11 June 2024
WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN OCCUPIED CRIMEA ON JUNE 11, 2024
Main news of the week
▶ On the night of May 6, the servicemen of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine destroyed a Russian vessel in Chornomorske village, Yevpatoriia district, in the west of occupied Crimea. As a result of the strike, the enemy raid tugboat, Saturn or Proteus, was destroyed in the waters of Lake Panske near Chornomorske.
▶ On the night of June 7, two enemy radar stations were damaged in temporarily occupied Crimea. The Armed Forces of Ukraine used drones to damage radar stations located in the enemy’s military unit in the village of Mysove in the Kerch region of Crimea. Radar stations are crucial components of military infrastructure and enemy intelligence.
▶ The occupiers illegally detained five people in Sevastopol on suspicion of planning “sabotage” against the Russian Black Sea Fleet. The occupiers labeled the residents of Sevastopol as “recruited by Ukrainian special services”. The occupation administration illegally opened cases against the detainees under articles on “treason”.
Crimes committed by the Russian Federation in occupied Crimea
▶ As of June 2024, Russia has illegally imprisoned 218 people on ethnic, religious, and political grounds, including 133 Crimean Tatars.
▶ The occupation court sentenced a resident of Yalta, whom the occupiers illegally detained in June 2023. The man was arrested together with his friend, accusing both of them of “cooperation on a confidential basis with foreign intelligence services”. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the men allegedly “proactively established cooperation with a representative of the Security Service of Ukraine”.
▶ The occupation court dismissed the appeal, upholding the decision to fine Crimean human rights activist and journalist Lutfiie Zudiieva for her posts from three years ago. In her posts, the journalist spoke out against the politically motivated persecution of Crimean Tatars. The occupation court unlawfully fined Lutfiie Zudiieva 2 thousand Russian rubles for allegedly “abusing freedom of the media”.
▶ On May 30, the occupation court upheld the sentence of Crimean Tatar Appaz Kurtamet, who was previously unlawfully sentenced to seven years in prison. The Crimean Tatar is illegally accused of “financing an armed group”. By financing, the occupiers mean Kurtamet”s transfer of 500 UAH to a representative supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
▶ The occupation administration plans to start the season of archaeological excavations on the peninsula in June. The occupiers annually carry out illegal excavations in eastern Crimea, and this year they plan to conduct them in the Kyz-Aul archaeological complex. Archaeologists sent from Russia to Crimea do not know the specifics of excavations of archaeological sites in Crimea and do not follow the methodology of field research. In addition, the occupiers regularly illegally export the tangible cultural heritage of the Crimean Tatars to Russia from the peninsula.
The use the territory of occupied Crimea as a military base and a springboard for attacks on Ukraine
▶ According to the National Resistance Center of Ukraine, more than 950 land plots in the temporarily occupied Crimea are to be seized for the needs of the Russian army. The seizure will take place without prior buyout of the land from its owners. In addition, the occupiers have enacted the order “On Regime Objects”, which grants land property the status of a “military object”. This includes most of the land in Sevastopol. In this case, no title of ownership to land or real estate is legally valid.
▶ Residents of Sevastopol complain that the occupiers have installed S-300 surface-to-air missiles near residential areas. In particular, they are located between private houses on the 7th kilometer of the Balaklava Highway. Previously, this surface-to-air missile was deployed on Hirska Hill at the 10th kilometer of the Balaklava Highway. But later the complex was moved to a new position. This is likely because the Ukrainian Armed Forces began to hit air defense installations in Crimea, so the occupiers moved the installations to residential areas to use the local population as a human shield against Ukrainian attacks.
Resistance movement of Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea
▶ Russia persecutes at least 802 people in occupied Crimea for expressing solidarity with Ukraine. The occupiers illegally impose fines and openly threaten Crimean residents with imprisonment for their activity on social media.
▶ The Crimean resident supported Ukraine on his social media page and waited for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The occupiers illegally detained the man and sent the case file to court.
▶ A resident of Crimea liked and shared posts on social networks that allegedly “discredit the Russian army”. The occupiers illegally detained a citizen of Ukraine and sent the case file to the “court”.
▶ A resident of the village of Omelianivka, Nyzhnohirsk district, posted offensive pictures of the Russian president on social media and used Ukrainian symbols. The occupiers illegally detained the man and drew up administrative reports against him.
▶ A resident of Kerch expressed pro-Ukrainian views on social media pages. In particular, the man supported Ukraine, denied the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation and waited for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The occupiers illegally detained the man and sent the case file to the “court”.
▶ A resident of Sevastopol spoke negatively about the occupying army in the comments of one of the telegram channels. The occupiers illegally detained the woman: a special rapid response unit of the Russian Guard was involved in her detention. Currently, an administrative report has been drawn up against her under the article on “discrediting the Russian army.” The woman faces a fine of up to 50 thousand rubles.
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon resistance movement continue to resist the occupiers in Crimea, destroying copies of propaganda materials and reporting on enemy locations. This week, representatives of the movement published photos from the Independence Embankment in occupied Yevpatoriia. The photos show how the Russian invaders have set up firing points (areas of the terrain specially prepared for firing) and fortifications. These fortifications consisted of simple sandbags that were soon scattered along the pedestrian part of the embankment.
▶ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls resistance movement continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea. The resistance movement also reports that on May 31, the defense forces attacked a ferry crossing in Crimea.
▶ The Zla Mavka resistance movement continues to publish its diaries and a weekly newspaper, which reveals the crimes of the occupiers.
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!