, the occupiers dismantled air conditioners in several schools that had been purchased by parents with their own funds. According to their information, the equipment is being redirected to set up “veterans’ centers” for Russian servicemen. The dismantling is carried out selectively — in most cases, removing the indoor units while leaving the outdoor units and part of the wiring in place, which has left damaged walls in classrooms.
• Activists from the Zla Mavka movement report that in Crimea, the occupation administration is once again resorting to propagandist methods to “educate” local residents. This time, they are placing banners with anti-abortion slogans on church fences.
• Activists from the Crimean Combat Seagulls continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea.

As of June 30, 2025, at least 220 individuals remain imprisoned due to politically motivated persecution orchestrated by Russia’s occupying administration in Crimea. Among them, 133 are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people, who are baselessly accused of “terrorism,” “extremism,” or “treason.” These repressions are part of a deliberate policy aimed at suppressing any form of resistance, curtailing fundamental freedoms, and displacing the Indigenous population from its historical homeland.

Political prisoners are held under harsh conditions — facing isolation, psychological and physical pressure, and torture. Yet even in such inhumane circumstances, they remain true to their beliefs, upholding dignity, freedom, and identity. Their steadfastness has become a symbol of Crimean resistance — a living embodiment of resilience and the will for freedom.

The events of the past week only reaffirm this: the inner resolve of these individuals is stronger than any attempt to break their spirit.

• In the temporarily occupied Crimea, Russian security forces placed 38-year-old Crimean resident Kateryna Fomenko in Pre-Trial Detention Center No. 1 in Simferopol on charges of allegedly “spreading false information about the actions of the Russian army” (Article 207.3 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to human rights defenders, the criminal case was based on social media posts, the content of which is currently unknown.

Despite the prolonged occupation, the resistance movement in Crimea is not fading — it is growing stronger, more organized, and more visible. This is evidenced by the increasing scale of repressions carried out by the occupation administration.  As of 7 August 2025, at least 1508 cases have been recorded under Article 20.3.3 of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences, submitted to so-called “courts” and other repressive bodies.

In 1353 of these cases, fines have already been issued or consolidated rulings made, while 48 cases are still under consideration. Gender-wise, 688 rulings (51%) were issued against women and 663 (49%) against men. In Armiansk, in just the first half of 2025, 184 cases were opened, accounting for nearly 50% of all such proceedings in Crimea during this period.

 We express our deep gratitude to everyone who continues the fight despite the constant threat. Every symbol, every word, every blue-and-yellow accent carries the power of resistance. These are signs that say: we have not disappeared, we are not silent, we stand strong.

When every gesture — from a post to a ribbon — can lead to a fine, a raid, or imprisonment, it becomes an act of remarkable courage. You are the soul of the resistance. And we reaffirm: Crimea has not surrendered. Crimea resists. Crimea is Ukraine.