13 January 2026
WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN OCCUPIED CRIMEA ON JANUARY 13, 2026
Main news of the week
▶ The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported a fire strike on rolling stock (a fuel train) carrying fuel and lubricants at the loading rack of the Hvardiiske oil depot, which the enemy had been using for logistical purposes.
▶ The Unmanned Systems Forces struck an artillery ammunition depot in the settlement of Mizhhiria in Crimea.
▶ The Centre for National Resistance reported that systematic violations in the use of pesticides and agrochemicals have been recorded in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea, posing a direct threat to public health and the peninsula’s environment. The Centre added that the occupying administration had been aware of the problem in advance, as reports of mass violations had been received as early as the beginning of the season.
Crimes committed by the Russian Federation
▶ As of November 2025, Russia has illegally imprisoned 224 people in occupied Crimea on ethnic, religious, and political grounds, including 133 Crimean Tatars.
▶ Political prisoner Mamut Bielialov, who is being illegally held by Russian occupiers in Pre-Trial Detention Centre No. 2 in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea without proper medical care, is in critical condition. In particular, he has developed serious diseases of the genitourinary system. Despite this, he is not being provided with the necessary medication, including medicines sent by his relatives. Mamut Bielialov was detained in 2022 and accused of an alleged attempted assassination of the so-called Minister of Resorts and Tourism of Crimea, Vadym Volchenko. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison, later reduced to 11.5 years.
▶ The wife of Crimean political prisoner Tofik Abdulgaziev reported a sharp deterioration in his health while he is being held in a prison hospital in Chelyabinsk, Russia. She stated that her husband had previously been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and is now frequently losing consciousness and suffering from episodes of shortness of breath. According to her, during their most recent phone call, Abdulgaziev said he is forced to stay close to his bed in a single-occupancy hospital cell, as he fears fainting, while attacks of breathing difficulties are becoming increasingly frequent.
▶ The sister of Crimean political prisoner Servet Haziiev, who was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment, reported a significant deterioration in his health at Penal Colony No. 5 in Kamchatka Krai, Russian Federation, where he has been held since spring 2025. According to Svitlana Abliamitova, her brother suffers from a purulent ear infection, a persistent cough, exacerbation of chronic intestinal problems, and severe pain in his hip joint and legs due to hereditary rheumatism. Despite this, he is not receiving adequate medical care.
The use of occupied Crimea as a springboard for attacks on Ukraine and the militarization of the peninsula
▶ Activists of the “ATESH” movement conducted reconnaissance of the so-called prosecutor’s office in Crimea, which, according to the activists, is involved in fabricating criminal cases against Crimean Tatars, pro-Ukrainian activists, and individuals who do not recognize the occupation of Crimea.
▶ Russian military forces and the occupying administration are intensifying the militarisation of the educational space in Crimea. As reported by the Centre for National Resistance, the peninsula is preparing to step up conscription into the Russian army and to involve school pupils and students in training under the guise of “patriotic education”, including the training of drone operators. In addition, starting in 2026, Crimean schools plan to establish specialised sections for drone piloting, while practical classes using simulators and FPV drone training are already being conducted.
▶ According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, over the course of a week Russian occupiers carried out a series of large-scale combined attacks across Ukraine. In particular, they used more than 1,150 strike UAVs of the “Shahed”, “Shahed-Geran”, and “Gerbera” types, 18 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, and 22 Kalibr cruise missiles, including launches from the territory of occupied Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea. Russian aggressors continue to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the winter, carrying out further acts of terror against the civilian population.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion and the expansion of its military aggression across the entire territory of Ukraine, occupied Crimea has been used by Russia as an army base to project aggression in various forms. From the peninsula, the occupiers continue to strike Ukrainian territory, including civilian infrastructure.
Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion and the expansion of its military aggression across the entire territory of Ukraine, occupied Crimea has been used by Russia as an army base for projecting aggression in various forms. From the territory of the peninsula, the occupiers continue to launch strikes on Ukraine, including against civilian infrastructure.
The resistance movement of Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea
▶ For showing solidarity with Ukraine, Russia has already persecuted 1,657 people in the occupied territory of Crimea, imposing illegal administrative penalties such as fines and arrests.
▶ Activists of the “Yellow Ribbon” movement acted Yalta, Simferopol, Sevastopol, and Alushta. In particular, they displayed Ukrainian symbols — yellow ribbons, flags, and inscriptions in support of Ukraine.
The full-scale invasion has been marked by a sharp increase in acts of solidarity and resistance by residents of occupied Crimea against the Russian occupiers. Residents of the occupied territories unite in resistance movements such as the aforementioned “Yellow Ribbon,” “Crimean Combat Seagulls,” “Zla Mavka,” “ATESH,” or act individually.
To suppress the local resistance movement on the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea after 24 February 2022, the occupiers began actively persecuting and subjecting Ukrainian citizens to administrative liability under the article on so-called discrediting the Russian Armed Forces.
The de-occupation of Crimea is an essential part of ending the war and restoring peace. Ukrainians are doing everything possible to stop the aggressor and protect the entire world from Russia’s criminal actions. This is not a local or regional issue — Russia’s aggression poses a threat to the whole world and the international order.