Weltschau

Crimea remains one of the most painful topics in modern Ukraine. The peninsula has been under Russian occupation since 2014. However, during the years of occupation, Crimea has not become “Russian”—it has only become a place of systemic pressure, repression, and ongoing struggle.

As of today, the situation on the peninsula has clear measurable indicators: in 2024, 111 cases of illegal detentions, 173 arrests, and over 280 violations of the right to a fair trial were recorded in Crimea. In the same year, 109 interrogations and “preventive conversations” took place, which are used as a tool to intimidate the population. Since the beginning of the occupation, 473 politically persecuted persons have been documented, a significant part of whom are Crimean Tatars. Over the 12 years of occupation, Russia has imprisoned about 300 people on political charges, more than half of whom are representatives of the Crimean Tatar people.

These numbers are not just statistics. Behind each of them is a specific story: families who lost loved ones, people who ended up behind bars for their position, or those who simply disappeared. Human rights activists report that since 2014, at least 29 people have gone missing in Crimea, most of them Crimean Tatars. These are not just isolated cases. We are talking about a systemic practice—kidnapping, detention without contact with their families (the so-called incommunicado status), and pressure on loved ones to remain silent.

The indigenous people of Crimea – the Crimean Tatars – have become the main targets of repression. They are persecuted not only for their political views, but also for their religious beliefs. Despite this, they form the basis of non-violent resistance: they document crimes, support political prisoners, and work with international organizations. This is not just a fight for territory—it is a fight for the right to remain oneself.

In Crimea, it is not only dangerous to act—it is dangerous to speak. According to human rights activists, hundreds of people have been punished simply for their pro-Ukrainian stance or the use of Ukrainian symbols. The phrase “Crimea is Ukraine” can cost freedom there.

Despite total control, occupation does not mean final loss. There are three key factors that prove this assertion:

1. People have not changed their identity. Pro-Ukrainian sentiments remain, although they may not always manifest openly.

2. The world has not recognized the occupation. Crimea legally remains Ukrainian territory, and this stance is supported by international law.

3. Resistance continues daily. From the transfer of information to the preservation of culture, it is a silent but constant struggle.

Free Ukrainian Crimea is a fact that is still ahead. Today, Crimea is a territory without freedom. But at the same time, it is a territory of invincibility. And when they say that “free Ukrainian Crimea is a myth,” the facts prove the opposite. Because even under pressure, arrests, and fear, Crimea remains Ukrainian.

And this is no longer a slogan. This is a reality that is simply not yet complete.

Lyashenko Vladyslav is a student at the Journalism Department, pursuing the second (master’s) educational level at V.I. Vernadsky Tauria National University.