Yesterday, the Mission/The Office of the Crimea Platform hosted a briefing for the diplomatic corps, focusing on the current situation in the temporarily occupied territory of the Crimean Peninsula. The event was attended by representatives of foreign diplomatic missions and international organizations. The briefing was led by Olha Kuryshko, Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, Olha Skrypnyk, Representative of the Crimea Platform Expert Network, Natalia Gozak, Director of Greenpeace Ukraine, Suleyman Mamutov, Member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) in Ukraine, and Evelina Kravchenko, Archaeologist, Historian, Science Promoter, and Museum Worker. Diplomats, representatives of international organizations, and international experts also participated in the event. The briefing was moderated by Nelia Hrynyshyn, Chief Consultant of the Information Department of the Mission.

The briefing was attended by Shoayb Casoo, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa; Ernal Filo, Ambassador of Albania; Paul Lehmann, Ambassador of Australia; and Maciej Janczak, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Ukraine. Representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Ukraine were also present, including representatives from the embassies of Australia, Albania, the United Kingdom, Estonia, Egypt, Indonesia, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, the United States, Türkiye, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, and Japan. Additionally, representatives from the NATO Representation to Ukraine, the European Union Delegation to Ukraine, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, and UNESCO participated in the event.

Olha Kuryshko, the Permanent Representative, delivered the opening remarks, expressing gratitude to the diplomats for their attention to the issue of Crimea and their comprehensive support for Ukraine. She emphasized that the de-occupation of Crimea remains one of the key priorities of the Ukrainian state. Ukraine continues its fight for territorial integrity on both the battlefield and the diplomatic front.

“Our fight for Crimea is not just about territory; it is a fight for people, their rights, and their identity. Since 2014, Crimea has witnessed systemic human rights violations, including unlawful arrests, political persecution, and repression against the Crimean Tatar people and Ukrainian activists. The occupation administration uses criminal cases as a tool to suppress anyone expressing pro-Ukrainian sentiments,” said Olha Kuryshko

In her address, the Permanent Representative highlighted pressing challenges in occupied Crimea, including the escalation of political persecution, religious oppression, the destruction and theft of cultural heritage within and through Crimea, and the ecological disaster caused by Russian oil spills in the Black Sea.

Olha Skrypnyk, a representative of the Crimea Platform Expert Network, spoke about the rise in political persecution and repressive practices employed by the occupation regime against Ukrainian citizens.

“We have dozens of individuals who are held incommunicado. Crimea is being used as a prison for activists, bloggers, and journalists. We need an effective mechanism to secure the release of our people from Russian imprisonment. Raising awareness about political prisoners and detainees is crucial for advocacy and pressuring Russia to set them free,” emphasized Olha Skrypnyk.

Nataliia Gozak, Director of Greenpeace Ukraine, spoke about the environmental disaster caused by Russian actions, including oil pollution in the Black Sea and the military exploitation of Crimea’s natural resources.

“The pollution of waters by Russia is a chronic issue, and it continues to grow. The consequences of this oil contamination are catastrophic for the ecosystem. This could have been prevented or at least mitigated, but Russians disregard past disaster experiences and fail to take necessary actions,” noted Nataliia Gozak.

Suleyman Mamutov, a member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, highlighted Russia’s oppression of the population in Crimea, particularly the persecution of religious organizations, the imposition of Russification ideology, and the use of religion to achieve political goals. He emphasized that since 2014, Crimea has been used as a testing ground for repressive measures, with these practices now extending not only to newly occupied territories but also to internationally recognized Russian territory.

“In January 2014, there were 2,220 religious organizations in Crimea. Eleven years later, only 932 remain. This demonstrates that Russians are willing to use any tools to suppress those dissatisfied with Russia’s actions. They blatantly violate international law, pressure religion, and have effectively destroyed the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea,” Suleyman Mamutov stressed.

Evelina Kravchenko, an archaeologist and historian, spoke about the systematic destruction of Crimea’s cultural heritage, illegal excavations, and the removal of historical artifacts to Russia, where they are used in propaganda campaigns.

“A significant example of Russia’s criminal actions against Crimea’s cultural heritage is the destruction of Chersonesus Taurica, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Since 2014, Russians have been devastating this historical and archaeological reserve, turning it into an entertainment complex aimed at promoting Russian narratives. This is just one of many similar cases,” noted Evelina Kravchenko.

The Mission’s team outlined its key areas of activity for 2025 and highlighted potential forms of support and involvement from the diplomatic corps. Particular emphasis was placed on the mentorship program for Crimean political prisoners and events marking the 11th anniversary of Crimea’s resistance to occupation, preparations for which are already underway. The Mission reiterated that the war has not lasted just three years, but 11 years—and it began with the occupation of Crimea.