CrimeaSOS: full-scale invasion by the russian federation is a chance for the Crimeans

CrimeaSOS took part in the Faine Misto charity festival. In particular, within the framework of the festival there was a conversation “United by Crimea: active civil society is the driving force of change”, in which CrimeaSOS analyst Yevhenii Yaroshenko and Crimean activist Lerane Khaibulaieva took part. The conversation was moderated by journalist Kateryna Nekrechaia.

During the conversation, the speakers told the festival guests about the resistance movement in Crimea: from the beginning of the occupation to now, during the full-scale russian invasion of Ukraine.

According to Lerane Khaibulaieva, the full-scale invasion by russia is a chance for the residents of Crimea to be heard and freed from the occupiers.

“The full-scale invasion by the russian federation is a chance for Crimeans. I talk to my parents every day and ask: what’s the news, are people waiting for Ukraine in Crimea. She says: “everyone around me is waiting for Ukraine”… All those people who have not lost Ukraine in their hearts, they have been waiting for more than nine years”, —the activist says.

after the occupation of the peninsula in 2014, the “Atesh” and “Zhovta Strichka” (Yellow Ribbon) movements were born in Crimea. A number of citizen journalists and activists continue to fight against the occupiers, ending up in institutions with restrictions on freedom, receiving fines and prison sentences.

“After the start of the full-scale invasion, the resistance movement did not decrease at all, resistance increased. For some reason, there is an opinion in society that there was no resistance to the occupation in Crimea. But for some reason we all forget to look at the photos of the pro-Ukrainian protest near the Supreme Council of the Republic of Crimea. There one could see that the number of supporters of the territorial integrity of Ukraine was almost three times greater than the number of the pro-russian electorate”, – Yevhenii Yaroshenko said.

The Faine Misto charity festival was held in Lviv from July 28 to 30. 13 NGOs from all over Ukraine were represented on the Alley of NGOs of the festival, including CrimeaSOS. 

NGO CrimeaSOS was established in 2014. Our activities are aimed at highlighting the illegality of the occupation of Crimea and the repressive policy of the russian federation in respect of the Crimeans, maintaining the ties of the peninsula with mainland Ukraine, as well as the consolidation of Ukrainian society through the protection of the rights, freedoms and interests of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and other people who suffered as a result of the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine and Crimea.