03 March 2026
WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE SITUATION IN OCCUPIED CRIMEA ON MARCH 03, 2026
Main news of the week:
▶ The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that on February 23, the military struck an area where Russian troops of the 15th separate missile brigade of the Russian Black Sea Fleet were stationed. On February 25, a strike was carried out on a launcher from the “S-400 Triumf” anti-aircraft missile system.
▶ Furthermore, on March 2, the Defense Forces struck the “Podlyot-K1” long-range space communication center near Vynohradne in Crimea.
▶ Russia continues to militarize the youth on the peninsula. For instance, on February 23, the “Artek International Children’s Center” held an event aimed at “building team spirit” among children through a military-sports game, projectile throwing, and weapons disassembly. More than two thousand schoolchildren participated in the event.
Invaders’ crimes:
▶ As of early February 2026, 284 individuals in occupied Crimea are subject to judicial persecution, 159 of whom are Crimean Tatars.
▶ The health of Crimean political prisoner Amet Suleimanov has deteriorated. He was first detained in 2020 but later released under house arrest due to his health condition. However, the Russian occupiers detained him again in 2023 and continue to hold him in a prison in the RF. In addition to high blood pressure, a hypertensive crisis, and heart problems, doctors have diagnosed him with retinal angiopathy, which could lead to loss of vision if left untreated.
▶ Yashar Muedinov was transferred to correctional colony No. 9 in the Russian city of Omsk without any explanation. Due to inadequate detention conditions, the health of the Crimean political prisoner, who was sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2022, has worsened. He also suffers from arm pain and leg swelling. Furthermore, he has been subjected to physical and psychological pressure.
Militarization of the Crimean Peninsula:
▶ According to the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian occupiers carried out a series of massive combined attacks on the territory of Ukraine throughout the week. This included over 1,000 strike UAVs of the “Shahed,” “Gerbera,” and “Italmas” types, 2 “Zircon” anti-ship missiles, and 1 “Iskander-M” missile, launched from occupied Crimea and the Black Sea. The Russian invaders continue to attack Ukraine’s energy infrastructure during the winter, carrying out yet another act of terror against the civilian population.
▶ The military-patriotic game “Zarnitsa-2.0” was launched at the Nakhimov Naval School in Sevastopol. The goal is to educate and train youth in combat operations and the operation of unmanned systems. This game is not being held for the first time; it was previously organized in 2024–2025. Veterans of the so-called special military operation (SMO) are also involved in the organization.
▶ On February 28, the “ATESH” monitoring group recorded the movement of Russian military equipment from Konstantynivska Bay. Specifically, the occupiers transferred boats from the 102nd special-purpose unit of the Russian Black Sea Fleet to the Southern Bay of Sevastopol. While the Russian occupiers present this as planned operations, they are actually dispersing equipment as a result of Ukrainian strikes.
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.
Propaganda of the occupying administrations and incitement to hostility:
▶ Russia is already persecuting 1,693 people in occupied Crimea for showing solidarity with Ukraine, who are receiving administrative penalties in the form of illegal fines and arrests.
▶ Activists of the “Yellow Ribbon” movement held themed events in Sevastopol, Yalta, and Simferopol to mark the anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion. They displayed Ukrainian symbols and emphasized their unwavering pro-Ukrainian position in the temporarily occupied territory.
The full-scale invasion was 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,” “Zla Mavka,” and “ATESH,” or act individually. To suppress the resistance movement of local residents in the temporarily occupied territory of Crimea after February 24, 2022, the occupiers actively began to persecute and bring Ukrainian citizens to administrative responsibility under the article on the so-called discrediting of the RF army.
The de-occupation of Crimea is an integral 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. After all, this is not a local or regional problem; Russia’s aggression poses a threat to the entire world and the international order.
📌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].