1000 days of full-scale war – a chronicle of events in Crimea

On 19 of November this year it is an important borderline – 1000 days from the full-scale invasion of rf into Ukraine. Within this timeframe many things happened: bitter losses and the pride for own country and its nationals. Many Ukrainians spent those days in occupation which lasted since 2014. Here CrimeaSOS is to cover what happened in occupied Crimea in 2022-2024.

2022

24.02.2022. The Crimean peninsula occupied since 2014 became one of the springboards for the full-scale invasion of the russian troops to the mainland Ukraine.  More than 750 cruise missiles were targeted from the occupied Crimea to the mainland Ukraine only within the first six months of the full-scale war. 

24.02.2022. The occupying power ceased the civil aviation in Simferopol, which had operated illegal flights to the occupied peninsula, due to the worsening of the situation because of the war in Ukraine. This ban was extended many times and is still effective. 

04.03.2022. To fight against the anti-war speech the russian legislation was amended: the discreditation of the russian army became administratively or criminally liable and the dissemination of the “fakes” about the russian army – criminally liable.  It is known that within 2, 5 years there are at least 982 administrative cases for discreditation of the russian army, 9 criminal cases for the repeated discreditation and 3 criminal cases for the dissemination of the “fakes” about the russian army.   Yet on 7^th of March2022 the first administrative fines were imposed on the residents of Feodosiya, Simferopol and Yalta who held the pickets with posters “discrediting” the russian army.

16.03.2022. The russian law-enforcement forces searched and apprehended Abdureshit DZHEPPAROV – the known Crimean human rights defender and the veteran of the Crimean Tatar movement. The occupying court ruled to place DZHEPPAROV for 15 days of administrative detention for the video showing the resemblance of the nazi and the Soviet military songs which he published in the social network back in 2019.

13.04.2022. The Ukrainian military hit the russian missile cruiser  “Moscow”  with 2 “Neptun” missiles which drowned the cruiser down the very next day.  According to Forbes, this is the most expensive one-time military loss of russia in the war against Ukraine: it costed some USD 750 mln. There were allegedly some 500 persons on board of “Moscow” cruiser. Russia has never said the exact number and declared only 17 persons to be lost – allegedly due to “the detonation of ammunition” , “the fire”  and subsequent sinking  which were set in motion by “a storm”. 

29.04.2022. The russian law-enforcement officers kidnapped the nurse and the civil journalist Iryna DANILOVYCH, hiding her fate and whereabouts. Only on 11 of May it became clear that DANILOVYCH was detained in SIZO-1 of Simferopol charged with allegedly illegal storage of explosive materials. At the late 2022 the occupying court sentenced her to 7-year term of imprisonment which lately was shortened by a month.

May 2022. It became public that russia sent the first 30 doctors from Crimea to the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. The assignment of the doctors from Crimea to the war zone takes place while the medical staff is severely lacking in the occupied Crimea itself. 

16.05.2022. The Crimean painter Bohdan ZIZA threw yellow and blue paints onto the entrance of the occupying administration building in Yevpatoria to show his anti-war stance. After his apprehension the video popped up on the internet demonstrating his confession despite the fact that he was subject to physical and psychological violence. The Rostov court sentenced ZIZA to 15-year imprisonment under few charges, inter alia for planning terrorist attack and vandalism inspired by political hatred.

26-27.05.2022. The russian law-enforcement officers apprehended 4 lawyers. Firstly Edem SEMEDLYAYEV was detained, then – Nazim SHEIKHMAMBETOV, who came to the occupying court to protect the interests of  SEMEDLYAYEV, was apprehended too. A bit later the occupying police apprehended two more lawyers – Aider AZAMATOV and Emine AVAMILEVA who represented the interests of  SHEIKHMAMBETOV.  In total the fines for political charges  of SEMEDLYAYEV as imposed  by the occupying courts equaled to RUB 75 000, while SHEIKHMAMBETOV, AZAMATOV and AVAMILEVA were subjects of administrative detention from 5 to 8 days.

01.06.2022. The Supreme Court of rfdeclared the Noman Çelebicihan battalion to be the terrorist organization. The battalion was created in 2016 as the unit of the State Border Service of Ukraine and located at the administrative border of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Kherson region. After the full-scale invasion the battalion merged with the Territorial Defense Forces of Ukraine. Some 30 persons were imprisoned in Crimea and Kherson region for alleged participation in the battalion.

23.07.2022. The FSB officers apprehended the resident of the Kherson region Appaz KURTAMET at the entry point to Crimea. For 2.5 months there was no information on whereabouts and the legal status of KURTAMET. In early  October 2022 the FSB charged him with financing the illegal armed group as KURTAMET  had made a UAH 500 transaction to the person he knew and who was serving in the volunteer battalion “Crimea”. Under this charge the occupying court  sentenced KURTAMET for 7-year imprisonment. 

04.08.2022. It is known that the Chamber of Lawyers of the Chechen Republic withdrew the licenses of the following lawyers: Lilya HEMEDZHI, Rustem KYAMILEV and Nazim SHEIKHMAMBETOV.  HEMEDZHI, KYAMILEV and SHEIKHMAMBETOV provided legal aid to at least 16 Crimean political prisoners. 

09.08.2022. The Ukrainian army hit the air base “SAKI” at the west of Crimea which resulted in destroying of 9 russian military planes. The occupying power stated that some 30 persons from ‘’neighboring buildings” were evacuated, but the general evacuation was not held. The Ministry of Defense of russia claimed that the explosion was caused by “detonation of some avia ammunitions”.

11.08.2022. The russian law-enforcement officers held a set of searches at the dwellings of the Crimean Tatars in Dzhankoi district, as a result 6 persons were apprehended allegedly for the ties with Hizb ut-Tahrir. The civil journalist Vilen TEMERIANOV and Enver KROSH were among those apprehended, they had been prosecuted by the occupants before. At the moment of the searches the mobile phones of some lawyers who provided the legal aid to the political prisoners were blocked. Enver KROSH was beaten while transportation to Simferopol to force him to unblock the phone.

August 2022. The auto service station in Crimea was demolished as the owner had refused to provide services to the russian military men whose vehicle bore Z symbol.  The local occupying power claims it was demolished as “ illegal construction”. The owner of the auto service station Vilen SEITOSMANOV explained that there were no ideological reasons behind the refusal: the service station was tailored for passengers cars and not for heavy army vehicles. 

16.08.2022. There were explosions in the village of Maiske of Dzhankoi district. Around 2000 persons were evacuated from Maiske and many buildings were harmed due to the detonation of the ammunition.

10.09.2022. 4 persons were administratively detained forthe song of “Red Viburnum’ at the Crimean Tatars wedding in Bakhchisarai and 2 persons – fined. The occupying power shut for examination the restaurant “Arpat” from where the music came and the owner was forced to record the public excuses.

21.09.2022. Vladimir Putin signed “the partial mobilization” decree in line with which tens of thousands of residents of Crimea were mobilized. The mobilization was reached by mass raids at the public places and forced transportation to the occupying military commissariats. The mobilization boosted the involuntary departure of the residents of Crimea, first of all, Crimean Tatars.

28.09.2022. The russian law-enforcement officers held 8 searches of Jehovah witnesses’ in Nyzhniohirsk and Krasnohvardiisk districts of Crimea and initiated the criminal proceedings against the believer  Serhii PARFENOVYCH under the Article on the organization of the activity of extremist organization. In 2024 the occupying court sentenced PARFENOVYCH to 6-year imprisonment. 

08.10.2022. As a result of explosion on the Kerch bridge the roadway fell down, the tankers of freight trains burnt out and 5 persons died. Russia has been actively using the illegally built  Kerch bridge for the military transportations to Crimea and the southern regions of the mainland Ukraine.

October 2022. A new detention center in Crimea was established  – SIZO no.2 in Simferopol. Its establishment was caused by overcrowding of SIZO-1 which had been the only detention center for quite a while, and by mass transportation to Crimea of apprehended and kidnapped persons from Kherson and Zaporizhzhya regions who were the first inmates of SIZO-2. New SIZO is known by its harsh detention conditions, many inmates are detained incommunicado and with no charges.  

02.11.2022. The occupying Parliament of Crimea ruled “to nationalize” more than 130 objects  which according to the occupying power belonged to “foreign citizens or unfriendly states” .

December 2022.  A former lecturer at the Bilohirsk Technical School, Andriy BILOZEROV, was the first Crimean resident to be criminally prosecuted for repeatedly discrediting the russian army. In September 2022, BILOZEROV played the song “Bayraktar” during a class at the college, he was fined, apprehended for 13 days and fired. In October 2022, BILOZEROV was apprehended once again for 14 days for posting the song “Red Viburnum” on social media, and in December 2022, a criminal case was initiated against him for an anti-war post, he was fined for RUB 100 000.

06-08.12.2022.  The russian law-enforcement officers  held some 40 searches of Jehovah’s Witnesses in different districts of Crimea and initiated the criminal proceedings against a believer, Alexander VORONCHIKHIN, under articles on organizing and financing the activities of an extremist organization.

2023

24.01.2023.  Russian law-enforcement officers conducted a new series of searches in the dwellings of Crimean Tatars in Dzhankoy district, 6 persons were detained for alleged involvement in Hizb ut-Tahrir. 

25.01.2023.  The russian law-enforcement officers apprehended 34 persons who attended the court hearing to support the arrested Crimean Tatars. Later, 27 of them, including two disabled persons, were sentenced to administrative apprehension on charges of organizing mass simultaneous gatherings in public places. 

07-10.02.2023.  The political prisoners Kostyantyn SHYRING and Dzhemil HAFAROV died in the russian penitentiaries as a result of systematic neglect of health problems by the administration of the penitentiaries.  

27.03.2023. The General Prosecution Office of rf declared the human rights organization “Crimea SOS” to be “undesirable”. The decision is substantiated  by the activity of the “Crimea SOS” which is aimed at deocuppation of Crimea and its participation in an “information campaign aimed at discrediting” russian army.    

28.02-22.06.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers searched at least 12 dwellings of the Crimean Tatars because of the explosions at railway, in particular at the place of the activist and civil journalist Rolan OSMANOV, the Kurultai delegates of the Crimean Tatar people and their relatives. 

05.04.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers put into custody the civil journalist Amet SULEIMANOV who had been under house arrest due to the heart problems. The Military Court of Appeal upheld SULEIMANOV’s 12-year sentence despite his medical condition, which ruled out his detention in custody.

25.04.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers searched again the house of Abdureshit DZHEPPAROV, a human rights activist and veteran of the Crimean Tatar national movement. After the search, the occupation court ruled to apprehend DZHEPPAROV for 12 days for allegedly disobeying a lawful order of a police officer. Subsequently, the occupation courts fined Dzhepparov for RUB 45 000 and 40 000 for publishing a report on human rights violations, which publication he denied.

11.05.2023. The occupying bailiffs and the representatives of the “State Property Fund” of Crimea seized the Cathedral of the Holy and Equal-to-the-Apostles Volodymyr and Olha in Simferopol, the main church of the Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. They broke down the doors of the cathedral, then made the inventory and took away the property of the Crimean Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine.

06.06.2023.  The russian troops blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant in Kherson region, which stopped water supply to the North Crimean Canal. The dewatering of the North Crimean Canal aggravated the water shortage in Crimea, as until 2014, up to 85% of the peninsula’s fresh water had been supplied through the Сanal from the Dnipro.

11.06.2023. The human rights initiative Qırım Gayesi announced the cease of its activity in Crimea.

25.06.2023. On the eve of the Day of the Crimean Tatar Flag, the occupation police detained three Crimean Tatars for driving in a convoy with national flags which was on its way to the foot of White Rock (Ak-Kaya). The occupation court fined two of the Crimean Tatars for RUB 20 000 for allegedly organizing a mass simultaneous gathering of citizens in public places.

17.07.2023. The Ukrainian troops stroke again the Kerch Bridge with Sea Baby maritime drones. The attack destroyed one car passage.

25.07.2023.  The Yellow Ribbon resistance movement stated that its number exceeded 5,000 activists.  

27.07.2023. The occupation police apprehended 14 persons near the building where the court hearing in the case of Nariman DZHELYAL and the AKHTEMOV brothers was broadcasted. Among the detainees  there were relatives of the political prisoners, the human rights activist and civil journalist Lutfiye ZUDIYEVA, who was fined, and another journalist Kulamet IBRAIMOV, who was apprehended  for 5 days. 

14-16.08.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers searched at least 9 dwellings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Armyansk, Saki, Simferopol and Dzhankoy and opened a criminal case against three believers under the article on organizing the activities of an extremist organization.

24.08.2023. For the first time since 2014 the Ukrainian troops landed on the western shore of Crimea. The special operation caused the enemy losses among personnel and military equipment, while Ukrainian troops returned unharmed.

24.08.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers held series of searches at the dwellings of the Crimean Tatars, 6 persons in Bakhchisarai district were apprehended allegedly for ties with the Hizb ut-Takhrir.  The activists of the human rights initiative “Crimean solidarity” and the relatives of the political prisoners were among detainees.

25.08.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers brutally detained 23 Crimean Tatars who came to the court hearing to support their previously arrested compatriots. The occupation court imposed administrative arrest on 22 persons. A representative of the russian military commissariat arrived at one of the occupation police stations to hand all detainees the conscription notices.

11.09.2023. The Ukrainian troops took the control back over the  gas and oil drilling platforms near the coastline of Crimea. Russia seized them in March 2014 and deployed helicopter landing sites and radar.

22.09.2023. The Ukrainian troops stroke the headquarters of the russian Black Sea Fleet in Sevastopol with the Storm Shadow missiles.

04.10.2023. The Ukrainian troops shored again on the western coast of Crimea within the special operation held.

13.10.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers apprehended the lawyer, Oleksiy LADIN, who was heading from one court hearing to another.  While illegal search at the lawyer’s dwelling some materials which contained the confidential information were seized with no court ruling to do so.  The occupational court apprehended the lawyer for 14 days and fined for 45 000 for posting a drawing with Ukrainian and Crimean Tatar symbols and an anti-war post on social media.

October 2023. It is known that another detention center  in Crimea was established in Simferopol – SIZO-8. According to the human rights activists, SIZO-8 is directly supervised by the FSB.

23.11.2023. The russian law-enforcement officers searched the premises of two members of independent Muslim community “Alushta” and the Imam Yusuf ASHIROV. After the searches, they were apprehended for several days. On 30 November 2023, the dwelling of the head of the Alushta community, Abdullah HAFAROV, was also searched, and in December 2023, the occupation court fined the community  for RUB 100 000 for alleged distributing extremist materials.

2024

04-06.01.2024. Within three days, the Ukrainian troops struck the command post of a russian troop formation near Sevastopol, an air defense unit near Yevpatoriya, an ammunition depot in northern Crimea, and a command post at the airfield in Saki.

31.01.2024. A missile strike by the Ukrainian troops on the Belbek military airfield destroyed at least three aircrafts and caused personnel losses.

15.02.2024. The russian law-enforcement officers apprehended the lawyer Emil KURBEDINOV on his way to work. The record of the administrative violation was drafted in respect to Emil KURBEDINOV charging him with abuse of the freedom of mass information for his post at Telegram on illegal mobilization of the students whose conscription was deferred. Later the occupation court fined KURBEDINOV for RUB 30000. 

22.02.2024. The russian law-enforcement officers searched the dwelling of the journalist and the human rights defender Lutfiye ZUDIYEVA, after that she was apprehended and two administrative records were drafted.  The reasons behind that were social network posts where she had failed to state that Hizb ut-Tahrir was declared to be the terrorist organization in russia and Radio Liberty – the foreign agent. The courts fined ZUDIYEVA for RUB 4500 in total. 

29.02.2024. The russian law-enforcement officers searched the dwellings of Idris YURDAMOV, the head of  Muslim community  “Eski Qirim”, Imam Izet SAIFULLIN of the local mosque and activists Lenur YAKUBOV and Shevket KIYAMOV. The law-enforcement officers drafted the administrative record for allegedly illegal missionary activity, the occupation court apprehended Lenur YAKUBOV for 14 days for alleged demonstration of the prohibited symbols.

05.03.2024. The russian law-enforcement officers searched the dwellings of the Crimean Tatars in Bakhchisarai, Dzhankoy and Dzhankoy district, apprehended 10 persons charging them of the ties with Hizb ut-Tahrir. The civil journalists Rustem OSMANOV and Aziz AZIZOV, the Imam Vait MUSTAFAYEV and the former Imam, disabled Remzi KURTNEZIROV were among the apprehended persons.   While these 6 searches the law-enforcement officers seized so-called forbidden literature which they had planted before.

15-17.03.2024. For the second time russia illegally held the presidential elections in Crimea. According to available information, the occupiers forced the employees of the state-financed institutions to vote in the illegal elections, take photos of the filled ballots and post them on social media.

24.03.2024. The Ukrainian troops hit three large landing ships “Yamal”, “Azov”, and “Konstantin Olshansky”, as well as the “Ivan Khurs” reconnaissance ship.

27.03.2024.  After the searches in the village of Yedy-Kuyu (Lenine), FSB officers took three women to an unknown destination. Their whereabouts and legal status are still unknown.

30.04.2024. The Ukrainian troops attacked three air defense units in Simferopol, Chornomorsk and Saky districts, and for the second time in that month struck a military airfield in Dzhankoy.

06.05.2024. The occupation police handed the lawyers Lilya HEMEDZHI, Rustem KYAMILEV and Nazim SHEIKHMAMBETOV and human rights activist Seit-Osman KARALIEV “warning notices” about the inadmissibility of violation of the law. An officer of the occupation criminal search tried to question the human rights activist and journalist Lutfiye ZUDIYEVA, who had repeatedly been subjected to harassment in occupied Crimea. The very next day ZUDIYEVA was also handed a similar “warning notice”. 

17.05.2024. On the eve of the 80th anniversary of the deportation of the Crimean Tatar people, the russian law-enforcement officers searched the dwellings of Qırım newspaper editor-in-chief Bekir MAMUTOV, its founder Seyran IBRAHIMOV, and the editorial office. The reports were drafted against MAMUTOV and the newspaper because of the interview on the conscription evasion and quoting the UN Secretary-General’s report on abductions and tortures in Crimea.  The occupying courts fined MAMUTOV and the paper Qirim for RUB 790 000 in total.

30.05.2024.  The Ukrainian troops hit four “Tuna” fast amphibious assault boats near the western coast of Crimea with Magura V5 maritime drones, two boats were destroyed. On the same day, ATACMS missiles struck the Kerch ferry, having damaged two ferries that russia was actively using for military logistics.

June 2024. The FSB officers apprehended  Lyudmila KOLESNIKOVA during the funeral of her mother. For three months, Lyudmyla KOLESNIKOVA was held in a pre-trial detention center with no charges or access to hygiene products. In October 2024, a criminal case was opened against her under the article on state treason for buying NFT-stamps about a russian warship.

23.06.2024.  Probably as a result of russian air defense operation, 4 civilians were killed and more than 150 were injured on a beach in Sevastopol. The beach is located near the Belbek military airfield, and eyewitnesses claim that there were no air raid alert and  shelter.

28.06.2024. Nariman DZHELYAL, the Deputy Chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar people, and 9 civilians from other occupied territories were released as a result of the swap. Nariman DZHELYAL was the first illegal civilian prisoner from Crimea who was swapped after 2019. 

25.07.2024.  The Bar Association  of Tiumen region disbarred Oleksiy LADIN at the request by the russian Ministry of Justice. LADIN defended the interests of the illegally imprisoned Ukrainian citizens in Crimea and had already been subjected to repressions.

28.07.2024.  On the site of the UNESCO World Heritage “Tauric Chersonesos” the occupiers festively opened the New Chersonesos Museum and Park Complex. The creation of the New Chersonesos was accompanied by the destruction of the part of the historical place, by the construction of modern  buildups that devalued the historical value of the site; some exhibits were transported to russia. “The New Chersonesos is known to be Vladimir Putin’s personal project, promoting russian myths about the history of Crimea.

07.08.2024.  The russian law-enforcment officers  searched at least 5 dwellings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Razdolnensky district and the city of Alushta and opened a criminal case against 68-year-old believer Tamara BRATSEVA under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization.

09.08.2024. The Ukrainian troops using Magura V5 maritime drones destroyed a high-speed amphibious assault boat TUNA and damaged three other boats close to the western coast of Crimea. 

22.08.2024. The Ukrainian troops hit the Slavyanin railway ferry in the port of Kavkaz on the Taman Peninsula. It was the third and the last occupant rail ferry in the region.

29.08.2024.  The occupiers destroyed the last church of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine in Crimea. Since 2019 the occupation authorities had been putting pressure on the Crimean Diocese of the OCU, demanding the community to demolish the Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross in Yevpatoria on its own. Despite the threats the parishioners had not complied with the decision of the occupation authorities.

06-08.09.2024.  The occupiers held the illegal local elections in Crimea. According to the available information, the detainees of the Simferopol detention center were forced to vote without their consent and threated with punishment for spoiling the ballots.

13.09.2024. Leniye UMEROVA was released as the result of swap after she was arbitrarily apprehended by the occupiers in December 2022 on the Georgian-russian border. Back then Leniye UMEROVA was on her way to see her father who suffered from cancer. After more than 4 months of unjustified detention, UMEROVA was charged with espionage.

14.09.2024.  The russian police officers apprehended at his place Oleksandr SIZIKOV, a blind activist from Bakhchisaray district, and placed him in custody. The day before, the Military Court of Appeal upheld SIZIKOV’s 17-year sentence despite his total vision impairment, which ruled out the detention. SIZIKOV gropes his way in the cell.

09.10.2024.  At least 10 dwellings of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Kerch were searched by the russian law-enforcment officers, a criminal case against believer Vitaliy BURYK  was opened under the article on organizing the activity of an extremist organization.

17.10.2024.  The so-called “Supreme Court” of Crimea ruled to abolish the independent Muslim community “Alushta” at the request of the so-called “Ministry of Justice” of Crimea. The Alushta Muslim community has been repeatedly repressed since the occupation of Crimea for alleged violation of the russian legislation on religion and countering extremism.

07.11.2024. The russian law-enforcement officers searched the dwelling of the couple, the lawyers, Lily HEMEDZHI and Rustem KYAMILEV. After the search, Rustem KYAMILEV was taken to the Center for Countering Extremism, where two administrative reports were drawn up against him. Subsequently, the occupation court ruled to apprehend KYAMILEV for 10 days and fined him  for RUB 50 000 for reposting a drawing with Ukrainian symbols and an anti-war post on social media. Lawyers KYAMILEV and HEMEDZHI have been repeatedly repressed since the occupation of Crimea.

13.11.2024.  Valery TRANKOVSKY, chief of staff of the 41st Brigade of Missile Ships and Boats of the russian Black Sea Fleet, was killed in a car blasting in Sevastopol. According to the Security Service of Ukraine, he had been behind the orders to target Kalibr missiles to the civilian objects in Ukraine, including in Vinnytsia on July 14, 2022, which led to 29 casualties.

We see that since 2014 and up until now Crimea has been “a grey zone” for russia where the outlaw rules. The propaganda, the apprehensions for expression of the opinions and for peaceful gatherings, coercion applicable to the lawyers who have been representing the political prisoners, forced disappearance, tortures, brutal and inhuman treatment – that is the reality the residents of the occupied peninsula live in.  Nevertheless, despite the repressions and systematic prosecution by the occupying power, the nationals of Ukraine have been resisting to the occupation and the political regime of the aggressive state.