19 August 2025
WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN OCCUPIED CRIMEA ON AUGUST 18, 2025
Main news of the week
▶ A former Kremlin prisoner, Vladyslav Yesypenko, told about the torture he suffered after being detained by Russian security forces in occupied Crimea. According to him, after his arrest, he was put on a bus, given headphones and dark glasses so that he could not see or hear anything, and then taken to a basement where he was undressed and placed on the floor. There, a wire was connected to his ears and an electric shock was passed through his body for several minutes, causing severe pain. After that, they began to beat him, mainly on his torso and legs, which lasted about 15 minutes. Then they sat him on a chair and demanded that he confess to “espionage” and name his contacts. Yesypenko emphasized that the security forces did not make any specific demands, and their goal was to break his will and frighten him.
Crimes committed by the Russian Federation
▶ As of August 2025, Russia has illegally imprisoned 220 people in occupied Crimea on ethnic, religious, and political grounds, including 133 Crimean Tatars.
▶ Crimean Tatar journalist and political prisoner Remzi Bekirov, who is serving an illegal 19-year sentence in Russian colony No. 33 in Khakassia, has reported deteriorating health and pressure from the administration. He has lost 30 kg due to poor nutrition, reduced portions in the punishment cell, and lack of sunlight; in addition, he has varicose veins and dental problems, which are not treated in the colony. Bekirov also faces restrictions on his five daily prayers, for which he has previously been placed in the punishment cell.
▶ Russian occupiers have extended the illegal detention of Bakhchysarai activists Seidamet Mustafaiev, Eldar Yakubov, Abdulmedjit Seitumerov, Ruslan Asanov, Ametkhan Umerov, and Remzi Nimetulaiev until November 23. The lawyer noted that the prosecution’s arguments regarding the need for detention are unjustified, since no evidence was provided and no explanation was given as to why other preventive measures, such as house arrest, could not be applied. The defense intends to appeal the decision.
▶ The wife of Crimean Tatar political prisoner Izzet Abdullaiev reported that he suffers from toothache and hypertension, which developed due to cardiac arrhythmia. According to her, medical care in Russian colony No. 2 in the city of Salavat in the Republic of Bashkortostan is provided superficially, mainly limited to pills, and most of the necessary medicines are sent by relatives. She noted that despite problems with blood pressure, heart, and teeth, her husband’s overall health is quite good, and she described the attitude of the guards as normal. He keeps in touch periodically and receives letters regularly.
▶ The wife of political prisoner Ansar Osmanov reported that he complains of toothache and a body rash. According to her, her husband does not know the cause of the rash, as he has not been examined by a doctor. The toothache forced him to see a dentist, but the examination was conducted without gloves, raising concerns about possible infection. She also reported that her husband has not been in contact with his family since April this year, and letters do not reach Vladimir Penitentiary No. 2 due to the absence of a censor. She noted that the wives of other Crimean political prisoners held in this institution also do not receive letters from their husbands.
▶ On June 23 this year, the Russian-occupied “court” in Crimea issued an illegal decision to arrest journalist Aleksyna Dorohan of the “Krym.Realii” project for two months in absentia. The journalist is accused of allegedly “organizing or participating in an illegal armed group,” which carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison.
▶ Relatives of Crimean political prisoner Ivan Yatskin reported that he continues to suffer from serious health problems in Penal Colony No. 5 in the Kemerovo region: he has developed trophic ulcers on both legs, severe headaches and back pain, and his teeth are almost completely destroyed, forcing him to take painkillers constantly. According to them, treatment in the colony is provided only formally, sometimes he is transferred to the colony’s hospital, where instead of the necessary medication, only brilliant green is used, and access to the medical unit is often blocked under the excuse of staff shortages and the label “prone to escape.” It is noted that in previous punishment cells, Yatsikin may have been given psychotropic drugs, which caused memory lapses, and he was subjected to psychological pressure, humiliation, and provocation, in particular after refusing to join the Russian private military company Wagner.
▶ Relatives of Crimean civil activist Volodymyr Ananiev, whom the occupation regime accuses of allegedly “attempting to assassinate Aksionov,” reported critical conditions of his detention in punishment cell No. 5 in Rostov-on-Don, where Ukrainian prisoners of war are usually held. According to them, the cell is small, unsanitary, and does not meet safety requirements, which has an extremely negative impact on the health of the 75-year-old political prisoner. Ananyev has serious problems with his legs, walks with a cane, can hardly see after two eye surgeries, has developing glaucoma, and high blood pressure. His relatives emphasize that he needs constant medical supervision and a special diet, but the punishment cell does not provide proper care, and the poor sanitary conditions and nutrition only aggravate his illnesses.
▶ The wife of Crimean Tatar activist Medzhyt Abdurakhmanov reported that her husband, who was illegally sentenced to 12 years in prison, has been held for 11 months in the restricted cells of Russian colony No. 9 in the city of Tsivilsk (Republic of Chuvashia). According to her, since the beginning of his stay there, Abdurakhmanov has not spent a single day in the barracks — he is kept either in a punishment cell or in a cell-type room. Because of this, the political prisoner has not been able to see his family for two years: he is denied visits and phone calls, and is only allowed to correspond by mail. The last meeting with his family took place in Saratov two years ago. She noted that her husband’s health has deteriorated: spots have appeared on his face and body, his ulcer has worsened, his teeth are crumbling, he suffers from headaches and high blood pressure, but he does not receive medical care.
The use of occupied Crimea as a springboard for attacks on Ukraine and the militarization of the peninsula
▶ Activists of the resistance movement ATESH reported that their agent conducted intelligence operations at the Kacha airfield in occupied Crimea and identified the location of radar and air defense systems. The airfield is used by the Russian Air and Space Forces as a key hub for the 318th Regiment’s strike aviation, command posts, logistics, and complexes that cover the southwestern part of the peninsula and coordinate air strikes on Ukraine. The agents also conducted intelligence operations on the territory of the former Sevastopol Aviation Plant (“helicopter plant”), which is now a branch of the federal state unitary enterprise “Aviakomplekt” and is actively used for the needs of Russian aviation. According to their data, the enterprise not only repairs helicopters for the Russian Ministry of Defense, but has also become an important logistics hub with a command post where combat flights to southern Ukraine are planned, targets are selected, and air strikes are coordinated. It is noted that officers of the Russian military-space forces from Dzhankoi and Rostov-on-Don regularly arrive at the facility, where they provide maintenance to crews and prepare and restore helicopter groups. ATESH emphasized that the existence of such a center directly affects the intensity of attacks on Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia.
▶ Monitoring sources reported that Russia had transferred military equipment from the Moscow and Leningrad military districts to occupied Crimea. Military trucks with license plates bearing the code “50,” which previously belonged to the Western Military District, were spotted in Simferopol and Dzhankoi. In Sevastopol and Inkerman, new fuel tankers with the same code were spotted, equipped with protective grilles over the tanks and cabins, as well as equipment with new tactical markings.
▶ According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, over the past week Russian occupiers have carried out a series of large-scale combined attacks on the territory of Ukraine — including 225 strike UAVs of the Shahed, Shahed-Heran, and Gerbera types, as well as 5 Iskander-M ballistic missiles, launched in part from the territory of occupied Crimea.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion and spread its armed aggression throughout Ukraine, occupied Crimea has been used by Russia as a military base for spreading aggression in various forms. From the peninsula, the occupiers continue to launch attacks on the territory of Ukraine, including on civilian infrastructure.
The resistance movement of Ukrainian citizens in occupied Crimea
▶ Russia has already prosecuted 1508 people in occupied Crimea for expressing solidarity with Ukraine, who are being subjected to administrative penalties in the form of illegal fines and arrests.
▶ A local in occupied Sevastopol allegedly spoke out against the war on social media and encouraged people to join the “Legion of Freedom of Russia” and “Russian Volunteer Corps” units fighting against the Russian invaders. The so-called “Sevastopol City Prosecutor’s Office” approved the indictment in a criminal case under Part 2 of Article 205.2 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation for allegedly “publicly justifying terrorism and calling for it using the Internet.” The criminal case with the indictment was sent for consideration to the occupation “court.”
▶ Activists of the Yellow Ribbon movement report a steady rise in gasoline prices, shortages at gas stations, and widespread discontent among residents of occupied Crimea. According to them, long lines at gas stations, constant fuel shortages, and the feeling that the occupation administration is not in control of the situation are causing anger among the people. The activists also published photos from the temporarily occupied cities of Bakhchysarai, Sevastopol, and Yevpatoria, emphasizing that the opinions of Crimeans who remain under occupation must be heard during any negotiations regarding the future of the peninsula. They stressed that Crimeans want to return home under the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag.
▶ Activists of the Crimean Combat Seagulls continue to expose the personal data of collaborators and Russian war criminals in occupied Crimea.
▶ The Zla Mavka resistance movement reports that the occupation administration in Crimea is once again resorting to propaganda methods to “educate” local residents. This time, they are placing banners with anti-abortion slogans on church fences.
The full-scale invasion was marked by a rapid increase in solidarity and resistance actions by residents of occupied Crimea against the Russian occupiers. Residents of occupied territories unite in resistance movements, such as the above-mentioned Yellow Ribbon, Crimean Combat Seagulls, Zla Mavka, and ATESH, or act individually. To suppress the resistance movement of residents in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea after February 24, 2022, the occupiers actively began to prosecute and bring to administrative responsibility Ukrainian citizens under the article on the so-called “discrediting the Russian army.”
De-occupation of Crimea is integral to ending the war and restoring peace. Ukrainians are doing everything they can to stop the aggressor and protect the entire world from Russia’s criminal actions. This is not a local or regional issue but a threat to the world and international order.