Main news of the week:

▶ The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, enacted the NSDC decision to apply new sanctions against Russians involved in the abduction and Russification of Ukrainian children, as well as against 23 vessels of the Russian shadow fleet.

▶ Later, the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) in absentia notified occupiers of suspicion for preparing boys in Crimea for the war against Ukraine. In particular, suspicion was notified to Oleksandr Diachenko — the head of the occupation “Union of Border Guards of Crimea” and the “Varangian Marine Training Center,” as well as to two of his subordinates — Daria Gorokhova and Volodymyr Graf. The priority direction of the organizations headed by Diachenko is the educational and combat training of youths for subsequent enrollment in special units of the Russian Navy.

▶ The General Staff of the AFU reported the hitting of an “MR-10” radar station, an air defense control point, and a “Parol-4” ground radar interrogator at the “Kacha” airfield. Additionally, an ammunition depot in the Pervomaiske area and the “TES” oil depot in Simferopol were attacked. Separately, this week, the Defense Forces struck the location of a tactical group of an “Iskander” operational-tactical missile system near Druzhne.

▶ The Navy of the Armed Forces of Ukraine hit a “Sobol” patrol boat and a “Grachonok” anti-sabotage boat.

▶ In Irpin, Kyiv region, the art project “Dlia syroty” (For an Orphan) was presented in support of Crimean political prisoner, artist, and activist Bohdan Ziza. The initiative is intended to draw attention to people remaining under occupation, and its central image was the orphan boy character created by Ziza as a symbol of vulnerability and resilience.

Invaders’ crimes:

▶ As of April 23, 2026, 303 individuals are subject to political persecution on the territory of occupied Crimea, 164 of whom are Crimean Tatars and 1 is a Karaite.

▶ As of April 22, 2026, 1,729 cases under Article 20.3.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the RF regarding the so-called discrediting of the armed forces of the russian federation have been recorded in the territory of temporarily occupied Crimea. In 1,607 cases, a fine was imposed or the case was combined with another proceeding under a different article with an aggregate decision. In 8 cases, the proceedings are still ongoing. Women account for 53% (851) of the rulings, while men account for 47% (753).

▶ The Second Court of Cassation of General Jurisdiction in Moscow rejected the appeal of human rights defender and journalist from Crimea Lutfiye Zudiyeva regarding her inclusion in the Russian register of “foreign agents.” Furthermore, her lawyer was not admitted to the hearing: when Zudiyeva’s representative arrived at the court at the appointed time, it turned out that the consideration had already taken place earlier, and the previous decision was upheld. Lutfiye has been covering political persecution on the peninsula and helping families of political prisoners for nearly 10 years.

▶ The wife of political prisoner Alim Karimov, who visited him in penal colony No. 6 in Omsk, says that communication with him remains difficult due to the censorship of letters. In March 2019, the man’s home was searched, and later a Russian “court” in Rostov-on-Don sentenced him to 13 years of imprisonment. After Alim Karimov’s detention, his defense filed an appeal. However, the so-called court continued its preventive measure in the form of detention, and all appeals remained unsatisfied. In September 2025, he was transferred from a prison in Krasnoyarsk to Omsk.

▶ Zarema Bariieva, a manager of the Crimean Tatar Resource Center, published the story of Crimea resident Arsenii Diachkin. Specifically, she stated that the occupiers initially sentenced the man to 6.5 years of imprisonment in a case regarding alleged “illegal possession of explosive substances,” and later increased the term to 16 years of imprisonment for “treason.” Arsenii’s state of health is of concern: before his arrest, he suffered a severe injury and requires constant medication.

Forcible conscription:

▶ At least 3,054 russian servicemen from units stationed in Crimea have died. 1,558 of them were likely citizens of Ukraine.

▶ At least 125 russian soldiers from Crimea have been confirmed as captured. Most are likely citizens of Ukraine.

Propaganda of the occupation administrations and incitement to hostility:

▶ The occupiers continue to use children’s camps as a propaganda tool. This summer, in the children’s camps of Crimea, the occupiers plan to hold 4 specialized shifts dedicated to the study of “national cultures and traditions” within the framework of the “Year of Unity of Peoples” declared in Russia.

▶ Further attempts to use the “Artek” camp, seized by Russia, as a tool of international and internal propaganda are also recorded. Within the framework of the so-called World Youth Festival, the occupiers announced the holding of the “World Children’s Conference ‘Children for Peace'” at “Artek” from June 21 to July 12, which is presented as a platform for “child diplomacy” with the participation of representatives from various countries.

📌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!