RUSSIA-UKRAINE The defeat of Crimea, behind the scenes of the war

The risk of a forced and prolonged drought as a result of the explosion of the Nova Khakovka dam is just the latest in the heavy wounds that seven years of fighting in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict have left on the peninsula. The harsh repression of the Tatars, the collapse of tourism, the trenches and fortifications that deprived the peasants of their lands, among the consequences of the “mobilization”.

Moscow () – One of the “Russian-Ukrainian” areas under greatest pressure in the year and a half of war, and indeed in the seven years of the “hybrid” conflict between the two countries, is Crimea, the symbolic annexed peninsula in 2014, and that since then has not known peace. The recent explosion of the Nova Khakovka dam threatens to plunge it further into drought, a problem that had already arisen with the separation of Ukraine and which seemed partially resolved with the conquest of the Donbass territories.

In addition to military and logistical problems, the citizens of Crimea suffer numerous constraints and persecution, as an investigation by activists from Crimea illustrates. Krymskaja Ideja. The arrests and deportations of the Crimean Tatars, heirs of the former rulers of the area, and the prohibition of using the beaches for military reasons, which aggravates the total lack of tourism, the main industry in the region, are some of the reasons that further aggravate the endless tension between pro-Russians and pro-Ukrainians. The 2014 referendum, in which more than 90% of the population opted for reunification with Russia, certainly did not reflect the true division of opinion, at a time of military occupation.

In the last three months, at least 18 cases of unexplained disappearances of people of Tatar ethnicity have been registered, adding to a constant trend of oppression of those who could claim independence on the peninsula, even more than the Russians or the Ukrainians. Analysts are convinced that the victims are surely many more, and the Tartars themselves try not to spread the news too much for fear of further persecution.

The security forces, subordinated to the military leadership, carry out increasingly obsessive checks in search of Ukrainian partisans among the inhabitants, especially in this phase linked to the Kiev counteroffensive, whose leaders continually repeat that they want to recover not only the areas occupied in the last few months, but especially Crimea. Tatars and suspected pro-Ukrainians are rounded up and taken away, often for no reason, right in front of their front door, or taken out of train carriages, to be sent to an unknown destination, often with a hood over head. The interrogations continue for long hours in secret places and in a very humiliating way, using polygraphs and various forms of violence without the presence of any lawyer. Many are later handed over to court on charges of “extremism and terrorism”.

Most of the tourist facilities are confiscated for military purposes; as activists documented, in the Leninskij rakhon province, soldiers occupied children’s hotels, and all the operators were left without a job. Even the beaches, which are still formally open, are unable to attract tourists, for fear of warfare, and in any case they are surrounded by trenches and barricades, which makes them very unattractive and even less accessible for bathers. Even Feodosija beach, the “Rimini of Crimea”, has so far been completely deserted.

The war not only hinders tourism, but also agriculture. In fact, the trenches and fortifications, especially in the north of the peninsula, have left farmers without land, rendering it useless for planting and harvesting. The protests of some businessmen who demanded compensation for the losses ended in “threats of physical elimination”, according to the testimonies that were collected.

The inhabitants of Crimea are drawn into the mobilization in a much more authoritarian way than the rest of the Russian citizens. Many speak of vehicles with tinted windows circulating slowly through the most populated districts, to stop men fit for war, without much formality. State employees are not allowed to resign or abandon their posts, because it would be considered “desertion”, as confirmed by several documented cases. Women are also not allowed to leave their jobs, as they can be sued for breach of duty.

Schools and families are beset by continual drives for aid “for SVO needs”, an acronym for “special military operation”, and soldiers lead children in groups to offer candy and letters of support which they write as they please. dictate. The war is still in an uncertain phase, but Crimea is definitely beaten.

Photo: Flickr / Elena Pleskevich