Nearly 300 people are still imprisoned in occupied Crimea on fabricated charges

Over 12 years of occupation of Crimea, Russian authorities have imprisoned nearly 300 people on politically motivated charges, including 159 Crimean Tatars, according to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine marking the anniversary of Russia’s attempted annexation of the peninsula.

The ministry recalled that on March 16, 2014, Russia staged what Kyiv calls a sham referendum in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol in the presence of Russian troops. Days later, Moscow used the vote as a pretext to annex the territory.

Ukraine says the move violated its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as key principles of international law, including the United Nations Charter and the Helsinki Final Act. The annexation has been widely condemned by UN member states through multiple General Assembly resolutions, and only a few governments allied with Moscow recognize Russia’s control of the peninsula.

According to the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Russia has turned Crimea into a territory of repression where people are persecuted for their language, views, or religion. During the occupation, Russian authorities banned the activities of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People and forcibly shut down structures of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

The ministry says the repression has particularly targeted Crimean Tatars, the peninsula’s indigenous people. Many have been forced to leave Crimea, while those who remain face intimidation, arrests, and politically motivated prosecutions.

Ukrainian diplomats estimate that at least 430 people have faced politically motivated cases during the occupation, though the real number may exceed 500 because the occupation authorities do not disclose all cases publicly.

As of now, nearly 300 people remain in Russian captivity on fabricated charges, and Ukraine has demanded their immediate release and return. Kyiv also warned that Russia has transformed Crimea into a heavily militarized base used to project power in the Black Sea region and support further aggression against Ukraine.

Ukraine stressed it will never recognize Russia’s occupation of Crimea and will continue seeking the restoration of its territorial integrity.

A woman from occupied Zaporizhzhia Oblast "sentenced" to 11 years in prison for donation to Ukraine's Armed Forces

Russian authorities have sentenced a 68-year-old pensioner in the temporarily occupied part of Zaporizhzhia Oblast to 11 years in prison for allegedly transferring money to support Ukraine’s Armed Forces. According to Ukraine’s Office of the Ombudsman, the woman was convicted by Russian occupation authorities.

Ukrainian media outlet Zmina, citing occupation officials, identified the woman as Halyna Bekhter, a resident of the occupied village of Plodoridne in the Melitopol district. According to the Russian investigation, Bekhter allegedly used a mobile banking application in July 2023 to transfer money in support of the Ukrainian military.

Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) classified the action as “providing financial assistance to a foreign state in activities directed against the security of the Russian Federation,” under Article 275 of the Russian Criminal Code.

Ukraine’s Human Rights Commissioner Dmytro Lubinets said he had appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross and began efforts to include Bekhter in the list of civilians illegally detained by Russia.

Lubinets also sent a letter to Russia’s human rights commissioner requesting confirmation of Bekhter’s place of detention and stressing the need to ensure her rights are respected. According to Lubinets, the case reflects the systematic persecution of Ukrainian civilians in territories occupied by Russia.

“When an elderly woman becomes the target of the repressive machine, it is obvious that this is not about ‘justice,’ but about terror against the civilian population,” the Ombudsman’s Office said.

The statement added that the so-called courts created by Russian occupation authorities have no legitimacy and cannot issue lawful sentences against Ukrainian citizens.

Lubinets emphasized that this case is not isolated. According to him, Russia has systematically persecuted Ukrainians in occupied territories, illegally detaining civilians and subjecting them to abuse.

“I draw the attention of our international partners to this gross violation of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Ukrainians detained illegally must be brought home — every single one of them,” Lubinets said.

Putin gains a new resource for war: Zelensky warns of danger

President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Vladimir Putin never intended to end Russia’s war against Ukraine and only pretended to be open to negotiations. Speaking about the international situation and its impact on the conflict, the Ukrainian president said the Kremlin leader was motivated largely by pressure from the United States and concern about the position of Donald Trump. According to Zelensky, Putin used the appearance of negotiations as a tactic while continuing the war.

Zelensky said Moscow is using talks mainly to push ultimatums on Kyiv, including demands that Ukrainian forces withdraw from their own territory. Such proposals, he said, are unacceptable and reflect Russia’s broader strategy of forcing concessions rather than seeking a genuine settlement.

The Ukrainian leader also warned that global developments could strengthen Russia’s position. In particular, he said tensions involving Iran and rising geopolitical instability have boosted Russia’s revenues, helping offset economic pressure from Western sanctions and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure. According to Ukrainian intelligence, those sanctions and attacks pushed Russia into a deficit of more than $100 billion in 2026, but recent developments have allowed Moscow to recover some income. Zelensky said the United States and its allies must increase pressure on the Kremlin, warning that otherwise, Russia will not negotiate in good faith.