To mark the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea on February 26, the Mission launched a nationwide information campaign titled “12 Years of War – 12 Years of Resistance.”

Billboards, city lights, and posters have appeared in cities and communities across Ukraine. They serve as a powerful reminder: despite 12 years of occupation, Crimeans continue to resist, and Ukrainians everywhere remain united in their resolve to liberate the peninsula.

The campaign includes over 20 banners, 60 billboards, 170 lightboxes, subway lightboxes, and nearly 8,800 posters of various formats.

These are more than just numbers; they highlight that Russia’s armed aggression against Ukraine began with the occupation of Crimea 12 years ago. Throughout this time, Ukrainian citizens on the peninsula have faced constant pressure from the occupying authorities, yet they continue to demonstrate their defiance.

This year’s campaign focuses on three dimensions. The first highlights the military personnel directly defending Ukraine and fighting to return home. The campaign features the stories of two servicemen.

Alim Kerimov, Chief of Staff of the 34th Separate Marine Brigade. For him, the fight for Crimea is both a military duty and a personal mission to reclaim his home.
“For me, Crimea is not a resort or a news clip. It is the land of my people, the Crimean Tatars, who were forcibly deported in 1944 and faced with the same choice in 2014: stay silent or leave. It is a place where our language should be heard, not the voice of the occupier,” Kerimov stated.

Another hero of the campaign is a serviceman from the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade, known by the call sign “Crimea.”He emphasizes that liberating the peninsula is essential to restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
“For me, Crimea is where a piece of my soul remains. Ukraine’s unity is impossible without the return of the peninsula and all other occupied territories.”

The second dimension tells the stories of political prisoners sentenced in Crimea on fabricated charges:

• Tofik Abdulhaziiev, illegally sentenced to 12 years in prison. His health has severely deteriorated in a Russian colony; despite being diagnosed with a brain tumor, he receives no medical care. Furthermore, in March 2026, he was pressured into signing documents claiming he was “healthy.”
• Esma Nimetullaieva, a mother of five persecuted by the occupying authorities. Her husband, Remzi Nimetulaiev, is also behind bars.
• Iryna Danylovych, a Crimean journalist and human rights defender who advocated for the rights of medics and citizens. In 2022, she was abducted by Russian security forces and sentenced to seven years on trumped-up charges—a stark example of the crackdown on civil activism in occupied Crimea.

Posters featuring the faces of political prisoners will be displayed in many cities until the end of March. They honor those who openly defy the occupiers and those who continue their resistance from behind bars.

The third dimension focuses on the “Yellow Ribbon” activists, representing the broader story of Crimeans who refuse to submit to the Russian regime. Through these narratives, the campaign highlights the many people on the peninsula who await de-occupation and engage in daily “silent resistance”—distributing pro-Ukrainian leaflets and leaving yellow ribbons and other symbols of support for Ukraine.

“Resistance in Crimea is a struggle for a dignified life in one’s own home, where rights are respected.

The campaign was organized by the Mission with support from the  Partnership Fund for a Resilient Ukraine, funded by the governments of Canada, Estonia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. It was also made possible through the cooperation of regional administrations and the KCMA.

Additionally, Ukrzaliznytsia supported the initiative; from late February to mid-March 2026, a video dedicated to the Day of Resistance to the Occupation of Crimea was broadcast on Intercity trains.