Crimea during the Russian war against Ukraine – news “from the field” (09.03.2022)

The Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea together with the non-governmental organization CrimeaSOS record the events on the territory of the Russian-occupied Crimea that have taken place since the beginning of the so-called Russian “special military operation” in Ukraine. Below is a digest as of March 9, 2022.

#1: Salaries and various social benefits of public sector workers in Crimea have been “cut”

Public sector employees received lower salaries. For example, if the salary was 20 thousand rubles, they received 19 thousand rubles. Also payments for disability, mothers and other social benefits have been reduced.

#2: threats to activists

Russian security forces continue to send warnings to Crimean Tatar activists in the occupied Crimea.

#3: Emil Emirov have been released

Emil Emirov, who was detained in Bakhchisaray on March 4 for alleged treason, have been released. Information is being updated.

#4: School classes are canceled because soldiers live in the classrooms

For more than a week the classes in secondary schools are not conducted. According to operational information, Russian soldiers live in the premises of the schools. According to the available information of the PPU in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, these soldiers are illegally mobilized men from the temporarily occupied parts of the territories of Donetsk and Lugansk regions, who have been relocated to the occupied Crimea.

#5: Forcing to praise the power of the occupiers and support the war

Middle and senior employees working in the public sector are forced to periodically write commendable posts about the Russian authorities and the “military operation” on social networks. For example, in Gymnasium No. 8 in the city of Yevpatoria, they are forced to frankly speak out in favor of the so-called support for the war and Putin. In case of refusal to join the propaganda, they are threatened with problems with their future careers.

#6: Crimea is being used as the point of sending Russian troops to the war in Ukraine

About 20 thousand Russian military personnel were stationed in the village Novoozernoe before the beginning of a full-scale invasion to the controlled territory of Ukraine (until February 24, 2022). Most of them were sent to war in mainland Ukraine.

The rotation of the troops has been noticed. In Yevpatoria, the military occupation forces are moving among the streets and shops. In the photos made they are in a dirty Russian uniform. In Yevpatoria, cars with “Z” signs have been also recorded.

#7: New activity of Russian soldiers is noticed in Crimea

In the village of Molochne in the Crimea, along the coastline, there are tents with Russian soldiers, probably from Chechnya. Access to the sea for the locals have been closed, also dug trenches have been noticed.

Since the evening of March 8, aviation activity has been noticed in the Kirov region (there is an aerodrome located in this  area).

A convoy of military transport left, approximately 13 units and a fuel truck, have been moving in the direction from Feodosia to Dzhankoy, 

#8: food shortage in Crimean stores

In part of the territory of the Crimean peninsula, products in stores disappear very quickly, purchase restrictions for some goods have been introduced . There is also a tendency of almost daily growth in prices for certain types of goods.

#9: evacuation of FSB officers and their families

According to Oleksiy Arestovich, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Russia has now begun evacuating the families of FSB officers from Crimea, where they lived during the temporary occupation of the peninsula.

#10: Flowers to the monument to Taras Shevchenko

In Sevastopol, local residents brought yellow and blue flowers and candles to the monument to Taras Shevchenko, honoring the memory of Ukrainian author and those killed in the “military operation.” The occupation authorities did not organize events for the 208th anniversary of the birth of the Ukrainian poet.

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📌This is just a fraction of the crimes already committed by the totalitarian Russian government in Crimea. But Crimea is resisting, and soon the Ukrainian flag will fly over the cities again. 🇺🇦

❗️We ask conscious Ukrainian citizens in Crimea to inform us about the current situation on the Crimean peninsula.

📧press.mpuinarcrimea@gmail.com 

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, called on Ukrainian citizens to fight in the temporarily occupied territories, just as Kherson, Berdyansk and Kyiv are fighting.

Slava Ukraini!

Crimea is Ukraine!