Pro-Ukrainian residents of Crimea "systematically" attack Russian military bases with Molotov cocktails, forcing Russia to tighten its surveillance over the peninsula, Ukraine's military intelligence reported on Aug. 1.
According to the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR), the confrontations between the pro-Ukrainian population and the occupation authorities are becoming more frequent.
To suppress the dissent, Russia is targeting any "suspicious" figures who could be involved in such incidents, using mass detentions and violence, the intelligence said.
Several citizens who refused to accept Russian passports reportedly "disappear," while others are dismissed from work, face fines or loss of property.
According to HUR, most of those detained and arrested are Crimean Tatars.
Crimea has been under Russian occupation since 2014, and the Crimean Tatars and pro-Ukrainian activists who remained on the peninsula have faced regular persecution by occupation authorities.
There have been frequent reports of sabotages and attacks on the occupied peninsula in recent weeks. The HUR reported on the destruction of ammunition warehouses on the peninsula on July 28 but did not confirm its involvement.
Ukraine used missiles to hit the bridges over the Chonhar Strait, and the Crimean Bridge over the Kerch Strait has been damaged as well.
On July 25, Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that Ukraine will continue to attack targets in Russian-occupied Crimea to reduce Russia's fighting capacity and "help save the lives of Ukrainians."
Elsa Court
(Updated: )
